Background and objective: Paraquat toxicity to bodily organs is a public health concern, especially in climes where there no safe remedies. This study investigated the effect of Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) on the kidney of wistar rats exposed to toxic dose of paraquat. Materials and Methods: Four groups (A, B, C and D) of six adult wistar rats were used. Group A is the normal control. Group B rats received oral dose of 12.75mg/kg b.wt of paraquat without treatment. Groups C and D were pre-treated respectively with 5 and 10 ml/kg b.w.t of VCO before exposure to paraquat. The experiment lasted for 24 days. At the end of administration, the rats were sacrificed. The kidney was harvested for routine histology and blood was collected via cardiac puncture for biochemical analysis. Results: Group B had a significant (p≤0.05) increase in mean values of potassium (5.41±0.16), urea (5.15±0.07), creatinine (59.00±8.34) and MDA (2.94±0.07) levels when compared to group A. Group D shows a significant (p≤0.05) decrease in these parameters. Except for potassium, group C also showed a decrease in the afore mentioned parameters when compared to group B. In comparison to groups B and D, C had a significant decrease in SOD (4.85±2.05). VCO preserved the kidney cortex. Conclusion: The finding of this study has shown that the toxic effects of paraquat on kidney function could be moderately reversed by phyto-oxidants present in virgin coconut oil. Thus, virgin coconut oil has anti-oxidative and nephroprotective benefits against paraquat nephrotoxicity. However, this may be dose dependent.
Key words: Paraquat, Virgin Coconut Oil, Kidney, Toxicity
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