Tender Coconut Water (Cocos nucifera L.) Can Increase Antioxidant Enzymes and Decrease MDA Levels: Experimental Study on Cigarette Smoke-Exposed Rats

Background: Cigarette smoke exposure increase free radicals in the body in the form of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). Excessive levels of ROS can cause an imbalance between the amount of oxidants and antioxidants that trigger oxidative stress. The state of oxidative stress can be seen from the decrease in antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA). Tender coconut water contains a variety of substances that are beneficial to the body, including L-arginine and Vitamin C which can increase antioxidant enzymes and reduce oxidative stress. Aim and Objectives: This study aims to determine the effect of giving tender coconut water on increasing antioxidant enzymes such as SOD and CAT and decreasing MDA in rats exposed to cigarette smoke. Material and Methods: Experimental research by Post-Test Only Control Group Design study used 24 rats divided into 4 groups, K1 was the control, K2 was the negative control exposed to cigarette smoke, K3 the positive control was given vitamin E and K4 the treatment group. Furthermore, sampling was continued by examining the levels of SOD and CAT using ELISA (Enzyme- Linked Immunosorbent Assay), while MDA using spectrophotometry. The SOD, CAT, and MDA data were processed using SPSS with the One Way Anova. Results: The administration of tender coconut water at a dose of 8mL/200grBW/day and vitamin E at a dose of 1.8 mg/200gBW/day for 14 days increasing SOD levels, CAT levels and reduce MDA levels. Conclusion: It can be concluded that tender coconut water can increase antioxidant enzymes and reduce MDA in rats exposed to cigarette smoke.