Comparative evaluation of the pharmacological value of virgin coconut oil, omega 3 fatty acids, and orlistat in experimental study on obesity with normo/hyper-lipidaemic diet

In this study, we compared the anti-obesitogenic effects of virgin coconut oil (VCO), omega3 fatty acids (N-3), and orlistat in obese Wistar rats fed with normo- or hyper-lipidaemic diets. The eighty rats (n = 10) that were used for this study were divided into 8 groups. The results revealed that VCO, N-3, and orlistat showed comparable effects on lactate dehydrogenase, superoxide dismutase, c-reactive protein, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, uric acid, total protein, atherogenic and Lee indices, lipid profile, and insulin resistance. However, VCO demonstrated superior actions than N-3 and orlistat on malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, and interleukin -6, while orlistat and N-3 proved to have a better effect on total antioxidant capacity and alanine aminotransferase respectively. Moreover, VCO and orlistat had an equivalent but more desirable effects than N-3 on glucose and insulin resistance, while VCO and N-3 precipitated a parallel but dominant action than orlistat on total bilirubin. The histological findings largely agreed with the biochemical assays. Conclusively, like orlistat, VCO and N-3 showed considerable anti-obesitogenic effects.