Pineapple honey inhibits adipocytes proliferation and reduces lipid droplet accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Honey has potential in controlling obesity by reducing excess weight gain and other obesity parameters such as triglyceride levels. However, its effects on the cells that stores lipid (adipocytes) is still unclear. This study was performed to observe the effects of pineapple honey on the growth and lipid accumulation of adipocytes in vitro. Pineapple honey was standardised according to its total phenolic and flavonoid contents prior to treating on differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Proliferation of adipocytes was observed using 3-(4,5 dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-dipenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay while lipid accumulation and droplet size were determined using oil red O staining and Feret’s diameter. Pineapple honey exhibited 0.0379 ± 0.001 mg/100 mL GAE of total phenolic content and 0.098 ± 0.001 mg catechin/kg of total flavonoid content. It significantly inhibited adipocytes’ proliferation starting from 6.25% of pineapple honey concentration. In addition, the honey also significantly reduced lipid droplet size by 33.78% to 70.36% and reduced lipid accumulation compared to the control. These findings suggest that pineapple honey may affect the storage of lipids in adipocytes. Future investigation involving the biomarkers of adipogenesis is required to confirm whether the reduction in lipid accumulation is attributed to the effect of honey on these pathways

Adulterated honey consumption can induce obesity, increase blood glucose level and demonstrate toxicity effects

The effects of adulterated honey consumption towards human health is not widely known; mainly due to lack of systematic and scientific studies and low public awareness. In this study, short-term and long-term effects of consumption on two brands of commercially honey are available in Malaysian market was investigated and compared to normal control (NC) rats and rats fed with natural pineapple honey (PH) using male Sprague dawley rats. Adulteration of honey used in the study was measured using physicochemical and antioxidant analyses and identified as adulterated honey A (FHA) and B (FHB). No toxicity effect was found for short-term consumption (14 days with one honey consumption). However, visible effects were observed after 16 weeks of study. Both FHA and FHB showed a significant increase (p>0.05) in cholesterol (48.6 ± 4.8 mmol/L, 46.5 ± 3.6 mmol/L), triglycerides (26 ± 1.2 mmol/L, 24.4 ± 1.8 mmol/L) and glucose (28.4 ± 2.5 mmol/L, 25 ± 2.6 mmol/L) level respectively. In contrast, rats from NC and PH groups have lower cholesterol (26.5 ± 4.4 mmol/L, 18.94 ± 3.6 mmol/L), triglycerides (17.5 ± 1.2 mmol/L, 13.5 ± 1.5 mmol/L) and glucose (6.4 ± 1.4 mmol/L, 8.0 ± 1.5 mmol/L) level, respectively. The most critical finding was in total five rats from both fake honey groups showed early mortality. This intensive study indicates long-term adulterated honey may harm to human health and required prompt actions from various authorities locally and internationally to avoid other consequences in the future

Four-Week Consumption of Malaysian Honey Reduces Excess Weight Gain and Improves Obesity-Related Parameters in High Fat Diet Induced Obese Rats

Many studies revealed the potential of honey consumption in controlling obesity. However, no study has been conducted using Malaysian honey. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of two local Malaysian honey types: Gelam and Acacia honey in reducing excess weight gain and other parameters related to obesity. The quality of both honey types was determined through physicochemical analysis and contents of phenolic and flavonoid. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were induced to become obese using high fat diet (HFD) prior to introduction with/without honey or orlistat for four weeks. Significant reductions in excess weight gain and adiposity index were observed in rats fed with Gelam honey compared to HFD rats. Moreover, levels of plasma glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol, plasma leptin and resistin, liver enzymes, renal function test, and relative organ weight in Gelam and Acacia honey treated groups were reduced significantly when compared to rats fed with HFD only. Similar results were also displayed in rats treated with orlistat, but with hepatotoxicity effects. In conclusion, consumption of honey can be used to control obesity by regulating lipid metabolism and appears to be more effective than orlistat

Tinospora crispa Ameliorates Insulin Resistance Induced by High Fat Diet in Wistar Rats

The antidiabetic properties of Tinospora crispa, a local herb that has been used in traditional Malay medicine and rich in antioxidant, were explored based on obesity-linked insulin resistance condition. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups, namely, the normal control (NC) which received standard rodent diet, the high fat diet (HFD) which received high fat diet only, the high fat diet treated with T. crispa (HFDTC), and the high fat diet treated with orlistat (HFDO). After sixteen weeks of treatment, blood and organs were harvested for analyses. Results showed that T. crispa significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the body weight (41.14 ± 1.40%), adiposity index serum levels (4.910 ± 0.80%), aspartate aminotransferase (AST: 161 ± 4.71 U/L), alanine aminotransferase (ALT: 100.95 ± 3.10 U/L), total cholesterol (TC: 18.55 ± 0.26 mmol/L), triglycerides (TG: 3.70 ± 0.11 mmol/L), blood glucose (8.50 ± 0.30 mmo/L), resistin (0.74 ± 0.20 ng/mL), and leptin (17.428 ± 1.50 ng/mL) hormones in HFDTC group. The insulin (1.65 ± 0.07 pg/mL) and C-peptide (136.48 pmol/L) hormones were slightly decreased but within normal range. The histological results showed unharmed and intact liver tissues in HFDTC group. As a conclusion, T. crispa ameliorates insulin resistance-associated with obesity in Wistar rats fed with high fat diet

Short-term effects of TAF 273 on oestrous cycle and reproductive hormones of normal rats

Eurycoma longifolia is one of the plants used to enhanced male reproductive functions but little is known for its effect on the female reproductive system and functions. Therefore this work is performed to study the effects of standardized extract of Eurycoma longifolia, TAF 273, on oestrous cycle and some reproductive functionality in rats. Female Sprague-dawley rats (7-8 weeks old) weighing between 160-230 g were used in this study. Vaginal smear of each rat was monitored daily for 2-week period (cover 3 cycles) in order to select females with normal cycle (4-5 days). Those with regular cycle were randomized into seven groups of 6 animals each. Rats in the treatment group received the extract orally at different doses (2.5, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight) for 5 days (one complete cycle) whereas the control group received an equal volume of distilled water in a similar manner. The oestrous cycle pattern of both control and treatment groups were monitored daily and recorded during the 5 days treatment and during the following 15 days after withdrawal of treatment. The body weight of the females was recorded before and after 5 days treatment. At the end of the experiments, blood samples were collected and the serum were analysed for oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels. Ovaries and uteri were removed, weighed and examined for histomorphological changes. The results showed that the administration of TAF 273 did not significantly alter the analyzed variables. Therefore, the data obtained indicate that Eurycoma longifolia standardized extract did not exhibit any detrimental effects on the oestrous cycle, ovarian histomorphology and female reproductive hormones. Keywords: Eurycoma longifolia, TAF 273, Oestrous Cycle, Reproductive Hormones, Ovar

Effects of pure and fake honey on glucose and lipid profile in vitro and in vivo study

Honey authenticity is one of the most critical honey trading issues worldwide. Fake honey (FH) represents almost 80% of the honey market in Malaysia. Apart from violating consumer’s rights, FH consists of none of the beneficial nutritional value\ud other than pure honey (PH). Moreover, prolonged consumption of FH may cause harm to human health. However, data regarding these issues is limited. In this study, both PH and FH were tested using 3T3-L1 adipocytes and in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese Sprague Dawley rats. Initially, a physicochemical analysis was performed on both the honey samples according to the Codex Alimentarius Commission and International Honey Commission procedures. After 72 hr, PH significantly reduced lipid accumulation and triglyceride levels in the adipocytes. In the rats, low glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were significantly detected after orally administered for 16 weeks. Conversely, FH significantly induced higher lipid accumulation and triglyceride levels in adipocytes and excess high blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in rats. The results demonstrated that FH has negative effects on lipid metabolism, and prolonged consumption may cause health complications. Furthermore, prompt actions are required to address this problem