Synthesis of fluorescent graphene quantum dots from tender coconut water

Tender Coconut Water (TCW) is a nutrient-rich dietary supplement that contains bioactive secondary metabolites and phytohormones with anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies on TCW's anti-cancer properties are limited and the mechanism of its anti-cancer effects have not been defined. In the present study, we investigate TCW for its anti-cancer properties and, using untargeted metabolomics, we identify components form TCW with potential anti-cancer activity. Cell viability assay, BrdU incorporation assay, soft-agar assay, flow-cytometery, and Western blotting were used to analyze TCW's anticancer properties and to identify mechanism of action. Liquid chromatography- Tandem Mass Spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS) was used to identify TCW components. TCW decreased the viability and anchorage-independent growth of HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and caused S-phase cell cycle arrest. TCW inhibited AKT and ERK phosphorylation leading to reduced ZEB1 protein, increased E-cadherin, and reduced N-cadherin protein expression in HepG2 cells, thus reversing the 'epithelial-to-mesenchymal' (EMT) transition. TCW also decreased the viability of Hep3B hepatoma, HCT-15 colon, MCF-7 and T47D luminal A breast cancer (BC) and MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 triplenegative BC cells. Importantly, TCW did not inhibit the viability of MCF-10A normal breast epithelial cells. Untargeted metabolomics analysis of TCW identified 271 metabolites, primarily lipids and lipid-like molecules, phenylpropanoids and polyketides, and organic oxygen compounds. We demonstrate that three components from TCW: 3-hydroxy-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propan-1-one, iondole-3-carbox aldehyde and caffeic acid inhibit the growth of cancer cells. TCW and its components exhibit anti-cancer effects. TCW inhibits the viability of HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells by reversing the EMT process through inhibition of AKT and ERK signalling.

Comprehensive analysis of physicochemical, nutritional, and antioxidant properties of various forms and varieties of tender coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) water in Northern Sri Lanka

Natural tritium levels in tender and ripe coconut fruit ( Cocos nucifera L.): a preliminary examination

Pesticide residues and heavy metals were analysed in both fresh tender coconut water (FTCW) (n = 161) and packaged tender coconut water (PTCW) (n = 126) samples collected from three southern states of India [Andhra Pradesh (AP), Kerala (KL), and Tamil Nadu (TN)]. A method validated in the laboratory using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used for pesticide residues, while heavy metals were analysed using a validated method of inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Significant differences in heavy metal concentrations were assessed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc test (between different varieties collected 'within' and 'among' states). FTCW samples [n = 9 (6%)] collected from TN showed Monocrotophos and Malathion residues in the range of 1.0 µg L<sup>–1</sup> to 51.6 µg L<sup>–1</sup> and 0.5 µg L<sup>–1</sup> to 0.6 µg L<sup>–1</sup>, respectively, while they were detected in n = 5 (4%) of the PTCW samples at a range of 0.90 µg L<sup>–1</sup> and 0.82 µg L<sup>–1</sup> to 1.56 µg L<sup>–1</sup>. Heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), and stannum (Sn) were detected in different varieties collected from all three states. Some of the PTCW samples also contained traces of Cd, Cr, cobalt (Co), and Pb. Arsenic (As) was found in one sample from KL, while none of the samples was contaminated with mercury (Hg). The present study accentuates the need for fixing standards for the pesticide residues in coconut water.

The effect of pulsed light on the survival of E.coli MTCC 433 in tender coconut water was investigated. The sterilized liquid samples were inoculated with E.coli @ 1010 cfu/ml and treated with pulsed light intensities of 0.18, 2 and 5.6 W/cm2 for an exposure time between 0 and 15 sec. The results obtained were fitted with three different models such as log linear plus tail, Weibull and biphasic model. Biphasic model showed the best the performance with 7 smaller RSME values of 9 evaluated kinetics followed by Weibull model. Among the three models, biphasic model fitted well with the inactivation of E.coli MTCC 433 by using pulsed light treatment.

The effect of pulsed light on the survival of E.coli MTCC 433 in tender coconut water was investigated. The sterilized liquid samples were inoculated with E.coli @ 1010 cfu/ml and treated with pulsed light intensities of 0.18, 2 and 5.6 W/cm2 for an exposure time between 0 and 15 sec. The results obtained were fitted with three different models such as log linear plus tail, Weibull and biphasic model. Biphasic model showed the best the performance with 7 smaller RSME values of 9 evaluated kinetics followed by Weibull model. Among the three models, biphasic model fitted well with the inactivation of E.coli MTCC 433 by using pulsed light treatment

Atmospheric cold plasma inactivation of Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes in tender coconut water: Inoculation and accelerated shelf-life studies

The sweet, clear, aqueous part inside the immature green coconut is referred as tender coconut water (TCW). Although several processing techniques have been attempted, preserving the TCW with its wholesome natural property is yet to be achieved. In the present investigation, the nonthermal treatments (ozone and ultrasound) in combination with nisin were used to extend the shelf life of TCW, and the results were compared with heat-treated TCW. The reduction in microbial counts, retention of phenolics (64%) and flavonoids (70%), and inactivation of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase enzymes of the fresh TCW by ozone with nisin treatment indicated its superiority over other treatments for preservation. The heat-treated and ozone with nisin-treated TCW were sensorily acceptable for 3 weeks, whereas, ultrasound with nisin-treated TCW was unacceptable after 2 weeks of refrigerated storage. Hence, ozone with nisin can be used for the preservation of TCW under refrigerated conditions. Practical applications The work described here shows that the preservation of highly perishable TCW is possible by the use of nonthermal processing methods. The currently used thermal processing of TCW alters its sensory quality; however, use of ozone in combination with nisin was not only able to preserve its nutritional and sensory quality but was also extended its shelf life at refrigerated temperature. Ozone can be easily used at the industrial level to preserve the quality of TCW.

Organ injury by oxidative and inflammatory mediators occurs during ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) of the liver. Remote organ injury secondary to liver I/R increases the systemic insult. Tender coconut water (TCW) has been studied in chemical and fructose-induced liver injury but its ability to decrease tissue injury in clinically relevant injury models is unknown. We evaluated the therapeutic potential of TCW in preventing liver I/R injury and associated remote organ injury. Mice were fed sugar water (SUG; control) or TCW for a week and then subjected to 60 min of liver ischemia followed by reperfusion for 6 h. Plasma alanine transaminase levels, tissue damage, and mRNA levels of Nos2, Tnf, and Il6 were significantly lower in mice fed TCW prior to I/R. Plasma cytokines followed liver cytokine patterns. TCW increased mRNA levels of the anti-oxidant genes Hmox1 and Ptgs2 in the liver of mice subjected to I/R. Remote lung injury from liver I/R was also decreased by TCW feeding as evident by less neutrophil infiltration, decreased pro-inflammatory Il6, and increased anti-inflammatory Il10 mRNA levels in the lung. To examine macrophage activation as a potential mechanism, TCW pretreatment decreased the amount of nitrite produced by RAW264.7 macrophages stimulated with LPS. The levels of Nos2, Il1b, Tnf, and Il6 were decreased while Il10 and Hmox1 mRNA levels were significantly up-regulated upon LPS stimulation of TCW pretreated RAW264.7 macrophages. Collectively, our results indicate that TCW decreased hepatic I/R-mediated damage to liver and lung and suggest that decreased macrophage activation contributes to this effect.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of Heinsia Crinita and Tender Coconut water (TCW) on Alzheimer's disease, focusing on their phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, and anti-inflammatory effects. The study aimed to identify potential therapeutic agents for Alzheimer's disease and contribute to the development of more effective and natural treatments for this devastating disorder. Study Design: The study used a randomized controlled trial design, with six groups: negative control (Group A), positive control (Group B), Donepezil-treated group (Group C), TCW-treated group (Group D), Heinsia Crinita-treated group (Group E) and TCW + Heinsia Crinita-treated group (Group F). Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the University of Calabar, between February 2022 and January 2024. Methods: About 30 rats were used for the work. Alzheimer's disease-like neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration was inducee in 25 rats using scopolamine; 1.0 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.) and then treated with the respective interventions; TCW (2ml/kgBW) and Heinsia Crinita (500mg/kgBW). Histological analysis of the hippocampal tissue was performed using Hematoxylin and Eosin stain and Glial Fibrillary Acid Protein (GFAP) stain. Biochemical assays were conducted to determine Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity. Results: The results of the study showed that Heinsia Crinita may provide greater health benefits than Tender Coconut water due to its higher concentrations of bioactive compounds like alkaloids, flavonoids, and saponins, enhancing its medicinal properties, particularly its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Scopolamine induced histomorphological, immunochemical, and biochemical alterations. When combined with Tender Coconut water, Heinsia crinita (Group F) shows improved efficacy in reducing inflammation, cellular damage, and oxidative stress compared to Tender Coconut water alone. This combination is also as effective as Donepezil (Group C) in alleviating immunochemical alterations in a scopolamine-induced Alzheimer's model in Wistar rats, marked by reduced astrocyte activation, lower malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and increased glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity p < 0.05. Conclusion: This study suggest that the combination of Heinsia Crinita and Tender Coconut water may serve as a promising therapeutic approach for addressing neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease. The enhanced medicinal properties of Heinsia Crinita, particularly its ability to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, coupled with the nutritional benefits of tender coconut water, could provide a synergistic effect that supports neuronal health and mitigates disease progression. This finding highlights the potential for natural products to be integrated into traditional medicine and modern therapeutic strategies.

Tender coconut water is natural drink, healthy, nutritious, provided by nature and is widely available in tropical countrie. Tender coconut water has therapeutic effects, containing various nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, enzymes. 16 Recent studies suggest that tender coconut water is rich in free amino acid, source L-arginine and vitamin C, which can prevent heart diseases and peroxidation. Some of the medicinal properties of Tender Coconut Water discussed in this review. Despite the facts that tender coconut water is a natural, harmless, vegetable product available in a perfect transportable container, good nutritive value with no propensity of adverse events, it has not gained popularity as an ideal intravenous fluid. Consumption 450mL/day of tender coconut water for 30 day increases antioxidant enzymatic SOD, CAT, GPx and decreases lipid peroxidation reported in Mercury contaminated workers. Based on this Tender coconut water health properties like antioxidant capacity has more and it has to be implemented in all type of acute and chronic diseases like psoriasis, thyroidism, Cancer etc.

Background: Tender coconut water contains antioxidants vitamin C, amino acids, L-arginine, polyphenols, selenium, and minerals that prevent oxidative stress, anemia, and inflammation. It also lowers lipid profiles, increases enzyme antioxidant status, and controls lipid peroxidation. Previous investigations have shown that tender coconut water provides health benefits but is difficult to store. This is due to its short shelf life, which can be extended by drying to obtain a dry or powdered form. A special drying method to acquire dry materials and maintain the characteristics of the raw materials is spray or freeze drying. Objective: This study aims to develop tender coconut water into a powder fortified with vitamin E and to differentiate the active compound content of the powder processed by spray and freeze drying. Method: This study used a randomized block design and the sample used was green tender coconut water (Viridis variety) aged about 5-7 months from the Bogor area. The procedures include the purchase of tender coconut water, followed by spray and freeze drying, while the content of active compounds that are beneficial to health was also analyzed. Drying was carried out at the Seafast Center Laboratory of Research and Community Service Institute, Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB), while the active compound content was analyzed at the Integrated Research and Testing Laboratory, Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Yogyakarta. Result: The active compounds analyzed from powder made from tender coconut water fortified with vitamin E were vitamin C, phenol, L-Arginine, L-Histidine, L-Lycine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Valine, and minerals consisting of Cu (Copper), Fe (Iron), Mg (Magnesium), Zn (Zinc), Na (Sodium), K (Potassium), and P (Phosphor). Conclusion: There are differences in the content of active compounds in tender coconut water powder fortified with vitamin E between freeze and spray-drying methods.

This study investigated the potential of tender coconut water as a natural alternative to potassium chloride (KCl) to crosslink κ-carrageenan hydrogels. κ-Carrageenan hydrogels crosslinked with tender coconut water, KCl, and their combination were formulated with diclofenac sodium as model drug, and their morphology, chemical bonding, compressive strength, water uptake capacity, degradation resistance, and cytotoxicity were assessed. The results showed that crosslinking κ-carrageenan hydrogels with both tender coconut water and KCl increased their compressive strength by up to 450%, provided excellent water retention capacity, and resulted in only 5% degradation after 20 days. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that crosslinking the hydrogel with both tender coconut water and KCl compacted its morphological structure, which remained biocompatible when tested with 3T3 cells. Infrared analysis confirmed that incorporated diclofenac sodium remained inert during preparation of the hydrogel matrices. Furthermore, the in vitro release behavior and antimicrobial properties of the hydrogels were assessed. The drug release profile from hydrogels crosslinked with both tender coconut water and KCl was sustained over 24 h. Such hydrogels also showed a unique antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli)—with the activity against E. coli being more pronounced. In conclusion, these results confirm that crosslinking with tender coconut water and KCl is a superior alternative to just with KCl for κ-carrageenan hydrogels.

Objective:The antibacterial property of coconut, the presence of lauric acid, and the ability to extract antimicrobial peptides Cn-AMP (1, 2, and 3) from tender coconut water has drawn attention on its effectiveness in normal consumption. An in-vitro experimental study was conducted to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of tender coconut water in its natural state on Streptococcus mutans.Materials and Methods:Fresh tender coconut water and pasteurized tender coconut water were taken as test samples, dimethyl formamide was used as the negative control, and 0.2% chlorhexidine was used as the positive control. Pure strain of S. mutans (MTCC 890) was used for determining the antibacterial effects. The test samples along with the controls were subjected to antimicrobial sensitivity test procedure and the zone of inhibition was examined. Kruskal–Wallis test was used to check for any significant differences in the antibacterial efficacy between the samples.Result:There was no zone of inhibition with the tender coconut water, fresh and pasteurised, and negative control (dimethyl formamide). Zone of inhibition was seen in positive control (0.2% Chlorhexidine).Conclusion:No antimicrobial activity was demonstrated with tender coconut water in its normal state (in vitro).

Tender coconut water (TCW) is the sterile nutritious beverage that nature has provided. Due to the presence of biologically active nutrients, TCW possess beneficial effects in health and diseases. In the present study, effects of TCW on isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial infarction in rats with respect to their antioxidant and antithrombotic effects have been investigated and were compared with that of streptokinase. Administration of ISO significantly decreased the activity of antioxidant enzymes and increased lipid peroxidation and blood coagulation. Oral pretreatment with TCW (4 mL/100 g/day for 30 days) and a single-dose (250 mg/100 g) intravenous post treatment with lyophilized TCW significantly reduced the oxidative stress induced by ISO and exerted significant antithrombotic effects. The results indicate that the TCW treatment had a better antioxidant effect than streptokinase, while its antithrombotic effects were comparable to that of streptokinase. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Tender coconut water is a common drink in all coconut producing countries. It is a rich source of biologically active components that are reported to possess many beneficial effects. Antioxidant and antithrombotic activities of tender coconut water in experimental myocardial infarction were evaluated. It was found that tender coconut water can reduce oxidative stress and thrombosis, which are the two main factors involved in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction. Moreover treatment with coconut water seems to be more natural, less expensive and without any side effects. Thus, it provides an accessible medicine source for the treatment of coronary vascular diseases in developing countries. This result may provide some useful information for the further application of tender coconut water as a cardiotonic medicinal food.