%0 Journal Article
%T Ameliorative Effects of Acacia Honey against Sodium Arsenite-Induced Oxidative Stress in Some Viscera of Male Wistar Albino Rats
%A Muhammad Aliyu
%A Sani Ibrahim
%A Hajiya M. Inuwa
%A Abdullahi B. Sallau
%A Olagunju Abbas
%A Idowu A. Aimola
%A Nathan Habila
%A Ndidi S. Uche
%J Biochemistry Research International
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/502438
%X Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and its development is frequently associated with oxidative stress-induced by carcinogens such as arsenicals. Most foods are basically health-promoting or disease-preventing and a typical example of such type is honey. This study was undertaken to investigate the ameliorative effects of Acacia honey on sodium arsenite-induced oxidative stress in the heart, lung and kidney tissues of male Wistar rats. Male Wistar albino rats divided into four groups of five rats each were administered distilled water, Acacia honey (20%), sodium arsenite (5£¿mg/kg body weight), Acacia honey, and sodium arsenite daily for one week. They were sacrificed anesthetically using 60£¿mg/kg sodium pentothal. The tissues were used for the assessment of glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activities, protein content and lipid peroxidation. Sodium arsenite significantly suppressed the glutathione peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase activities with simultaneous induction of lipid peroxidation. Administration of Acacia honey significantly increased glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activities with concomitant suppression of lipid peroxidation as evident by the decrease in malondialdehyde level. From the results obtained, Acacia honey mitigates sodium arsenite induced-oxidative stress in male Wistar albino rats, which suggest that it may attenuate oxidative stress implicated in chemical carcinogenesis. 1. Introduction Honey is a viscous, supersaturated sugar solution derived from nectar gathered and modified by the honeybee, Apis mellifera [1]. It is composed of at least 300 compounds having fructose and glucose in highest concentrations. A great variety of minor components, including phenolics and flavonoids, different enzymes, carotenoids, organic acids, and proteins are also present [1¨C4]. Acacia honey is a type of honey produced by bees in the Acacia flowers, hence the name. Earlier report from our laboratory demonstrated that daily administrations of Acacia honey to Wistar rats have both positive and negative biological effects [5]. We have also demonstrated its antiproliferative effects against prostate cancer cell line [6] and lung cancer cell line in vitro [7]. Contrariwise, we have demonstrated that fractionation of Acacia honey negatively affected its antioxidant potentials by making it a radical generating agent in contrast with the unfractionated sample. Indeed, the antioxidant potential of the whole Acacia honey was comparable with ¦Á-tocopherol; a well-known standard
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bri/2013/502438/