Effect of Virgin Coconut Oil Compared to Corn Oil in World Health Organization Formula on Malondialdehyde Expression in Intestine of Severe Acute Malnutrition Wistar Rats

Background: In severe acute malnutrition, oxidative stress is occurred and it cause dysfunction of various tissue, including intestine. Intestinal function is impaired and altered epithelial transport. It may be related with intestinal oxidative stress. In other hands, virgin coconut oil (VCO) contain a lot of antioxidant properties which is can be solved that problem. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the oxidative stress in intestine after given virgin coconut oil compared to corn oil in rehabilitation stage of severe acute malnutrition treatment of wistar rats. Methods: A post-test only control group design experimental study was done to investigate effect of VCO compare to corn oil on malondialdehyde (MDA) expression in intestine in male wistar rats with severe acute malnutrition. Thirty eight severe acute malnutrition male wistar rats were used in this study, which was divided by two groups. Group A was feeding by WHO formula (F75 and F100) that contain VCO, group B was feeding by WHO Formula that contain corn oil. This formula was taken for 28 days and intestinal tissue of the wistar rats will be analyzed. Results: At the end of this study, one rat was died (Group B), and 37 rats were analyzed for MDA expression in intestine. Mean of MDA expression in Group A was 1.45% (SD = 0.70 %) and Group B was 1.51% (SD = 0.54%). There was no mean differences for MDA expression between Group A and Group B (p for T-test was 0.71, mean difference -0.06 (95% CI = -0.48-0.36). Conclusion: In rehabilitation phase of treatment of severe acute malnutrition wistar rats, there is no differences in MDA expression in intestinal epithelial between VCO and corn oil.