Ameliorative effects of Nigerian bitter honey on streptozotocin-induced hepatorenal damage in Wistar rats

Background: Mortalities resulting from liver and kidney failure arc enormous. It is however worrisome that conventional medications are rarely available for their treatment. Honey is traditionally reputed as a natural supplement for relieving disease symptoms. The therapeutic values of honey vary widely from one botanical source to the other. Aim and Objective: To evaluate the beneficial effects of Nigerian Bitter Honey (BH) on hepatorenal damage induced by Streptozotocin (STZ). Material and Methods: Forty female Wistar rats (90-110 g) were randomly grouped into five (n=8 each) as follows: Group A (2 ml/kg distilled water), Group B (50 mg/kg BH), Group C (65 mg/kg STZ), Group D (STZ + BH), and Group E (BH + STZ). Hepatorenal damage was induced in rats by a single dose of STZ (65 mg/kg body weight). Animals were sacrificed after 28 days of treatment. Blood samples were collected into sterile plain bottles. Liver and kidney tissues were harvested and processed for histopathological assessment. Liver function tests (Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), total protein, albumin, bilirubin); kidney function tests (urea and creatinine) were carried out. Results: Bitter honey treatment (Group D) significantly (p<0.05) reduced AST, ALT, urea, creatinine and bilirubin levels while also increasing total protein and albumi n concentrations. Also, BH significantly improved the histoarchitectural integrity of the liver and the kidney of the treated and pretreated rats. Conclusion: Bitter honey demonstrated outstanding hepatoprotective and renoprotective effects. It may therefore serve as a novel natural supplement for the management of liver and kidney diseases.