LEPTIN LEVELS ATTENUATED BY COCONUT WATER IN HIGH‐FAT AND HIGH‐FRUCTOSE DIET FED ANIMAL MODELS

Abstract

Coconut water is the liquid endosperm of coconut fruitrich in important nutrients such as vitamins, phytohormones, amino acids andphytochemicals. Tender coconut water, the fluid present in young green coconuts and mature coconut water, the clear liquid present in the older brown coconut have been shown to significantly reduce hyperlipidemia in cholesterol fed rats. Leptin is a 16 KDa peptide hormone that is the product of ob gene in adipose tissues. Leptin level in circulation is directly related to adipose tissue mass. The effect of tender and mature coconut water on the leptin level of high‐fat and high‐fructose diet fed rats was investigated in this study. 55 rats were separated into 11 experimental groups of which 4 groups each had high‐fat and high‐fructose feeding respectively with and without coconut water treatment. The rats were fed for 8 weeks followed by 4 weeks of treatment with tender coconut water, mature coconut water and atorvastatin as reference standard. Leptin level was significantly reduced(p<0.01) by tender and mature coconut water in a manner that was comparable to atorvastatin in both high‐fat and high‐fructose diet fed rats. Leptin lowering in the high‐fat fed rats was similar in both mature and tender coconut water, but the lowering effect was more in the mature coconut water (MCW) than in the tender coconut water (TCW) in the high‐fructose fed rats. Tender and mature coconut water thus, have a lowering effect on leptin level in circulation. This lowering effect might be due to the reduction of adipose tissue mass by the metabolic action of tender and mature coconut water or the interplay of their phytochemical and proximate constituents in a synergistic fashion or the contribution of all the factors.Support or Funding Informationna