AccScience Publishing / AN / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/AN025440105
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Virgin coconut oil attenuates cognitive dysfunction and oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Odunayo Michael Agunloye1*
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1 Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
Advanced Neurology, 025440105 https://doi.org/10.36922/AN025440105
Received: 30 October 2025 | Revised: 20 March 2026 | Accepted: 23 March 2026 | Published online: 8 May 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Hyperglycemia contributes to neuronal damage and cognitive impairment. Although virgin coconut oil (COL) is traditionally used to enhance memory, its neuroprotective mechanisms remain inadequately understood. This study investigates the fasting blood glucose (FBG)-lowering and neuroprotective effects of COL in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Adult Wistar rats were trained for memory tasks and rendered diabetic with STZ (45 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection). Seventy-two hours post-induction, rats with FBG levels exceeding 250 mg/dL were assigned to five groups: control, untreated diabetic, metformin-treated diabetic, and diabetic rats treated with COL (0.5 or 1.0 mL/kg body weight). FBG was monitored on days 1, 7, and 14, and spontaneous escape latency (SEL) was assessed. Brain and other tissues were homogenized and analyzed for biochemical and antioxidant markers. Untreated diabetic rats exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) elevated FBG and prolonged SEL, indicating impaired glycemic control and memory performance. Treatment with metformin or COL markedly reduced FBG and improved SEL. Untreated diabetic rats showed increased α-amylase, α-glucosidase, cholinesterase, monoamine oxidase, and arginase activities with reduced antioxidant enzyme levels. Meanwhile, COL treatment reversed these alterations, enhancing antioxidant defense and modulating key metabolic enzymes. COL demonstrated significant antihyperglycemic and neuroprotective effects, suggesting its therapeutic potential in mitigating diabetes-induced oxidative stress and memory dysfunction.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Coconut oil
Neuroprotection
Streptozotocin
Diabetes
Memory
Antioxidants
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The author declares no conflicts of interest.
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Advanced Neurology, Electronic ISSN: 2810-9619 Print ISSN: 3060-8589, Published by AccScience Publishing
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