Extra virgin coconut oil (Cocos nucifera L.) exerts anti-obesity effect by modulating adiposity and improves hepatic lipid metabolism, leptin and insulin resistance in diet-induced obese rats

[Display omitted] •E-VCO is rich in rutin, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, salicylic acid and quercetin.•Bioactive compounds in E-VCO reduced insulin, leptin and HOMA-IR in obese rats.•E-VCO administration reduced adiposity index and adipocytes area in obese rats.•E-VCO minimized cholesterol and triglyceride hepatic levels and hepatic steatosis. Few studies have addressed the effect of extra virgin coconut oil (E-VCO) in obesity. Therefore, this study investigated the anti-adiposity effect of E-VCO focusing on biochemical parameters and liver health of obese rats. E-VCO contains caprilyc, capric and lauric fatty acids and rutin, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, salicylic acid as major phenolic compounds. A total of 32 male Wistar rats were randomized into four groups: healthy; healthy treated with E-VCO; obese; obese treated with E-VCO. The rats consumed a control or cafeteria diet for 16 weeks. The treated groups received 3,000 mg/kg of E-VCO via gavage. E-VCO reduced body mass and adiposity index and improved hormonal parameters. E-VCO also decreased the accumulation of liver fat, hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride levels, increased faecal cholesterol excretion and decreased faecal triglycerides excretion. E-VCO had an anti-adiposity effect and reversed changes in liver and adipose tissues induced by obesity with improvements in metabolic parameters.