Honey potentiates the gastric protection effects of sucralfate against ammonia-induced gastric lesions in rats

Background: Natural honey is widely used all over the world as a complementary and alternative medicine in various disorders including gastrointestinal lesions. Aim: To evaluate the effects of combination of low dosage of honey (0.312g/kg) and sucralfate (0.125 or 0.250 g /kg) on gastric protection and to determine any potentiating interactions between them against ammonia-induced gastric lesions in rats. Material and Methods: Twenty-four hours fasted rats were given I ml of ammonium hydroxide 1 % intragastrically and they were killed one hour later under deep ether anesthesia. The gastric lesion index was calculated according to the method of Takaishi et al 1998. Non protein sulthydryls level was determined spectrophotometrically as described by Sedlak and Lindsay 1968. Results: Administration of ammonium hydroxide produced red and black linear lesions and significant depletion of gastric nonprotein sulthydryls level. Oral administration of honey (0.312g/kg) or sucralfate (0.125 and 0.250g/kg) 30min before ammonium hydroxide reduced the severity of gastric mucosal lesions by 1 I or 18 and 42 % respectively, and has shown the changes in nonprotein sulfhydryls level induced by ammonium hydroxide. Furthermore, pretreatment with a combination of a low dose of honey (0.312g /kg) and sucralfate (0.125g or 0.250g/kg) afforded significantly greater protection (58 and 77 %) than that obtained with either of them administered alone. Conclusion: The present results suggest potentiation of gastric protection effect of sucralfate by honey and this may have a clinical value in the treatment of peptic ulcer diseases in Helicobacter pylori positive patient