Honey prevents hepatic damage induced by obstruction of the common bile duct

Physical characteristics and antimicrobial properties of Apis mellifera, Frieseomelitta nigra and Melipona favosa bee honeys from apiaries in Trinidad and Tobago

Background

Honey is a versatile and complex substance consisting of bioactive chemicals which vary according to many bee and environmental factors. The aim of this study was to assess the physical and antimicrobial properties of five honey samples obtained from three species of bees; two stingless bees, Frieseomelitta nigra and Melipona favosa and one stinging bee, Apis mellifera (fresh and aged honey). Samples were acquired from apiaries across Trinidad and Tobago. An artificial honey, made from sugar, was also used for comparison.

Methods

Physical properties such as appearance, pH, moisture content, sugar content and specific gravity were determined. Antimicrobial activity was assessed utilizing the agar diffusion assay and comparison to a phenol equivalence. The broth microdilution test was performed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and the minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of the five honey samples against four common pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pyogenes and Haemophilus influenzae.

Results

All honey samples were acidic, with pH values ranging from 2.88 (M. favosa of Tobago) to 3.91 (fresh A. mellifera). Sugar content ranged from 66.0 to 81.6% with the highest values detected in stinging bee honeys of the A. mellifera (81.6 and 80.5°Bx). Moisture content ranged from 16.9% for aged A. mellifera honey (from Trinidad) to 32.4% for F. nigra honey (from Tobago). The MICs (2 to 16%) and MBCs (2 to 32%) of stingless bee honeys were lower than that of stinging bee and artificial honeys (16 to > 32%). Stingless bee honeys also exhibited a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms with higher phenol equivalence values (4.5 to 28.6%) than the A. mellifera honeys (0 to 3.4%) against the isolates tested. M. favosa honey of Tobago displayed the greatest antimicrobial activity as indicated by the high phenol equivalence and low MIC and MBC values.

Conclusions

Stingless bee honeys from Tobago showed the greatest antimicrobial activity when compared to the other honeys used in this study. M. favosa honey of Tobago showed the most potential for use as medicinal honey.

Honey: Single food stuff comprises many drugs

Honey is a natural food item produced by honey bees. Ancient civilizations considered honey as a God gifted prestigious product. Therefore, a huge literature is available regarding honey importance in almost all religions. Physically, honey is a viscous and jelly material having no specific color. Chemically, honey is a complex blend of many organic and inorganic compounds such as sugars, proteins, organic acids, pigments, minerals, and many other elements. Honey use as a therapeutic agent is as old as human civilization itself. Prior to the appearance of present day drugs, honey was conventionally used for treating many diseases. At this instant, the modern research has proven the medicinal importance of honey. It has broad spectrum anti-biotic, anti-viral and anti-fungal activities. Honey prevents and kills microbes through different mechanism such as elevated pH and enzyme activities. Till now, no synthetic compound that works as anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal drugs has been reported in honey yet it works against bacteria, viruses and fungi while no anti-protozoal activity has been reported. Potent anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancerous activities of honey have been reported. Honey is not only significant as anti-inflammatory drug that relieve inflammation but also protect liver by degenerative effects of synthetic anti-inflammatory drugs. This article reviews physico-chemical properties, traditional use of honey as medicine and mechanism of action of honey in the light of modern scientific medicinal knowledge.

Honey: a novel antioxidant

The global prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, atherosclerosis, cancer and Alzheimer's disease is on the rise. These diseases, which constitute the major causes of death globally, are associated with oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is defined as an "imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants in favor of the oxidants, potentially leading to damage". Individuals with chronic diseases are more susceptible to oxidative stress and damage because they have elevated levels of oxidants and/or reduced antioxidants. This, therefore, necessitates supplementation with antioxidants so as to delay, prevent or remove oxidative damage. Honey is a natural substance with many medicinal effects such as antibacterial, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, reproductive, antihypertensive and antioxidant effects. This review presents findings that indicate honey may ameliorate oxidative stress in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), liver, pancreas, kidney, reproductive organs and plasma/serum. Besides, the review highlights data that demonstrate the synergistic antioxidant effect of honey and antidiabetic drugs in the pancreas, kidney and serum of diabetic rats. These data suggest that honey, administered alone or in combination with conventional therapy, might be a novel antioxidant in the management of chronic diseases commonly associated with oxidative stress. In view of the fact that the majority of these data emanate from animal studies, there is an urgent need to investigate this antioxidant effect of honey in human subjects with chronic or degenerative diseases.

Interleukin-10 suppresses hepatic TGF-β1 expression and attenuates hepatocyte apoptosis in biliary-obstructed rats

AIM: To explore the effect of interleukin-10 (IL-10) on hepatocyte apoptosis in biliary-obstructed rats.

METHODS: Male Wistar rats were divided randomly into sham operation (SO) group, obstructive jaundice (OJ) group and IL-10 group. Rats of the OJ and IL-10 groups underwent ligation and severing of the common bile duct, while mobilization of the common bile duct was performed in the SO group. The IL-10 group was intraperitoneally injected with IL-10 (4 μg/kg) daily after operation. The mRNA and protein expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in liver tissue was detected by fluorescence real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. Blood samples were taken to measure serum total bilirubin (TBIL), direct bilirubin (DBIL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, while hepatic cell apoptosis was evaluated by TUNEL method.

RESULTS: Compared to the SO group, the levels of serum ALT and AST, hepatic TGF-β1 mRNA and protein expression, and hepatic cell apoptosis index significantly increased in the OJ group 3 days after operation (ALT: 91.83 U/L ± 21.47 U/L vs 47.67 U/L ± 12.79 U/L; AST: 208.67 U/L ± 32.36 U/L vs 75.17 U/L ± 11.96 U/L; TGF-β1 mRNA: 7.48 ± 1.51 vs 1.21 ± 0.79; TGF-β1 protein: 6.11% ± 1.11% vs 1.26% ± 0.64%; apoptosis: 15.06% ± 1.17% vs 3.94% ± 0.46%; all P < 0.05), and further increased 7 d after operation (ALT: 178.83 U/L ± 46.25 U/L vs 44.50 U/L ± 9.97 U/L; AST: 461.17 U/L ± 88.48 U/L vs 76.50 U/L ± 12.39 U/L; TGF-β1 mRNA: 11.98 ± 3.05 vs 1.01 ± 0.52; TGF-β1 protein: 9.97% ± 2.84% vs 1.68% ± 0.71%; apoptosis: 23.49% ± 3.35% vs 4.31% ± 0.67%; all P < 0.05). Treatment with IL-10 significantly decreased hepatic function, hepatic TGF-β1 expression, and hepatic cell apoptosis compared to the OJ group 7 d after operation (ALT: 94.17 U/L ± 20.02 U/L vs 178.83 U/L ± 46.25 U/L; AST: 257.83 U/L ± 56.53 U/L vs 461.17 U/L ± 88.48 U/L; TGF-β1 mRNA: 7.05 ± 1.15 vs 11.98 ± 3.05; TGF-β1 protein: 7.06% ± 1.32% vs 9.97% ± 2.84%; apoptosis: 15.08% ± 1.69% vs 23.49% ± 3.35%; all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: IL-10 could attenuate hepatocyte apoptosis by suppressing hepatic TGF-β1 expression in biliary-obstructed rats.

Comparison of intraperitoneal honey and sodium hyaluronate-carboxymethylcellulose (Seprafilm) for the prevention of postoperative intra-abdominal adhesions

BACKGROUND

Abdominal surgery can lead to postoperative intra-abdominal adhesions (PIAAs) with significant morbidity and mortality. This study compares the use of honey with a standard bioresorbable membrane (SEPRAFILM) to prevent the formation of PIAAs in rats.

METHODS

Thirty rats underwent laparotomy, and PIAAs were induced by scraping the cecum. The animals were divided into three groups, each containing ten rats. Group 1 (control) represented the cecal abrasion group, with no intraperitoneal administration of any substance. Group 2 (honey group) underwent cecal abrasion and intraperitoneal administration of honey. Group 3 (Seprafilm group) underwent cecal abrasion and intraperitoneal Seprafilm application.

RESULTS

Group 1 exhibited higher adhesion scores for adhesions between the abdominal wall and the organs. Groups 2 and 3 had decreased adhesive attachments to the intra-abdominal structures. Compared to group 1, the incidence of adhesion formation was lower in both group 2 (p=0.001) and group 3 (p=0.001). The incidence of fibrosis was also lower in group 2 (p=0.016) and group 3 (p=0.063) compared to group 1. There was no significant difference between the histopathological fibrosis scores for the rats in group 2 and those in group 3 (p= 0.688).

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that both honey and Seprafilm decrease the incidence of PIAAs in the rat cecal abrasion model. Although the mechanism of action is not clear, intraperitoneal administration of honey reduced PIAAs. The outcome of this study demonstrates that honey is as effective as Seprafilm in preventing PIAAs.