Honey, Propolis Used to Treat Diabetic Foot Wound

Combined Use of Honey, Bee Propolis and Myrrh in Healing a Deep, Infected Wound in a Patient with Diabetes Mellitus
British Journal of Biomedical Science, 2006; 63(4); 171-173

Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases characterised by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production, insulin action, or both. Diabetes can be associated with serious complications including diabetic foot disease. Diabetic foot disease is estimated to affect 15% of people with diabetes.

1 Wound healing is a process that involves inflammation, proliferation/regeneration and finally remodeling. The normal orderly pattern is disrupted in chronic non-healing wounds, which are characterised by decreased levels of growth factors and increased protease activity. Wound healing is affected by serum albumin, tissue oxygenation, infection, hyperglycaemia, cytokines and proteases.

2 A marker of non-healing wounds may be the prolonged presence of extracellular matrix molecules in the dermis.

3 Other markers and potential mediators include increased levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-b3,4 proteolytic factors such as matrix metalloproteinases,5 and the absence of IGF-I.6…