| dc.description.abstract | Uganda Honey is being used traditionally in the management of Non communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal diseases, bronchial asthma and wound healing. Development of such diseases has been linked to oxidative stress and toxic free radicals. Studies have shown that antioxidants in honey travel through the cells, scavenging and neutralizing oxidants and toxic free radicals hence preventing such diseases. The burden of Non communicable diseases has increased in Low and Middle Income Countries and the drugs used to manage such diseases are too expensive and may have adverse side effects for example development of secondary tumors and severe toxicity to many body systems. This study therefore will inform a further study to determine whether Uganda honey can be used to provide a cheap, palatable and readily available alternative treatment for NCDs. One apiary from Eastern, Central, Western and West Nile regions of Uganda was randomly selected, samples collected and examined for antioxidants and antioxidant potential. In this study, all the honey samples were found to contain compounds known to have antioxidant activity, and these compounds include; flavonoids, saponins, catalase, vitamin C and vitamin E. However, the mean vitamin C (0.898mg/ml) and vitamin E (13.3 µg/ml) concentrations were higher in honey samples from West Nile and Central regions respectively as compared to other samples (Table 5). Honey from West Nile had the best antioxidant activity because it had the lowest IC50 (22.831mg/ml) as compared to samples from other regions (Table 6). The lower the IC50, the better the Antioxidant activity since only a smaller concentration was required to Inhibit 50% of DPPH radical. An in vivo study should be carried out to investigate safety and other properties such as anti-proliferation, antibiotic and apoptotic properties of Uganda honey to establish its ability to prevent and manage Non communicable diseases. | en_US |
