%0 Journal Article
%T Virgin Coconut Oil Improved Discriminative Learning and Working Memory in Aging Cycling and Non-Cycling Female Sprague-Dawley Rats Supporting Its Beneficial Effect in Retarding Age-Related Cognitive Decline
%A Lauriann Young
%A Brittany Smith
%A Annice Webber-Waugh
%A Karen Thaxter
%J Advances in Aging Research
%P 97-112
%@ 2169-0502
%D 2021
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/aar.2021.105006
%X <span><b><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">Aim: </span></b></span><span><span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">Beneficial effects of<b> </b>virgin coconut oil (VCO) consumption to
improve cognition <span>in menopausal females<sup> </sup>remain inconclusive. This study examined the effect of VCO
supplementation in aging cycling and non-cycling rodents to assess its impact
on cognition. <b>Methods:</b> Sprague-Dawley rats (10</span></span></span></span><span><span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span></span></span><span><span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">-</span></span></span><span><span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span></span></span><span><span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">18 months) were randomly assigned to a supplemented VCO group (SVCO) that
received oral doses of 1.42 mL/kg/day VCO (n = 10) and a non-supplemented (</span></span></span><span><span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">NVCO) group (n = 10). Their performance in a biased Y-maze discriminative
learning paradigm was assessed over a 16-week period. Rats were initially
allowed 3 minutes to explore the maze (</span></span></span><span><span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">&lt;i&gt;</span></span></span><span><span><i><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">habituated</span></i></span></span><span><span><i><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">&lt;/i&gt;</span></i></span></span><span><span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">) and subsequently </span></span></span><span><span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">&lt;i&gt;</span></span></span><span><span><i><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">pre-trained</span></i></span></span><span><span><i><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">&lt;/i&gt;</span></i></span></span><span><span><i><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span></i></span></span><span><span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">in the
non-preferred, white chamber to associate the presentation of a tone with a
treat (reward). </span></span></span><span><span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">&lt;i&gt;</span></span></span><span><span><i><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">Training</span></i></span></span><span><span><i><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">&lt;/i&gt;</span></i></span></span><span><span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> involved 4 daily trials initially for 3 weeks during which rats were
rewarded if they entered the white arm within 15 sec after tone presentation.
Time (days) to attain at least 75% correct responses (CR) determined acquisition
latency (AL). Memory retention (MR1) of the learned task was assessed following
a 1-week break from training and
%K Dementia
%K Menopause
%K Estrous Cycle
%K Cognitive Impairment
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=112201