Effect of honey on blood and biochemical parameters of rats with induced anemia

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Biology, College of Education, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Iraq

Abstract

Objective
Anemia is a multifactorial biological, nutritional, and socio-environmental health problem characterized by a deficiency of red blood cells or hemoglobin, which are responsible for oxygen transport throughout the body's tissues. This deficiency results in symptoms such as fatigue and general weakness. Honey, a natural sweetener produced by bees from flower nectar, has been used since ancient times for its medicinal properties due to its rich content of vitamins and minerals. The present study aimed to evaluate the role of honey in mitigating anemia-induced damage in male rats.
Materials and Methods
Anemia was induced in rats using phenylhydrazine, obtained from a pharmacy in Baghdad, at a dose of 40 mg/kg body weight. The drug was administered via intraperitoneal injection at a volume of 1 mL. A total of 30 adult male rats were randomly assigned to three groups (n=10 per group). Erythrocyte count, hemoglobin concentration, and packed cell volume were measured. Additionally, malondialdehyde (MDA), serum glutathione (GSH), and catalase (CAT) levels were assessed. Serum ferritin and hepcidin concentrations were estimated using an ELISA kit. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS software.
Results
The results indicated a significant decrease in red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), and packed cell volume (PCV) in the anemia-induced group (T1), whereas these parameters increased in the honey-treated group (T2). Furthermore, serum ferritin, hepcidin, and iron levels were significantly reduced in the T1 group, measuring 45.3 ng/mL, 18.7 pg/mL, and 32.6 mg/L, respectively. In contrast, these values significantly increased in the T2 group, reaching 85.7 ng/mL, 35.4 pg/mL, and 72.3 mg/L, respectively. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were significantly elevated in the T1 group (1.43 ng/mL), while triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) levels were reduced (0.68 ng/mL and 3.42 ng/mL, respectively). In the T2 group, TSH decreased to 0.85 ng/mL, while T3 and T4 increased to 1.06 ng/mL and 5.49 ng/mL, respectively. Moreover, MDA levels increased in the T1 group (8.76 μmol/L) and decreased in the T2 group (4.62 μmol/L), while GSH and CAT levels decreased in the T1 group (8.3 μmol/L and 18.3 μmol/L, respectively) but increased in the T2 group (18.5 μmol/L and 34.7 μmol/L, respectively). Statistically, significant differences were observed between the T1 and T2 groups compared to the control group (p≤0.05).
Conclusions
These findings suggest that honey may have potential therapeutic effects in alleviating anemia and its associated biochemical alterations.

Keywords

References

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Agricultural Biotechnology Journal
Volume 17, Issue 1
March 2025
Pages 231-246

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