Profile of nitric oxide (NO) metabolites (nitrate, nitrite and N-nitroso groups) in honeys of different botanical origins: nitrate accumulation as index of origin, quality and of therapeutic opportunities.

Besides dermoprotective activity, honey also has a strong gastroprotective effect, from salivary reduction of nitrate (NO(3)(-)) to nitrite (NO(2)(-)) and intragastric formation of nitric oxide (NO), this lastly involved in the preservation of the gastric mucosa capillaries and in boosting mucous production. Aim of this work is to profile the distribution of NO metabolites (NO(3)(-), NO(2)(-) and total N-nitroso-groups, N-NO) in a set of honeys (n=54) of different botanical origins, using a chemiluminescence based technique (NO-analyzer, NOA). All the honeys contained appreciable amounts of NO(3)(-) (from 1.