The Effect of Virgin Coconut Oil on IL-6 Gene Expression and Body Length in Stunted Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Larvae

Stunting poses a major global health concern, impairing physical and cognitive development, particularly in developing nations; it persists despite various nutrition initiatives. Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) derived from local resources is emerging as an effective option to enhance nutrition and promote brain and motor skills growth in children suffering from stunting. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of VCO on the expression of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and body length in zebrafish larvae induced with stunting by rotenone exposure. Zebrafish larvae 2 hours post-fertilization were treated with rotenone to induce stunting and subsequently administered VCO at various concentrations. IL-6 expression was measured using the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) method, and body length was measured at 3, 6, and 9 days post-fertilization. The results of the study showed that the body length of zebrafish larvae exposed to rotenone significantly decreased compared to the negative control group, measuring 3.04 mm on day 3 and 3.72 mm on day 9. Administration of VCO at a dose of 6.25% was able to increase the body length of the larvae to 3.32 mm on day 3 and 4.06 mm on day 9. The expression of the IL-6 gene, statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA revealed a highly significant difference among the groups (p < 0.001). These findings indicate that VCO effectively reduces inflammation and improves growth inhibited by rotenone exposure.