What is it about?
Levan, a sugar made by bacteria from honey, was tested as a treatment for stomach ulcers in rats. Given at 200 mg/kg, it healed ulcers by forming a protective coating, not by killing H. pylori. It also reduced inflammation in the stomach. So levan may help protect against ulcers rather than prevent them.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
Novelty lies in using levan from a honey-derived Bacillus sp. for ulcer therapy an unexplored source. Unlike conventional antibiotics targeting H. pylori, levan healed ulcers without antimicrobial action, via protective coating and prebiotic effects. Its significant reduction of NF-κB in gastric mucosa reveals a new anti-inflammatory mechanism. This positions levan as a protective, rather than preventive, alternative for peptic ulcer management.
Perspectives
This study caught my attention because it takes a different approach to treating ulcers. Instead of trying to kill H. pylori bacteria like most treatments do, levan works by protecting the stomach lining. It forms a physical barrier over the ulcer and also reduces inflammation by lowering NF-κB levels. What's clever is that levan comes from bacteria found in honey, making it a natural and sustainable option. While the research was done on rats, which has its limitations, levan's safety and prebiotic benefits make it a promising option for people struggling with ulcers.
Gehan El-Bassyouni
National Research Centre (NRC), Dokki, Cairo, 12622, Egypt
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Role of levan extracted from bacterial honey isolates in curing peptic ulcer: In vivo, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, January 2020, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.09.131.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
