Stingless bee honey as a therapeutic strategy: Enhancing neuroprotective and cognitive function in a seizure model...

Kainic acid (KA) has been widely used in studies due to its ability to mimic pathologic traits and comorbidities in human epilepsy. Studies have reported that stingless bee honey (SBH) may have neuroprotective effects by mitigating neuronal cell death and the inflammation pathway. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate SBH's neuroprotective effects on a seizure model induced by KA. The male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 6/groups): control, SBH (4.6 g/kg), SBH (9.3 g/kg), KA, KA+SBH (4.6 g/kg) and KA+SBH (9.3 g/kg). The rats were induced by KA with repeated low doses (5 mg/kg) at 30-minute intervals. Rats undergo Video-Electroencephalogram (V-EEG) assessment at 7-day intervals and daily treatment for 28 days. Morris water maze (MWM), cresyl-violet and Fluoro-Jade C (FJC) were evaluated in all groups. SBH (4.6 g/kg) showed significantly less time of escape latency than the KA group (p = 0.0088). A greater number of platforms crossing was observed in the SBH (4.6 g/kg) than the KA group (p = 0.0240). The SBH-treated KA-induced group had significantly increased viable cells than KA only (p = 0.0072, p < 0.001). SBH's strong antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties might contribute to its neuroprotective effects, thus promoting neuronal survival in a seizure model induced by KA.