Coconut oil supplementation during development reduces brain excitability in adult rats nourished and overnourished in lactation

Abstract

Introduction: Coconut oil has been considered as a therapeutic alternative in several pathologies, but there is limited information regarding its effects on brain functioning. Objective: This study analyzed whether early virgin coconut oil (VCO) supplementation interferes with electrical activity of the adult rat brain and its lipid peroxidation. Moreover, it investigated whether the putative effect on brain electrophysiology could be affected by overnutrition occurring during lactation, and/or by environmental enrichment (EE). Electrophysiology was measured through cortical spreading depression (CSD), a phenomenon related to brain excitability. Methods: Wistar rats were suckled in litters of either nine or three pups, forming nourished (N) or overnourished (ON) groups, respectively. Between the 7th and 30th days of life, half of the animals in each group received VCO (10 mg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹; by gavage). The other half received an equivalent amount of vehicle (V, 0.009% cremophor). On day 36, animals from both groups were subjected to EE for 4 weeks. At 105 ± 15 days of life, each animal was subjected to CSD recordings and lipid peroxidation analyses. Results: Overnutrition during lactation enhanced body and brain weights. VCO decelerated the CSD propagation velocity (control – 3.57 ± 0.23 mm min⁻¹versus VCO – 3.27 ± 0.18 mm min⁻¹; p < 0.001), regardless of whether subjected to overnourishment or EE exposure. Neither VCO nor EE modified the cerebral lipid peroxidation (p > 0.05). Conclusion: VCO supplementation impaired the spreading of CSD, indicating reduction of brain excitability. VCO effects occurred regardless of the nutritional state during lactation.