Beneficial role of virgin coconut oil supplementation against acute methotrexate chemotherapy-induced oxidative toxicity and inflammation in rats

• Main Authors: Ademola C. Famurewa, Abiola M. Folawiyo, Elizabeth B. Enohnyaket, Sharon O. Azubuike-Osu, Innocent Abi, Sunday G. Obaje, Opeyemi A. Famurewa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2018-09-01
• Series: Integrative Medicine Research
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213422018300337

Background: Methotrexate (MTX) is a commonly used antineoplastic and anti-rheumatoid agent whose efficacy is limited by marked organ toxicities associated with oxidative stress. The study investigated beneficial effect of virgin coconut oil (VCO) supplementation on MTX-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in rats. Methods: Rats were divided into 4 groups (n = 6): Control, MTX (20 mg/kg bw), VCO (5%) + MTX and VCO (15%) + MTX. The pre-treatment with VCO for 14 days was followed by single intraperitoneal injection of MTX and the rats were sacrificed after 3 days. Serum activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP) and nitric oxide (NO) levels were also evaluated. Results: MTX induced a distinct diminution in serum activities of oxidative stress markers (SOD, CAT, GPx and GSH), while lipid peroxidation considerably increased demonstrated by MDA level. Similarly, levels of IL-6, CRP and NO increased prominently in MTX control rats. The VCO supplementation markedly enhanced resistance to the MTX-induced biochemical alterations in rats. Conclusion: VCO can be a useful adjuvant natural product in MTX chemotherapy by reducing oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory responses. Keywords: Virgin coconut oil, Methotrexate, Supplementation, Oxidative stress, Inflammation