Protective Effects of Tualang Honey against Oxidative Stress and Anxiety-Like Behaviour in Stressed Ovariectomized Rats

Evaluation of the effects of a honey‑based gel on blood redox biomarkers and the physiological profile of healthy adults: A pilot study

Honey is a natural product derived from the insect Apis mellifera. Approximately 200 different compounds are included, making it a complex mixture with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antidiabetic activity. Flavonoids and phenolic acids contained in honey are associated with its antioxidant capacity via mechanisms such as hydrogen donation and metallic ion chelation, although the exact antioxidant mechanism remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to: i) Estimate the antioxidant activity of a natural honey-based gel, commercially available under the trade name of 'Bear Strength honey gel' and to ii) assess the physiological and redox adjustments obtained after its consumption in healthy adult participants. For this purpose, 20 healthy participants (10 men and 10 women) included in their habitual diet 70 g of the honey-based gel for 14 days in a row. Pre- and post-consumption, physiological [weight, height, body mass index, body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, resting heart rate and blood pressure (BP)] and hematological (complete blood count) data were evaluated, along with the levels of five redox biomarkers: Glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), protein carbonyls (PCARBS) and thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS). The results revealed that the honey-based gel decreased the diastolic and mean arterial BP, especially in women, without affecting the rest of the physiological and hematological variables. Regarding the changes observed in antioxidant status variables, GSH was increased both in the total and women's group, while TAC was increased in all groups post-consumption. No changes were detected in the levels of CAT. Regarding oxidative stress, a decrease in the levels of TBARS in the total and women's group, was observed. PCARBS levels were decreased post-consumption only in the women's group. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated the potential positive effects of a honey-based gel on BP and redox status of healthy adults in a sex-specific manner.

Malicia honey (Mimosa quadrivalvis L.) produced by the jandaíra bee (Melipona subnitida D.) improves depressive-like behaviour, somatic, biochemical and inflammatory parameters of obese rats

Malícia honey produced by the jandaíra bee has hypoglycaemic and hypolipidemic effects and antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo, which makes it potential adjuvant treatment for obesity. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of malícia honey on somatic and biochemical parameters, depressive-like behaviour and anti-inflammatory activity in obese rats. A total of 40 adult male Wistar rats were initially randomized into a healthy group (HG, n = 20) that consumed a control diet, and an obese group (OG, n = 20) which consumed a cafeteria diet for eight weeks. Then, they were subdivided into four groups: healthy (HG, n = 10); healthy treated with malícia honey (HGH, n = 10); obese (OG, n = 10); and obese treated with malícia honey (OGH, n = 10), maintaining their diets for another eight weeks. The HGH and OGH groups received malícia honey (1000 mg/kg body weight) via gavage. Food intake was monitored daily and body weight was monitored weekly. Biochemical tests related to obesity and glucose and insulin tolerance test, somatic parameters, histological parameters and quantification of NF-κB in the brain were performed. Treatment with malícia honey improved depressive-like behaviour, reduced weight (14 %), body mass index (6 %), and improved lipid profile, leptin, insulin, HOMA-β, and glucose and insulin tolerance in obese rats. It also decreased NF-κB (58.08 %) in the brain. Malícia honey demonstrated anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory effects, and reversed changes in obesity-induced depressive-like behaviour.

Evaluation of Effect of Honey Sugars Analogue Therapy against Breast Cancer Induced by 1-Methyl-1-nitrosourea in In Vivo Breast Cancer Model

The use of honey as a complementary and alternative medicine is associated with vast range of therapeutic promises. It is established that it exhibits potential innumerable medicinal effects which is attributed to it phenolic, flavonoids, and other diverse compounds profile. However, the effect of honey sugars analogue as its major constituent has not been investigated. This study examined the effect of honey sugars analogue (HSA) namely fructose, glucose, maltose, and sucrose in breast cancer-induced albino Sprague–Dawley (SD) rat models. The treatment was administered when first palpable tumour reached 10–12 mm in size by dividing nulliparous rats (n = 30) into following groups: Group 0 (negative control, n = 10), Group 1 (positive control, n = 10), and Group 2 (received 1.0 g/kg body HSA, n = 10) over a period of 120 days. The effect of treatment against breast cancer was observed with a slower tumour progression, a lower median tumour size, multiplicity, and weight (p < 0.05). The anticancer effect was through amelioration of tumour growth, tumour grading, and haematological parameters. Data also show that HSA administration induces an increased susceptibility of expression of proapoptotic proteins such as Apaf-1, caspase-9, IFN-γ, IFNGR1, and p53, and a reduced expression of antiapoptotic proteins such as E2, ESR1, TNF-α, COX-2, and Bcl-xL 1 in their mechanisms of action. HSA behaves akin to honey. Thus, HSA may modulate breast cancer as an analogue or major profile of honey.

Tualang Honey: A Decade of Neurological Research

Tualang honey has been shown to protect against neurodegeneration, leading to improved memory/learning as well as mood. In addition, studies have also demonstrated its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, a substantial part of this research lacks systematization, and there seems to be a tendency to start anew with every study. This review presents a decade of research on Tualang honey with a particular interest in the underlying mechanisms related to its effects on the central nervous system. A total of 28 original articles published between 2011 and 2020 addressing the central nervous system (CNS) effects of Tualang honey were analysed. We identified five main categories, namely nootropic, antinociceptive, stress-relieving, antidepressant, and anxiolytic effects of Tualang honey, and proposed the underlying mechanisms. The findings from this review may potentially be beneficial towards developing new therapeutic roles for Tualang honey and help in determining how best to benefit from this brain supplement.

Stingless Bee Honey Reduces Anxiety and Improves Memory of the Metabolic Disease-induced Rats

BACKGROUND

Scientific studies support the evidence of the involvement of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases through oxidative stress. Consumption of antioxidant compounds was found to be beneficial for brain-health as it reduced the brain oxidative stress level and improved cognitive performance in animals. Stingless bee honey or locally known as Kelulut Honey (KH) has high phenolic content and is widely used as a food supplement.

OBJECTIVES

In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of KH on the brain of MetS-induced rats.

METHODS

Forty male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups; 8 weeks (C8) and 16 weeks control groups (C16), groups that received High-Carbohydrate High Fructose (HCHF) diet for 8 weeks (MS8) and 16 weeks (MS16), and a group that received HCHF for 16 weeks with KH supplemented for the last 35 days (KH).

RESULTS

Serum fasting blood glucose decreased in the KH group compared to the MS16 group. HDL levels were significantly decreased in MetS groups compared to control groups. Open field experiments showed that KH group exhibits less anxious behavior compared to the MetS group. Probe trial of Morris water maze demonstrated significant memory retention of KH group compared to the MS16 group. Nissl staining showed a significant decrease in the pyramidal hippocampal cells in the MS16 compared to the KH group.

CONCLUSION

KH has the ability to normalise blood glucose and reduce serum triglyceride and LDL levels in MetS rats, while behavior studies complement its effect on anxiety and memory. This shows a promising role of KH in attenuating neurodegenerative diseases through the antioxidant activity of its polyphenolic content.

Physicochemical and Medicinal Properties of Tualang, Gelam and Kelulut Honeys: A Comprehensive Review

Tualang, Gelam and Kelulut honeys are tropical rainforest honeys reported to have various medicinal properties. Studies related to the medicinal properties and physicochemical characteristics of these honeys are growing extensively and receiving increased attention. This review incorporated and analysed the findings on the biological and physicochemical properties of these honeys. Tualang, Gelam and Kelulut honeys were found to possess a wide variety of biological effects attributed to their physicochemical characteristics. Findings revealed that these honeys have anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anti-cancer, anti-oxidative, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties and effects on the cardiovascular system, nervous system and reproductive system. The physicochemical properties of these honeys were compared and discussed and results showed that they have high-quality contents and excellent antioxidant sources.

Tualang Honey Ameliorates Hypoxia-induced Memory Deficits by Reducing Neuronal Damage in the Hippocampus of Adult Male Sprague Dawley Rats

Objectives

A growing body of evidence indicates that hypoxia exposure causes learning and memory deficits. An effective natural therapeutic approach has, however, not been explored widely. Our previous studies found that Tualang honey administration protected learning and memory functions in ovariectomized rats. Therefore, the present study investigated its efficacy in ameliorating hypoxia-induced memory deficits in adult male Sprague Dawley rats.

Materials and Methods

The rats were divided into four groups: i) Normoxia treated with sucrose (n=12), ii) Normoxia treated with Tualang honey (n=12), iii) Hypoxia treated with sucrose (n=12), and iv) Hypoxia treated with Tualang honey (n=12). Tualang honey (0.2 g/kg/BW) and sucrose (1 mL of 7.9%) supplementations were administered orally to the rats daily for 14 days. Then the hypoxia groups were exposed to hypoxia (~11%) for 7 days, while the normoxia groups were kept in normal conditions. Following exposure to hypoxia, the rats' memories were analyzed using a novel object recognition task and T-maze test.

Results

The data revealed that rats exposed to hypoxia showed significant impairment in short-term memory (STM), spatial memory (p<0.01), and long-term memory (LTM) when compared to the normoxia group. Hypoxia rats treated with Tualang honey showed significant improvement in STM, LTM, and spatial memory (p<0.05) compared with those treated with sucrose (p<0.05). Tualang honey also reduced neuronal damage in the hippocampus of adult male Sprague Dawley rats exposed to hypoxia.

Conclusion

It is suggested that Tualang honey pretreatment has protective effects against hypoxia-induced memory deficits, possibly through its antioxidant contents.

Tualang Honey and its Methanolic Fraction Improve LPS-induced Learning and Memory Impairment in Male Rats: Comparison with Memantine

Background:

Tualang honey (TH) has been shown to exert beneficial effects on learning and memory function in various animal models. However, its learning and memory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) rat model have not been elucidated.

Objective:

The present study aimed to investigate the cognitive-enhancing effects of TH and its methanolic fraction in comparison to the clinically approved N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist (memantine) using LPS rat model.

Methods:

A total of ninety male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups: (i) control, (ii) untreated LPS (iii) LPS treated with 200 mg/kg TH, (iv) LPS treated with 150 mg/kg methanol fraction of TH (MTH) and (v) LPS treated with 10 mg/kg memantine. All treatments were administered intraperitoneally once daily for 14 days. Morris water maze (MWM) and novel object recognition (NOR) tests were performed to assess spatial and recognition memory function.

Results:

The present study confirmed that LPS significantly impairs spatial and recognition memory and alone treatment with TH or MTH improved spatial and recognition memory comparable to memantine.

Conclusion:

Both TH and its methanolic fraction improved spatial and recognition memory of LPS rat model comparable to memantine. Thus, TH and its methanolic fraction have potential preventivetherapeutic effects for neurodegenerative diseases involving neuroinflammation.

Natural Products and Their Bioactive Compounds: Neuroprotective Potentials against Neurodegenerative Diseases

In recent years, natural products, which originate from plants, animals, and fungi, together with their bioactive compounds have been intensively explored and studied for their therapeutic potentials for various diseases such as cardiovascular, diabetes, hypertension, reproductive, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are characterized by the progressive dysfunction and loss of neuronal structure and function that resulted in the neuronal cell death. Since the multifactorial pathological mechanisms are associated with neurodegeneration, targeting multiple mechanisms of actions and neuroprotection approach, which involves preventing cell death and restoring the function to damaged neurons, could be promising strategies for the prevention and therapeutic of neurodegenerative diseases. Natural products have emerged as potential neuroprotective agents for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. This review focused on the therapeutic potential of natural products and their bioactive compounds to exert a neuroprotective effect on the pathologies of neurodegenerative diseases.

Honey as an antioxidant therapy to reduce cognitive ageing

This paper reviews the potential role of honey as a therapeutic antioxidant to reduce oxidative stress and improve cognitive ageing. All articles indexed to PubMed Central (PMC) were searched using the following key words: honey, antioxidant, memory and ageing. Honey is a natural insect-derived product with therapeutic, medicinal and nutritional values. Antioxidant properties of honey quench biologically-circulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and counter oxidative stress while restoring the cellular antioxidant defense system. Antioxidant properties of honey may complement its nootropic effects to reduce cognitive ageing.

Bee honey protects astrocytes against oxidative stress: A preliminary in vitro investigation

Aim

Bee honey is widely used as a bioactive food to improve general health and produce therapeutic benefits in various physical disorders. It also improves cognitive and mood‐related behaviors and symptoms in mice and humans. Still, its direct effect on brain cells is unclear. Here, we examined the effect of whole honey on the survival of astrocytes exposed to oxidative stress.

Methods

Cultured cortical astrocytes were treated with honey (0.1%, 0.3%, 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.7%, 0.8%, 0.9%, 1%, 3%, and 5% [v/v]) for 24 hours followed by H₂O₂ (100 μmol/L) for 3 hours. Cellular viability was assessed with MTT assay.

Results

Honey prevented cellular death in a dose‐dependent manner compared with H₂O_2‐treated cells. Honey at 1% concentration had the most significant effect (P = .015).

Conclusion

Bee honey exerts a neuroprotective effect through its antioxidant activity.

This study tested the effect of bee honey on the survival of astrocytes exposed to H₂O₂‐induced oxidative stress. Honey prevented cellular death in a dose‐dependent manner compared with H₂O₂‐treated cells. Honey at 1% concentration had the most significant effect (P = .015).

Effects of Tualang honey in modulating nociceptive responses at the spinal cord in offspring of prenatally stressed rats

OBJECTIVE

This study was done to determine whether Tualang honey could prevent the altered nociceptive behaviour, with its associated changes of oxidative stress markers and morphology of the spinal cord, among the offspring of prenatally stressed rats.

METHODS

Pregnant rats were divided into three groups: control, stress, and stress treated with Tualang honey. The stress and stress treated with Tualang honey groups were subjected to restraint stress from day 11 of pregnancy until delivery. Ten week old male offspring (n = 9 from each group) were given formalin injection and their nociceptive behaviours were recorded. After 2 h, the rats were sacrificed, and their spinal cords were removed to assess oxidative stress activity and morphology. Nociceptive behaviour was analysed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), while the levels of oxidative stress parameters and number of Nissl-stained neurons were analysed using a one-way ANOVA.

RESULTS

This study demonstrated that prenatal stress was associated with increased nociceptive behaviour, changes in the oxidative stress parameters and morphology of the spinal cord of offspring exposed to prenatal stress; administration of Tualang honey reduced the alteration of these parameters.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a preliminary understanding of the beneficial effects of Tualang honey against the changes in oxidative stress and neuronal damage in the spinal cord of the offspring of prenatally stressed rats.

Efficacy of herbal combination of sedge, saffron, and Astragalus honey on major neurocognitive disorder

Background

Major neurocognitive disorder (MCD) is an acquired progressive decline in cognitive abilities that causes a drop in specific acquired performance compared to former performances. We tried to investigate the efficacy of herbal combination of sedge, saffron, and Astragalus honey on cognitive and depression score of patients with MCD.

Materials and Methods

It was a randomized double-blind clinical trial conducted on sixty patients with MCD, who referred to the geriatric psychiatry clinic of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in Iran. All the study participants had been using anti-MCD medications. Participants were randomized to receive a combination of sedge, saffron, and Astragalus honey in case group (n = 30) or placebo group for 8 weeks other than anti-MCD medications. Cognitive and depression scores were assessed using Addenbrook's Cognitive Scale and Geriatric Depression Scale, respectively, before intervention and at the 1^st and 2^nd months after intervention. The ANCOVA repeated-measure test was used to analyze the data using SPSS 20 software.

Results

The Addenbrook's Cognitive Test score was 32.2 ± 26.5 in intervention and 22.1 ± 15.1 in control group before intervention (P = 0.074) and 38.8 ± 27.7 in intervention group and 22.6 ± 14.1 in control group in control group 1 month after intervention (P = 0.007). In addition, Geriatric Depression Scale score was 14.6 ± 7.9 in intervention group and 14.5 ± 6.9 in control group before intervention (P = 0.945) and 12.9 ± 6.9 in intervention and 14.3 ± 7.1 in control group 1 month after intervention (P = 0.465) and 12.2 ± 6.5 in intervention group and 14.4 ± 7.1 in control group 2 month after intervention (P = 0.224).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that adding the herbal combination of sedge, saffron, and Astragalus honey to the current protocols of treatment of MCD patients could be useful in the improvement of cognitive and depression score of these patients.

Pain in Times of Stress

Stress modulates pain perception, resulting in either stress-induced analgesia or stress-induced hyperalgesia, as reported in both animal and human studies. The responses to stress include neural, endocrine, and behavioural changes, and built-in coping strategies are in place to address stressors. Peculiar to humans are additional factors that modulate pain that are experienced in times of stress, notably psychological factors that potentially influence the directionality of pain perception.

Potential Role of Honey in Learning and Memory

The composition and physicochemical properties of honey are variable depending on its floral source and often named according to the geographical location. The potential medicinal benefits of Tualang honey, a multifloral jungle honey found in Malaysia, have recently been attracting attention because of its reported beneficial effects in various diseases. This paper reviews the effects of honey, particularly Tualang honey, on learning and memory. Information regarding the effects of Tualang honey on learning and memory in human as well as animal models is gleaned to hypothesize its underlying mechanisms. These studies show that Tualang honey improves morphology of memory-related brain areas, reduces brain oxidative stress, increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and acetylcholine (ACh) concentrations, and reduces acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the brain homogenates. Its anti-inflammatory roles in reducing inflammatory trigger and microglial activation have yet to be investigated. It is hypothesized that the improvement in learning and memory following Tualang honey supplementation is due to the significant improvement in brain morphology and enhancement of brain cholinergic system secondary to reduction in brain oxidative damage and/or upregulation of BDNF concentration. Further studies are imperative to elucidate the molecular mechanism of actions.