title: Antioxidant protection of Malaysian tualang honey in pancreas of normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
abstract: Glucotoxicity contributes to beta-cell dysfunction through oxidative stress. Our previous study demonstrated that tualang honey ameliorated renal oxidative stress and produced hypoglycemic effect in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. This present study investigated the hypothesis that hypoglycemic effect of tualang honey might partly be due to protection of pancreas against oxidative stress. Diabetes was induced by a single dose of STZ (60 mg/kg; ip). Diabetic rats were randomly divided into two groups and administered distilled water (0.5 ml/d) and tualang honey (1.0 g/kg/d). Similarly, two groups of non-diabetic rats received distilled water (0.5 ml/d) and tualang honey (1.0 g/kg/d). The animals were treated orally for 28 days. At the end of the treatment period, the honey-treated diabetic rats had significantly (p<0.05) reduced blood glucose levels [8.8 (5.8)mmol/L; median (interquartile range)] compared with the diabetic control rats [17.9 (2.6)mmol/L]. The pancreas of diabetic control rats showed significantly increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and up-regulation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities. Catalase (CAT) activity was significantly reduced while glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities remained unchanged in the pancreas of diabetic rats. Tualang honey significantly (p<0.05) reduced elevated MDA levels. Honey treatment also restored SOD and CAT activities. These results suggest that hypoglycemic effect of tualang honey might be attributed to its antioxidative effect on the pancreas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: O O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Erejuwa
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Sulaiman
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wahab
authors.forename: K N S
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Sirajudeen
authors.forename: M S Md
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Salleh
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gurtu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D002374:Catalase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D006722:Honey; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D010179:Pancreas / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase