Sains Malaysiana 47(2)(2018): 353-365

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2018-4702-18

Adulterated Honey Consumption can Induce Obesity, Increase Blood Glucose Level and Demonstrate Toxicity Effects

(Pengambilan Madu Tidak Asli boleh Menyebabkan Keobesan, Meningkatkan Kadar Paras Gula dan Menunjukkan Kesan Toksik)

SUHANA SAMAT^1,2, FRANCIS KANYAN ENCHANG^1,2, ABDULLAH ABD RAZAK^1,2, FUZINA NOR HUSSEIN³ & WAN IRYANI WAN ISMAIL^1,4*

¹Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam Campus,42300 Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

²Clinical BioPharmaceutical Research Group (CBRG), Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Community of Research, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

³Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

⁴School of Fundamental Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu Darul Iman, Malaysia

Received: 30 July 2016/Accepted: 31 July 2017

ABSTRACT

The effects of adulterated honey consumption towards human health is not widely known; mainly due to lack of systematic and scientific studies and low public awareness. In this study, short-term and long-term effects of consumption on two brands of commercially honey are available in Malaysian market was investigated and compared to normal control (NC) rats and rats fed with natural pineapple honey (PH) using male Sprague dawley rats. Adulteration of honey used in the study was measured using physicochemical and antioxidant analyses and identified as adulterated honey A (FHA) and B (FHB). No toxicity effect was found for short-term consumption (14 days with one honey consumption). However, visible effects were observed after 16 weeks of study. Both FHA and FHB showed a significant increase (p>0.05) in cholesterol (48.6 ± 4.8 mmol/L, 46.5 ± 3.6 mmol/L), triglycerides (26 ± 1.2 mmol/L, 24.4 ± 1.8 mmol/L) and glucose (28.4 ± 2.5 mmol/L, 25 ± 2.6 mmol/L) level respectively. In contrast, rats from NC and PH groups have lower cholesterol (26.5 ± 4.4 mmol/L, 18.94 ± 3.6 mmol/L), triglycerides (17.5 ± 1.2 mmol/L, 13.5 ± 1.5 mmol/L) and glucose (6.4 ± 1.4 mmol/L, 8.0 ± 1.5 mmol/L) level, respectively. The most critical finding was in total five rats from both fake honey groups showed early mortality. This intensive study indicates long-term adulterated honey may harm to human health and required prompt actions from various authorities locally and internationally to avoid other consequences in the future.

Keywords: Adulterated honey consumption; health effects; honey analysis; honey authenticity; long-term effects; obesity; short-term effects

ABSTRAK

Kesan pengambilan madu yang tidak asli terhadap kesihatan manusia masih lagi banyak yang belum diketahui; berikutan kekurangan penyelidikan secara sistematik dan saintifik, serta kesedaran masyarakat awam tentang kewujudan madu tidak asli. Kajian yang dijalankan ini menumpukan pada kesan jangka masa pendek dan panjang penggunaan dua madu komersial dijual di pasaran Malaysia dan dibandingkan dengan tikus kawalan (NC) dan tikus yang diberi makan madu asli nenas (PH) menggunakan tikus jantan strain Sprague Dawley. Ketulenan madu tersebut dikaji menggunakan analisis fizikokimia dan antioksida sebelum ia dilabel sebagai madu tidak asli A (FHA) dan B (FHB). Tiada kesan keracunan dilaporkan untuk pengambilan madu tersebut dalam masa yang singkat (satu pengambilan madu dalam masa 14 hari). Walau bagaimanapun, kesan yang ketara dapat diperhatikan apabila kedua-dua FHA dan FHB diambil selama 16 minggu. Kedua-dua FHA dan FHB telah meningkatkan secara signifikan (p>0.05) aras kolesterol (48.6 ± 4.8 mmol/L, 46.5 ± 3.6 mmol/L), trigliserida (26 ± 1.2 mmol/L, 24.4 ± 1.8 mmol/L) dan glukosa (28.4 ± 2.5 mmol/L, 25 ± 2.6 mmol/L). Ini berbeza dengan tikus daripada kumpulan NC dan PH yang menunjukkan aras kolesterol (26.5 ± 4.4 mmol/L, 18.94 ± 3.6 mmol/L), trigliserida (17.5 ± 1.2 mmol/L, 13.5 ± 1.5 mmol/L) dan glukosa (6.4 ± 1.4 mmol/L, 8.0 ± 1.5 mmol/L) yang lebih rendah. Pemerhatian yang paling kritikal di dalam kajian ini ialah lima ekor tikus yang diberi makan dengan kedua madu FHA dan FHB secara berasingan telah menyebabkan kematian awal. Kajian secara intensif ini menunjukkan bahawa pengambilan madu yang tidak asli dalam jangka masa yang panjang boleh mengancam kesihatan manusia. Ini amat memerlukan perhatian dan tindakan serius oleh pihak berkuasa tempatan dan antarabangsa untuk mengambil tindakan ke atas pengeluaran dan penjualan madu tidak asli di dalam pasaran untuk mengelak sebarang mudharat pada masa hadapan.

Kata kunci: Analisis madu; kesan jangka masa pendek dan panjang; kesan terhadap kesihatan; ketulenan madu; keobesan; pengambilan madu tidak asli

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*Corresponding author; email: waniryani@gmail.com