Coconut oil and antioxidative neuroprotection

Abstract Coconut oil, which has a long history of ethnopharmacological use among the Indians, has started to receive significant attention as a potential neuroprotective functional food of late. This has a lot to do with the established link between oxidative stress and neurodegeneration as well as the antioxidative nature of coconut oil. In spite of the existing concerns on its high saturated fatty acids and the risk of heart disease, the lack of effective treatment options against neurogenerative disorders has somehow made coconut oil a potentially sought-after alternative. As part of the efforts in gaining deeper understanding on its potential neuroprotective properties, this chapter reviews both the preclinical (in vitro and in vivo) and the clinical evidence (including qualitative study) of the beneficial effect of coconut oil against various neurogenerative diseases along with their accompanying biochemical and molecular changes. This will definitely serve as important insights to evaluate as to whether coconut oil can be further translated and developed into new neuroprotective food supplements for the management of neurodegenerative disorders.