Coconut Milk Phenolics Enhance General Oxidative-stress Resistance and Specifically Protect Against Lipid Peroxidation in Selected Bacteria

Coconut milk, the crude aqueous extract of the scraped endosperm of the nutty fruit of Cocos nucifera, is an edible plant product used as a food or food additive. Previous studies have reported that it contains, among other biomolecules, phenolic compounds that can act as antioxidants against oxidative stress caused by Reactive Oxygen Species. Pretreatment with phenolic compounds from coconut milk has been previously reported to augment antioxidant protection in the eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other organisms. This study aimed to determine whether the phenolic extract of coconut milk offers any antioxidant protection against selected bacteria subjected to oxidative stress. It was observed that the phenolic extract of coconut milk, once absorbed into cells, conferred significant protection against induced oxidative stress in both Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus spp. This protective effect was demonstrated by a reduction in lipid peroxidation (p<0.05; n=3) and by a significant increase in cell survival following oxidative challenge (p<0.05; n=3). These findings demonstrated that the phenolic extract of coconut milk provides both general and specific antioxidant protection to beneficial bacteria, offering insights into potential interactions between dietary coconut products and gut microbial resilience.