Antidiarrheal, Analgesic, and Anthelmintic Activities of Honeys in the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest, Bangladesh

This study evaluated the antidiarrheal, analgesic, and anthelmintic activities of honey samples from the Sundarbans mangrove forest of Bangladesh. Composite raw honey (RH), and its diethyl ether (DEH), ethanol (ETH), methanol (MEH), and distilled water (DWH) fractions were investigated. RH and its fractions strongly inhibited castor oil-induced diarrheal episodes in mice at a concentration of 250 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) (P<0.05). At this concentration, RH, DEH, ETH, MEH, and DWH showed inhibitory activity on diarrheal episodes at 43.8, 47.4, 29.8, 12.3, and 38.5%, respectively, whereas for the inhibitory activity for the positive control (PC, 3 mg loperamide/kg b.w.) was 47.4%. Similarly, DEH (250 mg/kg b.w.) showed strongest inhibition (63.5%) of acetic acid-induced writhing in mice, followed by RH (55.7%), ETH (46.2%), MEH (37.6%), and DWH (32.9%). In a hot plate test, mice treated with DEH at a concentration 250 mg/kg b.w. showed the greatest increase in response time, followed by treatment with RH. RH was further used in an anthelmintic test, where it showed a strong dose-dependent reduction in both the paralysis time and the time until death of the parasite, Paramphistomum cervi. Honeys in the Sundarbans could therefore be of great use as nutraceuticals.