Effects of honey from Mimosa quadrivalvis L. (malícia) produced by the Melipona subnitida D. (jandaíra) stingless bee on dyslipidaemic rats

• Published in: Food & function 2018-08, Vol.9 (8), p.4480-4492
• Main Authors: Bezerra, Maria Luiza Rolim, de Souza, Evandro Leite, de Sousa, Janaína Maria Batista, Lima, Marcos Dos Santos, Alves, Adriano Francisco, Almeida, Maria das Graças, Coutinho Alves, Raquel, Veríssimo de Araújo, Emmanuel, Soares, Naís Lira, da Silva, Gabriel Araújo, Magnani, Marciane, Aquino, Jailane de Souza
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - metabolism; Bees; Bifidobacterium - genetics; Bifidobacterium - growth & development; Bifidobacterium - isolation & purification; Blood levels; Cholesterol; Cholesterol - metabolism; Colon; Diet; Dietary supplements; Dietary Supplements - analysis; Dyslipidemia; Dyslipidemias - diet therapy; Dyslipidemias - metabolism; Dyslipidemias - microbiology; Excretion; Feces - microbiology; Food consumption; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Glucose - metabolism; Glucose tolerance; Honey; Honey - analysis; Humans; Immunological tolerance; Intestine; Lactobacillus - genetics; Lactobacillus - growth & development; Lactobacillus - isolation & purification; Lipid metabolism; Liver; Low density lipoprotein; Male; Melipona subnitida; Metabolism; Mimosa - chemistry; Mimosa quadrivalvis; Organic acids; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rodents; Superoxide dismutase; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism
• ISSN: 2042-6496; 2042-650X
• DOI: 10.1039/c8fo01044g

This study assessed the effects of supplementation with honey from Mimosa quadrivalvis L. (malícia) (MH) produced by jandaíra stingless bees (Melipona subnitida D.) on the lipid metabolism, antioxidant status and some intestinal health parameters of rats with diet-induced dyslipidaemia. Rats were randomly divided into four groups: healthy control (HC), dyslipidaemic control (DC), healthy experimental (EHH) and dyslipidaemic experimental (EDH). Malícia honey (MH) was administered (1000 mL kg-1) via orogastric feeding for 35 days. Dyslipidaemic rats supplemented with MH showed lower food consumption, increased glucose tolerance and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and decreased total cholesterol, LDL and AST blood levels. Counts of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. and excretion of organic acids in faeces increased in dyslipidaemic rats supplemented with MH. MH supplementation protected the colon and liver from tissue damage induced by the dyslipidaemic diet. These results show the beneficial effects of MH on the lipid metabolism, antioxidant status and intestinal health of rats with diet-induced dyslipidaemia.