effect of honey on postprandial hyperglycemia in alloxan-induced diabetic rats

The role of postprandial hyperglycemia (pph) is implicated in the etiology of diabetes mellitus and its complications. this study investigated the effect of honey on high glucose-induced pph in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. diabetes mellitus was induced by administering alloxan [150 mg/kg body weight (bw)] to overnight fasted rats. the diabetic rats were administered drinking water (1 ml/kg bw) or honey (1, 2 or 3 g/kg bw) via oral gavage. each group comprised 6 rats. before administration of drinking water or honey, baseline fasting blood glucose (bg) was measured as bg0. bg levels (bg60, bg120 and bg180) were then measured at 60, 120 and 180 minutes, respectively. estimation of bg parameters [area under the curve (auc), peak bg (pbg), percentage (%) variation in bg and % change in bg] was performed. the auc and pbg did not differ in all the diabetic groups (irrespective of administered agents) compared with diabetic control group. compared with bg0, the bg60 significantly (p < 0.05) increased in diabetic rats that received drinking water or honey (2 or 3 g/kg bw) but not in diabetic rats that received 1 g/kg bw of honey. the diabetic rats that received 1 g/kg bw of honey exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) lower % change in bg compared with the diabetic control rats. the study showed that administration of honey (irrespective of doses) did not deteriorate high glucose-induced pph in diabetic rats. the study also indicated that 1 g/kg bw of honey was the most effective dose in suppressing pph.