Beneficial Effects of Honey-Based Diet on Glycemic Control and Reproductive Potential in Diabetic Rats

Reports of clinical studies on the global increase in male infertility prevalence are of public interest due to its social and economic burden. Honey is used in various foods, beverages and medicinal traditions to treat various ailments. This experimentally-controlled designed study aimed to determine the effect of honey-based diet on the sperm quality, testicular histology, reproductive hormones and glycemic tolerance in diabetic rats fed for 8 weeks. Thirty two adult male Wistar rats each weighing ≥ 200g at the beginning of the study were used and were randomly categorized into four experimental groups of 8 rats each: diabetic rats fed with honey-based diet - DHF, diabetic rats fed with standard feed (diabetic control - DNF), Non-diabetic rats fed with honey-based diet - NHF and non-diabetic rats fed with standard feed (normal control – NNF). Diabetes was inducted in DHF and NHF grouped rats using freshly prepared alloxan monohydrate solution (150mg/dL, intraperitoneally) after 15 hours overnight fast and was confirmed 4-7 days later using glucometer. All rats were fed according to the experimental design for eight week period while weekly weight and total food intake per group recorded. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) concentrations were measured at the entry point and 8th week of study. Glycemic tolerance test using D-glucose (2g/kg wt), hormonal (testosterone, FSH, LH) assays and sperm analysis were conducted after 8 weeks while sections of extracted testes were examined histologically. Data obtained were expressed as mean of eight replicates ± SEM. A significant (P < 0.05) reduction in total weight gain (DHF - 6.2%; NHF - 7.44%) with insignificant increase in food intake was observed in diabetic and non-diabetic rats fed with honey-based diet compared with their respective controls. Sperm analysis and hormonal assay revealed significant (P < 0.05) increase in sperm count, testosterone level and improved sperm morphology in diabetic and non-diabetic treated rats. Testicular histoarchitecture of honey-based diet-fed rats displayed a densely packed spermatogenic cells in the seminiferous tubular lumen while that of the control rats showed sparse distribution. An improved glycemic tolerance with significant (P = 0.02) reduction in FBG concentration was observed in DHF (5.1%) and NHF (10.73%) rats at the end of study. In conclusion, honey-based diet improves reproductive potential in diabetic rats with beneficial impact on the glycemic tolerance and control.