title: Protective and antioxidant properties of wasp (Vespa magnifica) honeycomb extract: a potential inhibitor against acidified ethanol-induced gastric lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the protective effects of wasp (Vespa magnifica) honeycomb extract (WCE) against gastric lesions in rats induced by 60% acidified ethanol, and evaluate its capacity to suppress oxidative stress in the gastric tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  Wistar rats were subjected to intragastric administration of 60% acidified ethanol to induce gastric lesions following an 8-day oral pretreatment with WCE at 0, 25, 100 and 150 mg/kg or with saline. The levels of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and total antioxidant capacity in the gastric tissues were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oral administration of 25, 100 and 150 mg/kg WCE prior to 60% acidified ethanol administration significantly inhibited the formation of gastric lesions (with a reduction by 44.2%-87.1%), decreased the mucosal MPO activity (by 16.4%-56.6%) and increased the total antioxidant capacity of the gastric tissue (by 0.5, 1.47 and 1.83 folds, respectively) in a dose-dependent manner. At a high concentration (above 1 mg/ml), WCE also exhibited a stronger DPPH radical scavenging activity than butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ethanol extract of wasp honeycombs can suppress the formation of acidified ethanol-induced gastric lesions by reducing free radical oxidation and neutrophils infiltration in the gastric tissue in rats.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. xxueqing@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Xue-qing
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Shu-wen
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006722:Honey; D008297:Male; D008419:Materia Medica / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020556:Neutrophil Infiltration / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014863:Wasps / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008419:Materia Medica; D000431:Ethanol; D009195:Peroxidase