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Evaluation of Therapeutic Activity of Tualang Honey on Oral Cancer: Histopathological Study
May Al-Koshab1, Rola Ali-Saeed2, Aied Mohammed Alabsi1,3
1Department of Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Objective:
The use of natural products has been gaining interest, notably, in the area of cancer therapy. In this study, we determined the chemotherapeutic activity of Tualang Honey (TH) Malaysian wild local honey, on an animal model induced for oral cancer using 4NQO.
Methods:
A total of 28 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomized into four groups (n=7 per group) as non-treated, treated (1000 mg/kg) 1000, treated 2000 mg/kg and control group. All groups' rats received 4NQO, followed by 10 weeks administration of TH at 1000 and 2000 mg/kg, respectively, for the treated groups. All rats from all experiments were sacrificed to evaluate the incidence of oral neoplasms with histopathological changes and histological evaluation of oral cancer metastasis.
Results:
TH significantly reduced the incidence of SCC from 100% to 28.6 % in the TH high dose group of 2000 mg/kg. furthermore, TH has the ability to inhibit the metastasis of oral cancer to adjacent organs.
Conclusion:
TH inhibited the proliferation of the cancer cells in an animal model of oral squamous cell carcinoma and therefore, has the potential to be developed as a chemotherapeutic agent.
Insights
Tualang Honey (TH) significantly inhibited oral cancer development and metastasis in a rat model. This natural product shows potential as a novel chemotherapeutic agent for oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Natural Product Research
- Chemoprevention
Background:
- Natural products are increasingly explored for cancer therapy.
- Tualang Honey (TH), a Malaysian wild honey, is investigated for its therapeutic properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the chemotherapeutic activity of Tualang Honey (TH) in an animal model of oral cancer.
- To assess the effect of TH on oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) incidence and metastasis.
Main Methods:
- 28 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: control, untreated, and two TH-treated groups (1000 mg/kg and 2000 mg/kg).
- Rats were induced with 4NQO, followed by 10 weeks of TH administration.
- Histopathological analysis was performed to evaluate oral neoplasms and metastasis.
Main Results:
- Tualang Honey significantly reduced SCC incidence from 100% to 28.6% at a 2000 mg/kg dose.
- TH demonstrated an ability to inhibit oral cancer metastasis to adjacent organs.
Conclusions:
- Tualang Honey inhibited cancer cell proliferation in an oral squamous cell carcinoma animal model.
- TH holds potential as a chemotherapeutic agent for oral cancer treatment.
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