ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Metabolism
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1582408
This article is part of the Research TopicBioactivity and Health Benefits of Bee Products: Emerging Technologies and Consumer InsightsView all 4 articles
The Protective Effect of Saudi Arabian Bee Honey Against Excessive Weight Gain and Obesity-Related Parameters in Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet
Provisionally accepted
Abdullah Al Tamim
Ghedeir M. Alshammari*
Abu ElGasim A. Yagoub
Ali Saleh
Mohammed A Mohammed
Mohammed Abdo Yahya- King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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This study aimed to investigate the anti-obesity, hepatic protective, and metabolic effects of Sidr and Talh honey, two Saudi honey, in rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and examined some possible mechanisms of their action. Adult rats were divided into eight groups (n = 8 each) and were administered HFD for 12 weeks, with or without oral doses of Sidr or Talh honey at 500, 700, and 1000 mg/kg. Talh honey significantly reduced body weight, fat mass, and adiposity markers, including mesenteric, subcutaneous, and epididymal fat, compared to the HFD group. It also improved plasma glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, HbA1C, leptin, triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL-c, and increased adiponectin. Sidr honey showed no effects on the majority of these factors, except it was able to lower glucose, HbA1C, and HOMA-IR, but was less effective than Talh honey. Both honeys reduced hepatic triglycerides and cholesterol, but Talh honey had superior effects on liver enzymes (ALT, AST, γ-GTT), inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6), and oxidative stress markers (MDA, GSH, SOD). Talh honey also enhanced hepatic nuclear Nrf2 levels and AMPK signaling in the liver and white adipose tissue. These findings indicate that Talh honey exhibits more potent anti-obesity, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects than Sidr honey, likely via modulation of AMPK and Nrf2 pathways.
Keywords: Talh honey, Sidr honey, Obesity, high-fat diet, AMPK, Nrf2, Oxidative Stress, Inflammation
Received: 24 Feb 2025; Accepted: 06 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Al Tamim, Alshammari, Yagoub, Saleh, Mohammed and Yahya. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ghedeir M. Alshammari, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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