Salivary anti-oxidant levels on consumption of natural honey and commercially available honey

Nikita Lolayekar*, Amitha M. H

Abstract

Literature shows that honey has therapeutic features indicating it’s potential for the treatment of various oral diseases. Natural honey sourced from honeycombs and commercially available honeys have been shown to differ in their composition, which includes the concentration of antioxidants in them. Studies evaluating the antioxidant levels of saliva on consumption of these honeys are sparse, hence the need for the study. Saliva samples of 30 caries free children were obtained and evaluated for their antioxidant levels using a spectrophotometer. Following which, they were given a tablespoon of natural honey and saliva samples were collected again to measure the antioxidant levels. On another occasion, the same procedure was repeated with commercially available honey. After assessing the antioxidant levels, a statistical analysis using the Students Paired ‘t’ test, revealed the following results: i) There was a significant (<0.001) increase in the antioxidant levels on consumption of either types of honey. ii) When comparing the antioxidant levels on consumption of both types of honey, the antioxidant levels were higher with commercially available honey than with natural honey. Although honey by itself may not serve as a major source of dietary antioxidants, it demonstrates the potential for honey to play a role in providing antioxidants in a highly palatable form, as was seen in this study.