Comparative study of the effects of natural honey and antacid [aluminium phosphate] on the anti-inflammatory and ulcerogenic activity of indomethacin

ABSTRACT

The effects of concurrent administration of either honey of aluminium phosphate with indomethacin on the anti-inflammatory activity, ulcerogenic activity and plasma level of indomethacin in rats were investigated in this study. Natural honey [3 mg/kg orally] caused a significant decrease of ulcerogenic activity of indomethacin [30 mg/kg orally] as indicated by the gross lesion score and hitopathological examination This effect induced by honey is comparable to that produced by colloidal aluminium phosphate [3 gm/kg orally] also honey caused a marked decrease of indomethacin-induced gastric acid secretion that was not significantly different from that produced by aluminium phosphate Both indomethacin-honey and indomethacin-aluminium phosphate combinations caused a decrease of anti-inflammatory activity and plasma level of indomethacin but the reduction produced by the first combination was found to be significantly less than that produced by the second combination. These data may justify the use of honey concurrently with indomethacin to suppress its deleterious effect on the gastric mucosa with less disturbance of its plasma level and anti-inflammatory activity than its concomitant use with antacid