Early and long-term effects of Babassu ( Orbignya phalerata ) oil consumption on reflex ontogeny, somatic maturation and cortical electrical activity in rats

Objectives Babassu coconut (Orbignya phalerata) is an important economic and nutritional resource for many rural communities in Brazil. Babassu oil (BO) contains low levels of essential fatty acids (EFAs), which are crucial nutrients for physical and neurological development. However, it remains unclear whether BO consumption can affect these aspects. We investigated somatic maturation, reflex ontogeny, anxiety-like behavior, and brain susceptibility to cortical spreading depression (CSD) in the offspring of rat dams fed a BO-diet.Methods Wistar dams were fed diets containing either BO or soybean oil (control) during gestation and lactation. After weaning, pups either continued their mothers’ diets or switched to the control diet. Offspring were analyzed during adolescence (groups Soy and Bab, n = 64) or adulthood (groups Soy-Soy, Bab-Bab and Bab-Soy, n = 26).Results Compared to controls, the Bab group showed developmental delays in reflex ontogeny (palmar grasp, cliff avoidance, and negative geotaxis, p < 0.05) and somatic maturation (ear unfolding, superior teeth eruption, eye opening, and ear opening, p < 0.05). At both ages, anxiety-like behavior (elevated-plus maze) did not differ between groups. For CSD, the Bab (adolescent) and Bab-Bab (adult) groups exhibited higher and lower CSD velocities, respectively, compared to age-matched controls (p < 0.001). This effect was not reversed in the Bab-Soy group.Discussion We suggest that BO consumption during pregnancy and lactation should be considered with caution, as it may pose premature and long-term risks to neurodevelopment and cortical excitability.