J Food Biochem. 2018;e12748. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jfbc | 1 of 10 https://doi.org/10.1111/jfc.12748 © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 1 | INTRODUCTION Cytostatic chemotherapy is an efficacious modality in cancer treat‐ ment for causing an increase in long‐term survival of cancer patients. However, literature shows that worrying observations in cancer survivors is the effect of chemotherapy linked with unbearable neurological symptoms (Yang et al., 2012). Currently, studies are exploring its clinical side effects on non‐targeted organ systems, in‐ cluding the central nervous system. Methotrexate (MTX) is an antineoplastic drug widely ap‐ plied in the treatment of cancers and non‐cancerous diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and psoariasis (Kandemir et al., 2017). MTX Received: 18 September 2018 | Revised: 23 November 2018 | Accepted: 26 November 2018 DOI: 10.1111/jfbc.12748 FULL ARTICLE Moringa oleifera seed oil or virgin coconut oil supplementation abrogates cerebral neurotoxicity induced by antineoplastic agent methotrexate by suppression of oxidative stress and neuro‐inflammation in rats Ademola C. Famurewa 1 | Patrick M. Aja 2 | Onyebuchi E. Nwankwo 3 | Joshua N. Awoke 2 | Ekenechukwu K. Maduagwuna 2 | Chinyere Aloke 1 1 Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Alex‐Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu‐Alike, Ikwo, Nigeria 2 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria 3 Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria Correspondence Ademola C. Famurewa, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Alex‐ Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu‐Alike, Ikwo, Nigeria. Email: ademola.famurewa@funai.edu.ng Abstract Methotrexate (MTX) is an effective antineoplastic drug associated with wide organ toxicity. Accumulating evidence implicates oxidative stress to be a leading underlying mechanism of MTX‐induced neurotoxicity. The study explores antioxidant potential of virgin coconut oil (VCO) or Moringa oleifera seed oil (MOO) in MTX‐induced oxida‐ tive stress‐mediated cerebral neurotoxicity and inflammation in rats. Rats treated with VCO or MOO (5 ml/kg bw) for 17 days were administered MTX (20 mg/kg, in‐ traperitoneally) on day 14 only. Cerebral activities of acetylcholinesterase, antioxi‐ dant enzymes, lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione and nitric oxide levels as well as cytokines were evaluated. MTX‐induced neurotoxic alterations were significantly abrogated by MOO and VCO supplementation via inhibition of cholinesterase, oxida‐ tive stress, and anti‐inflammatory mechanisms. VCO and MOO showed comparable antioxidant potentials with the standards in DPPH and FRAP assays. VCO and MOO are promising natural oils for modulating MTX neurotoxicity in cancer patients. Practical applications Methotrexate chemotherapy induces neurotoxicity in cancer patients, and this is a source of worry for clinicians. This study reports, for the first time, the beneficial health effects of functional food oils, Moringa oleifera seed oil, and virgin coconut oil against anticancer drug methotrexate‐induced cerebral neurotoxicity. Supplementation of these natural oils may be beneficial in the prevention of cerebral neurotoxic side effect in cancer patients undergoing methotrexate chemotherapy. KEYWORDS cerebrum, methotrexate, Moringa oleifera oil, neurotoxicity, oxidative stress, virgin coconut oil