Evaluation of gastroprotective effect of jujube honey in ethanol-induced stomach ulcer in mice

Honey has been widely documented to have therapeutic benefits, especially on the healing of wounds, digestive disorders, and as an antimicrobial agent. It's known that stomach ulcers are one of the most prevalent diseases that affect humans with no effective treatment. The objective of this study was to investigate the gastroprotective effects of jujube honey against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in mice and to explore possible mechanism of its action on the gastric mucosa. Stomach's tissues were examined for ulcerative lesions and white blood cell count (WBC), plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) and nitric oxide (NO) for clinical inflammation evaluation. The antioxidant enzyme activities were investigated using the measurement of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase. Treatment with jujube honey reduced the ulcer index and preserved gastric tissue. It also decreased the inflammatory response by reducing WBC and plasma levels of CRP and NO in ulcerative group. In addition, jujube honey-treated group showed increased antioxidant enzyme activities of catalase and SOD. Furthermore, diluted jujube honey is more effective in preserving mucosal gastric integrity. In conclusion, these findings suggest that jujube honey, especially with dilution, may exert a protective effect against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer, through the improvement of antioxidant system and suppression of the inflammatory response via its bioactive compounds.