Young coconut juice can accelerate the healing process of cutaneous wounds

Abstract

BackgroundEstrogen has been reported to accelerate cutaneous wound healing. This research studies the effect of young coconut juice (YCJ), presumably containing estrogen-like substances, on cutaneous wound healing in ovairectomized rats.MethodsFour groups of female rats (6 in each group) were included in this study. These included sham-operated, ovariectomized (ovx), ovx receiving estradiol benzoate (EB) injections intraperitoneally, and ovx receiving YCJ orally. Two equidistant 1-cm full-thickness skin incisional wounds were made two weeks after ovariectomy. The rats were sacrificed at the end of the third and the fourth week of the study, and their serum estradiol (E2) level was measured by chemiluminescent immunoassay. The skin was excised and examined in histological sections stained with H&E, and immunostained using anti-estrogen receptor (ER-α an ER-β) antibodies.ResultsWound healing was accelerated in ovx rats receiving YCJ, as compared to controls. This was associated with significantly higher density of immunostaining for ER-α an ER-β in keratinocytes, fibroblasts, white blood cells, fat cells, sebaceous gland, skeletal muscles, and hair shafts and follicles. This was also associated with thicker epidermis and dermis, but with thinner hypodermis. In addition, the number and size of immunoreactive hair follicles for both ER-α and ER-β were the highest in the ovx+YCJ group, as compared to the ovx+EB group.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that YCJ has estrogen-like characteristics, which in turn seem to have beneficial effects on cutaneous wound healing.

Long-term supplementation with young coconut juice does not prevent bone loss but rather alleviates body weight gain in ovariectomized rats

“…In contrast, women in these areas are prohibited from drinking coconut juice because it disrupts their menstrual cycle, and individuals in Java are afraid to drink coconut milk because it may diminish their fertility (18)(19)(20). It therefore seems that YCJ may exert its bone protective effects only in the presence of endogenous sex steroids, suggesting that the positive effect on bone observed 6 weeks following ovariectomy (21) were no longer apparent at 12 weeks following ovariectomy.…”

“…However, some recent transgenic studies have indicated that ERβ may serve a key role in preventing obesity and obesity-related metabolic disease (36,37). Radenahmad et al (20) demonstrated that both ERα and ERβ were highly expressed in a cutaneous wound of ovariectomized rats supplemented with YCJ, although ERα is predominantly expressed in normal skin. These findings may endorse the authors' speculation that the effects of YCJ may be exerted through ERβ.…”

“…(Arecaceae), also known as coconut, is widely used in traditional medicine (16,17). Young coconut juice (YCJ), defined as the juice extracted from the fruit of a 6-month-old coconut, is consumed by women in Thailand to alleviate symptoms associated with menopause (18)(19)(20), which suggests that YCJ may have phytoestrogenic effects and may Long-term supplementation with young coconut juice does not prevent bone loss but rather alleviates body weight gain in ovariectomized rats prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis. The authors demonstrated that short-term (6-week) supplementation with YCJ in ovariectomized rats significantly reduced bone loss, which suggests that YCJ supplementation may mitigate the rapid bone loss observed in women during early menopause (21).…”

Young Coconut Juice Supplementation Results in Greater Bone Mass and Bone Formation Indices in Ovariectomized Rats: A Preliminary Study

“…Moreover, young coconut juice (YCJ), defined as the juice extracted from the fruit of a 6‐month‐old coconut, has traditionally been consumed to alleviate symptoms associated with menopause by women in Thailand. Taken together, these folk remedies strongly indicate that YCJ may have phytoestrogenic effects (Radenahmad et al ., ; Radenahmad et al ., ; Radenahmad et al ., ). Indeed, Pungmatharith () demonstrated that 1 mL of YCJ contains 2.45 pg of 17ß‐estradiol along with other sex hormone‐like substances.…”

Young Coconut Juice Reduces Some Histopathological Changes Associated with Alzheimer’s Disease through the Modulation of Estrogen Receptors in Orchidectomized Rat Brains

“…The active ingredient(s) of YCJ was found to be β -sitosterol [23]. YCJ was found to prevent osteoporosis [24, 25], preserve cells involved in motility of the gastrointestinal tract [26], accelerate wound healing, and improve skin complexion [27]. It was also found that YCJ at a dose of 100 ml/kg b.w./day could reduce AD pathologies in ovariectomized rats within 4 weeks.…”