Anti-uropathogenic, antioxidant and struvite crystallization inhibitory potential of fresh and fermented coconut water

Abstract

Coconut water treats many health issues, including kidney stones and urinary tract infections. However, the therapeutic application of coconut water to treat urolithiasis has remained an unexplored topic. This study compares the effect of fresh coconut water (CW) and naturally fermented coconut water (FCW) on anti-uropathogenic, antioxidant, and anti-urolithiasis activities. Initial physicochemical screening established that CW is a rich source of total phenolics, protein, and minerals. Further, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay showed that CW and FCW have an antioxidant potential of 48.33 ± 2.52% and 55.12 ± 2.99%, respectively. While the FCW-treated cultures of selected uropathogens showed antimicrobial activity, the CW-treated cultures displayed negligible activity. Subsequently, anti-struvite analysis was performed using the single gel diffusion method, where different concentrations of CW and FCW were treated during struvite crystallization under in vitro conditions. The increasing concentrations of CW and FCW decreased the number and size of struvite crystals that grew in the gel medium. These results indicate that CW has antioxidant property and a marginal inhibitory effect during in vitro struvite crystallization but is not anti-uropathogenic. However, FCW shows potential antioxidant, anti-uropathogenic, and anti-struvite urolithiatic properties. Further, FTIR, SEM, and XRD techniques were used to confirm the impact of CW or FCW on struvite crystallization.