Virgin Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Oil Attenuates Rotenone-Induced Toxicity in Fruit Flies (Drosophila melanogaster)

Abstract

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease with pathogenic mechanisms traceable to oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction. Rotenone, a chemical compound commonly found in pesticides, has been found to inhibit mitochondrial complex-I and initiate PD-like symptoms in mammals and several invertebrates. Virgin Coconut Oil (VCNO) obtained from the coconut fruit has been found to possess anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. Objectives: The present study evaluated the effect of VCNO on rotenone-induced Parkinsonism in fruit flies- Drosophila melanogaster (D. melanogaster). Methods: Canton special (CS) strains of D. melanogaster, aged between 1 to 3 days were orally exposed for 7 days to 0, 250, 500 and 750 μM rotenone diet for toxicity assay, and 0, 2.5, 5 and 10 % w/w VCNO diet for longevity assay. Thereafter, 5 % VCNO diet was selected for evaluation against 500 μM rotenone. Subsequently, behavioural test (negative geotaxis), markers for redox status and enzyme activities were evaluated. Results: The results showed that rotenone induced toxicity in the flies, while VCNO increased the lifespan of D. melanogaster in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, VCNO ameliorated rotenone-induced locomotor deficits, elevated MDA, as well as the depleted GSH levels. It also mitigated the inhibited activities of SOD, CAT and ATPase in the flies. Conclusions: VCNO protected D. melanogaster against rotenone-induced toxicity by extending longevity, preventing locomotor deficits and reducing oxidative stress.

Coconut milk ameliorates motor and non-motor deficits in the alpha-synuclein transgenic Drosophila melanogaster model for Parkinsonism

“…Ragonese et al(inconclusive), reported a relationship between PD and the factors that reduce estrogen stimulation during life, these support the speculation that endogenous estrogens may play a role in PD development (Ragonese et al, 2004). Overproduction of free radicals has also been reported to inhibit the synthesis of steroids, the development of follicles and cause a reduction in testicular mass (Degger et al, 2015;Izaguirry et al, 2017;Sun et al, 2016). The reduced fecundity (egg count and offspring emergence) in this study confirms a relationship between α-syn toxicity and reproductive dysfunctions in PD.…”

“…A hundred grams (100g) of the sliced coconut meat was blended in 200ml of distilled water using an electric blender. Thereafter, the ground mixture was sieved with cotton sieve, and the filtrate (CM) was used in the experiment (Benjamin et al, 2017;Dosumu et al, 2021). The extract was freshly prepared for every day of diet preparation throughout the experiment.…”

“…While coconut extract contains other nutrients, LA makes up 41% -54.5% of its total nutrient composition (Fernando et al, 2015;Suryani et al, 2020). Virgin coconut oil which has the same LA content as CM has also been reported to have a high content of active polyphenol compounds, which are powerful inhibitors of lipid peroxidation (Dosumu et al, 2021). Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the effect of CM on parkinsonisms in α-syn D. melanogaster model through the evaluation of longevity, locomotor functions (negative geotaxis), rate of reproduction (fecundity) and biochemical assays for redox status (including malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, glutathione, and acetylcholine esterase, superoxide dismutase and catalase enzyme activities).…”