Comparative evaluation of the hypolipidemic effects of coconut water and lovastatin in rats fed fat–cholesterol enriched diet

The coconut water presents a series of nutritional and therapeutic properties, being a natural, acid and sterile solution, which contains several biologically active components, l-arginine, ascorbic acid, minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium, which have beneficial effects on lipid levels. Recent studies in our laboratory showed that both tender and mature coconut water feeding significantly (P < 0.05) reduced hyperlipidemia in cholesterol fed rats [Sandhya, V.G., Rajamohan, T., 2006. Beneficial effects of coconut water feeding on lipid metabolism in cholesterol fed rats. J. Med. Food 9, 400–407]. The current study evaluated the hypolipidemic effect of coconut water (4 ml/100 g body weight) with a lipid lowering drug, lovastatin (0.1/100 g diet) in rats fed fat–cholesterol enriched diet ad libitum for 45 days. Coconut water or lovastatin supplementation lowered the levels of serum total cholesterol, VLDL + LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and increased HDL cholesterol in experimental rats (P < 0.05). Coconut water feeding decreased activities of hepatic lipogenic enzymes and increased HMG CoA reductase and lipoprotein lipase activity (P < 0.05). Incorporation of radioactive acetate into free and ester cholesterol in the liver were higher in coconut water treated rats. Coconut water supplementation increased hepatic bile acid and fecal bile acids and neutral sterols (P < 0.05). Coconut water has lipid lowering effect similar to the drug lovastatin in rats fed fat–cholesterol enriched diet.