Antioxidative and gastroprotective activities of anti-inflammatory formulations derived from chestnut honey in rats

Drug formulations Alimento Supervis (AS) and Alimento Mieleucalipto (AM), which are derived from chestnut honey, have been used as vehicle and supplemented with ginseng, propolis, royal jelly and propolis, and eucalyptus, respectively. These substances are traditionally used as anti-inflammatory medicine and were commercialized before conducting preclinical studies on their efficacy. The antioxidant properties of AS, AM, honey, and their respective natural components were determined by H2O2/luminol-derived and superoxide/lucigenin-derived chemiluminescence. AS and AM scavenged both superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide more than did honey. The H2O2-scavenging activity of each natural component decreased in the following order: propolis > eucalyptus > ginseng >> royal jelly. O2−-scavenging activity was practically absent for all components, except for propolis, the activity that proved to be strongest. Oral pretreatment of AS, AM, and honey (2 g/kg), once daily for 7 consecutive days, prevented indomethacin-induced gastric lesions in rats by reducing the ulcer index, microvascular permeability, and myeloperoxidase activity of the stomach.