Lipid Profile of Wistar Albino Rats Orally Administered Apis mellifera Honey and Refined Granulated Sugar

The excess consumption of refined granulated sugars by humans have a relationship with altered lipid metabolism. This study aimed to assess the lipid profile of Wistar albino rats orally administered Apis mellifera honey and refined granulated sugar. Twenty-five (25) healthy albino rats aged 12 weeks were used for this study. The albino rats were divided into five (5) groups with each group consisting of five (5) rats. The rat groups were assigned T1 (1.02 g of natural honey kg/BW), T2 (1.40 g of natural honey kg/BW), T3 (1.02 g of refined granulated sugar kg/BW), T4 (1.40 g of refined granulated sugar kg/BW) and T5 served as the control. The administration of the natural honey and refined granulated sugar was done orally by using a syringe. After three weeks, blood samples were collected for analysis of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C). Data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at 5% significant level. The total cholesterol was highest in T1 (83.16 mg/dL) and lowest in T4 (22.42 mg/dL) while Triglyceride was highest in T5 (100.58 mg/dL) and lowest in T1 (42.07 mg/dL). Also, high-density lipoprotein was highest in T1 (45.55 mg/dL) and lowest in T4 (0.35 mg/dL) while Low-density lipoprotein was the highest in T1 (26.83 mg/dL) and lowest in T5 (12.31 mg/dL). The findings suggest that natural honey may support a more favorable lipid profile than refined granulated sugar although the differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The findings indicate that natural honey, when consumed in moderation, may be a healthier option to refined sugar for maintaining normal lipid balance.