The effects of honey,
glutamine and honey/
glutamine combination on the healing and adaptive process of the bowel following massive small bowel resection were studied in some Nigerian nondescript breeds of dogs. 24 dogs (3-4 months old) of mixed sexes with mean
body weight of 4.42±0.70 kg were studied. They were randomized into four treatment groups following 70% small bowel resection. Group A dogs were placed on
glutamine treatment, Group B on oral
glutamine/honey and group C on honey and group D
normal saline (control). Their
body weights were evaluated for 15 days and the pre- and post-treatment gut biopsy samples were obtained and processed for morphometric evaluation. All groups exhibited signs of small bowel adaptation (
Glutamine/honey>
glutamine > honey > control) at the end of the experiment (4 weeks).
Glutamine/honey combination,
glutamine and honey had gradual increase in
body weight from days 3-15 of weight evaluation. The control group, however, had a remarkable drop in
body weight compared with other groups. Oral
glutamine/honey combination showed the best overall effect based on
body weight gain, intestinal mucosal growth and adaptation, evidenced by increased in residual bowel Villi height (27.71µm), Villi weight (14.51µm), Crypt depth (11.25µm), and Villi density (3.40µm).
Glutamine showed a better result than honey with a significant increase in villi height (38.08µm), width (8.48µm) and crypt depth (40µm). Histologically, an improved villi branching was observed with
glutamine/honey combination. Our results showed that honey/
glutamine combination had comparative therapeutic advantage over
glutamine or honey and may be a preferred treatment for
short bowel syndrome patients.