title: Evaluation of Honey as a Topical Therapy for Intraoral Wound Healing in Rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Honey is one of the oldest known medicines. Its medical and therapeutic importance has been recently rediscovered. Honey is an effective treatment for infected wounds and ulcers. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of honey as a topical therapy for intraoral wound healing in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two male rats were divided into experimental and control groups (consisting of 16 rats, 4 animals in each group). A 2-mm mucosal defect was made to the depth of the periosteum using punch biopsy. Honey was applied to the wound every day, and the ulcer size was measured daily. On days 2, 4, 6, and 8, four rats were euthanized from each group (experimental and control groups), and tissues were histopathologically evaluated. Healing processes were studied as follows: the size of ulcer, inflammatory response, reepithelialization, and granulation tissue formation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean rank of wound size was significantly reduced in the honey group (2.50), as compared to the control group (6.50). Reepithelialization and granulation tissue formation mean rank were significantly higher in the honey group (6.50) than in the control group (2.50). Inflammation mean rank was statistically lower in the honey group (2.63) compared with the control group (6.38).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Honey was shown to have a beneficial effect on the healing of oral ulcers in rats in this model. Further research may shed light on the effects of honey on different types of ulcers in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, Dental School, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Goli
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chamani
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, Dental School, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Zarei
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, Kerman University of Medical Sciences.
authors.forename: Mitra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mehrabani
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehdavinezhad
authors.affiliation: Department of Persian Literature and English Language, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences.
authors.forename: Mehrangiz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vahabian
authors.affiliation: Dental Research Center and Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Oral Medicine, Dental School, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences.
authors.forename: Fatemah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ahmadi-Motamayel
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D056705:Apitherapy; D006097:Granulation Tissue; D006722:Honey; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D019226:Oral Ulcer / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents