Therapeutic Manuka Honey: No Longer So Alternative

Abstract

Medicinal honey research is undergoing a substantial renaissance. From a folklore remedy largely dismissed by mainstream medicine as “alternative”, we now see increased interest by scientists, clinical practitioners and the general public in the therapeutic uses of honey. There are a number of drivers of this interest: first, the rise in antibiotic resistance by many bacterial pathogens has prompted interest in developing and using novel antibacterials; second, an increasing number of reliable studies and case reports have demonstrated that certain honeys are very effective wound treatments; third, therapeutic honey commands a premium price, and the honey industry is actively promoting studies that will allow it to capitalize on this; and finally, the very complex and rather unpredictable nature of honey provides an attractive challenge for laboratory scientists. In this paper we review manuka honey research, from observational studies on its antimicrobial effects through to current experimental and mechanistic work that aims to take honey into mainstream medicine. We outline current gaps and remaining controversies in our knowledge of how honey acts, and suggest new studies that could make honey a no longer “alternative” alternative.

Monofloral honeys by Sicilian black honeybee ( Apis mellifera ssp. sicula ) have high reducing power and antioxidant capacity

“…A growing body of scientific research, especially on the manuka honey, has recently revealed many molecular mechanisms that may rationalize well known medicinal properties of honey (Carter et al, 2016), and may contribute to expand preventive and even therapeutic uses. Our findings encourage further studies on the Sicilian black honeybee honey.…”

“…This study extends knowledge on functional properties of honeys produced by the Sicilian black honeybee assessing their antiradical and antioxidant capacity in several both chemical and biological in vitro models. Thirty samples of monofloral honeys from thirteen botanical species and two honeydew honeys were assayed in comparison with the manuka honey from New Zealand, known as innovative and with specific biomedical properties all over the world (Molan, 1999; Stephens et al, 2010; Carter et al, 2016). With respect to manuka honey, honeys by black honeybee possess remarkable reducing power and antioxidant potential against radicals relevant in dietary foodstuffs.…”

The Antifungal Activity of Lactoferrin and Its Derived Peptides: Mechanisms of Action and Synergy with Drugs against Fungal Pathogens

“…Lfcin has also been shown to upregulate host defense via the induction of reactive oxygen species that stimulate the fungicidal activities of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (Kullberg et al, 1999). This ability to mount a combined assault on microbial pathogens is a common feature of natural host-derived products, most likely resulting from evolutionary pressures to maintain efficacy and prevent pathogens from developing resistance (Xu et al, 2009; Carter et al, 2016). …”

Strawberry-Tree Honey Induces Growth Inhibition of Human Colon Cancer Cells and Increases ROS Generation: A Comparison with Manuka Honey

“…Manuka honey (MH) from New Zealand derived from the Leptospermum scoparium tree (Family: Myrtaceae) has been extensively studied for antibacterial and antioxidant activity, as well as for wound healing mechanisms due to a large quantity of physicochemical properties and attractive therapeutic molecules [8,23,24,25,26]. MH contains numerous phenolic compounds, including flavonoids (pinobanksin, pinocembrin, chrysin, luteolin, quercetin, 8-methoxykaempferol, isorhamnetin, kaempferol and galangin) [27], phenolic acids (phenylacetic acid, phenyllacticacid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, kojic acid, 2-methoxybenzoic acid, syringic acid, and 4-methoxyphenyllactic acid) and other compounds (methylsyringate, leptosin, glyoxal, 3-deoxyglucosulose and methylglyoxal) [8].…”