Virgin coconut oil attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced depression-like behaviors: Integrating network pharmacology analysis and molecular mechanism evaluation

Abstract

Depression is a mental disease that seriously affects the quality of life. Its pathophysiology is complex and includes neuroinflammation and apoptosis. Virgin coconut oil (VCO) is a natural food that has been found to have remarkable anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic properties. We assessed the effects of VCO on depression and the related mechanisms by performing network pharmacology analysis and evaluating depressive-like behaviors in rat model and found that VCO-treatment alleviated the depressive-like behaviors, inhibited microglial and astrocytic activation and reduced neuronal loss in the hippocampus, possibly by decreasing neuronal apoptosis. In addition, network pharmacology analysis and western blotting showed that VCO might exert neuroprotective effects by activating Protein Kinase B (AKT)-related pathway. Taken together, our results revealed the previously unrecognized effects of VCO on depression, and further explored the underlying mechanism of depression.