The Physicochemical Characteristics of Gelam Honey and Its Outcome on the Female Reproductive Tissue of Sprague–Dawley Rats: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Gelam honey (GH) is a prized natural product synthesized from the nectar of flowers from Gelam trees (Melaleuca sp.). Gelam is an evergreen tree species that grows in tropical regions such as Malaysia. GH is a multifloral honey with proven antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the beneficial effect of GH on female reproductive tissue has yet to be substantiated. Herein, we investigated the effects of GH administration on the uterine and vaginal epithelial thickness of sexually mature Sprague–Dawley rats. Epithelia thickness could be an indicator of an atrophy manifesting as a symptom of a cardio syndrome. Rats were given oral doses of GH in four groups for 14 days; the lowest dose was 0.2 g GH/kg body weight (bw) rat/day and the highest dose was 8 g GH/kg bw rat/day. The physicochemical characteristics of GH were assessed through hydroxymethylfurfural and moisture content determination and sugar identification. GH attenuated the atrophy of the uterine and vaginal epithelia and increased the thickness of the endometrial stroma and endometrial surface endothelial layer. However, the dissonance observed in the effect of GH administration on the vaginal epithelium requires further investigation. Nevertheless, GH may have a strong potential in attenuating uterine and vaginal atrophies.

Kelulut Honey Ameliorates Oestrus Cycle, Hormonal Profiles, and Oxidative Stress in Letrozole-Induced Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Rats

“…Furthermore, a study that used the same model of letrozole-induced PCOS rats found that treatment with letrozole, metformin, and clomiphene did not affect the FSH levels [ 34 ]. According to a report, honey could be oestrogenic or anti-oestrogenic depending on its concentration [ 32 , 77 , 78 ]. In another study, female rats supplemented with Tualang honey for eight weeks demonstrated no changes in their oestradiol levels [ 79 ].…”

“…Meanwhile, other researchers have proved that Tualang honey reduces oestradiol and progesterone levels in ovariectomised rats [ 80 ]. However, Ismail et al found no difference in testosterone, progesterone, and oestradiol levels with Gelam honey supplementation in ovariectomised rats [ 32 ].This may suggest further study on the effect of honey on the sex steroid hormone. In this study, metformin and clomiphene treatment caused oestradiol levels to increase, as similar findings have recorded previously [ 34 , 81 ].…”

“…The high-performance ion chromatography (HPIC)-based approach, as described in [ 32 ], was used to profile the sugar levels in the KH samples. The amount of 200 mg of KH was dissolved in a few millilitres of water.…”

“…Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used for SVOC determination on the KH sample based on modifications to the U.S. E.P.A. 8270 protocol [ 32 ]. The KH samples were extracted with 99.8% dichloromethane (GC grade, Merck, Darmstadt, Germany) before concentrating on the minimum injection volume.…”

Kelulut Honey Regulates Sex Steroid Receptors in a Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Rat Model

“…In fact, resveratrol, a natural phenolic compound, is reported to be an agonist to the ER [ 61 ]. It has been shown that the concentration of honey determines its oestrogenic or anti-oestrogenic effects [ 62 , 63 , 64 ]. However, our previous study shows KH does not affect the estradiol level in PCOS-induced rats [ 28 ].…”