Is Honey Effective as a Natural Medicine for Cardiovascular Diseases in Humans?

Honey and Its Phenolic Compounds as an Effective Natural Medicine for Cardiovascular Diseases in Humans?

Nutrients. 2020 Jan 21;12(2). pii: E283

Honey is a sweet, viscous syrup produced by the honey bee (Apis mellifera). It is probably the first natural sweetener ever discovered, and is currently used as a nutritious food supplement and medicinal agent. The aim of the present mini-review is to summarize and update the current knowledge regarding the role of honey in CVDs based on various experimental models. It also describes the role of its phenolic compounds in treating CVDs. Many such phenolic and flavonoid compounds, including quercetin, kaempferol, apigenin, and caffeic acid, have antioxidant and anti-platelet potential, and hence may ameliorate cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) through various mechanisms, such as by decreasing oxidative stress and inhibiting blood platelet activation. However, as the phenolic content of a particular type of honey is not always known, it can be difficult to determine whether any observed effects on the human cardiovascular system may be associated with the consumption of honey or its constituents. Therefore, further experiments in this area are needed.

Successful Treatment of Lymphocytic Colitis With a Honey Lavage

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

22 January 2020

To the Editors,

Microscopic colitis is a frequent cause of nonbloody chronic watery diarrhea. The diagnosis of microscopic colitis is based upon mucosal biopsy of the colon with specific histologic features in the mucosa. There are 2 subtypes, collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis, based on a subepithelial collagen band and increased intraepithelial lymphocytes, respectively. Although its exact etiology is unknown, the disorder is associated with medication such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and proton pump inhibitors and autoimmune disorders such as celiac disease, polyarthritis, and thyroid disorders. The standard therapy for microscopic colitis consists of glucocorticosteroids, antidiarrheals, and cholestyramine. Although these treatments often cause cessation of symptoms, relapses are seen...

Stingless Bee (Kelulut) Honey Reduces Anxiety, Improves Memory

Stingless bee honey reduces anxiety and improves memory of the metabolic disease-induced rats

CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2020 Jan 16

BACKGROUND:

Evidence suggested the involvement of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases through oxidative stress. Consumption of antioxidant compounds was found to be beneficial on brain-health by reducing brain oxidative stress level and improve cognitive performance in animal. Stingless bee honey or locally known as Kelulut honey (KH) exert high phenolic content and widely used as food supplement.

OBJECTIVES:

In this study, we aim investigate the effects of KH on the brain of MetS-induced rats.

METHOD:

Forty male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups; 8 weeks (C8) and 16 weeks control groups (C16), groups that received high carbohydrate high fructose (HCHF) diet for 8 weeks (MS8) and 16 weeks (MS16), and a group that received HCHF for 16 weeks with KH supplemented for the last 35 days (KH).

RESULTS:

Serum fasting blood glucose decreased in the KH group compared to MS16 group. HDL levels were significantly decreased in MetS groups compared to control groups. Open field experiments showed KH group exhibits less anxious behavior compared to the MetS group. Probe trial of Morris water maze demonstrated significant memory retention of KH group compared to MS16 group. Nissl staining showed significant decrease in pyramidal hippocampal cell in the MS16 compared to KH group.

CONCLUSION:

KH has the ability to normalise blood glucose and reduce serum triglyceride and LDL levels in MetS rats, while behavior studies complement its effect on anxiety and memory. This shows a promising role of KH in attenuating neurodegenerative diseases through the antioxidant activity of its polyphenolic content.

Manuka Honey May Help Treat Colorectal Cancer

The Influence of In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion on the Anticancer Activity of Manuka Honey

Antioxidants (Basel). 2020 Jan 10;9(1)

Manuka honey (MH) is a natural food with many beneficial properties to human health, thanks to its high variety of bioactive compounds; however, little is known about its bioaccessibility.

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the polyphenol compounds, the antioxidant capacity and the anticancer activity of MH subjected to an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion in human HCT-116 colon cancer cells.

Raw MH and digested MH (DMH) were assessed for total polyphenols and flavonoids by spectrophotometric and HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) using different methods. Cell viability, intracellular ROS production, apoptosis, cell cycle and colony formation capacity were tested after treatment with MH or DMH.

Results showed that total polyphenols, total flavonoids and TAC were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced after in vitro digestion. In addition, MH and DMH at 8, 16 and 24 mg/mL had similar effects in inducing intracellular ROS production and in inhibiting the colon formation ability; MH induced a more marked apoptosis compared to DMH, while cell cycle was blocked in S phase by MH and in Sub G1 phase by DMH.

Our results increase knowledge of the effect of gastrointestinal digestion on the biological effect of honey against colorectal cancer.

Honey Protects Against Toxic Agents

Antidotal or protective effects of honey and one of its major polyphenols, chrysin, against natural and chemical toxicities

Acta Biomed. 2019 Dec 23;90(4):533-550

OBJECTIVE:

Honey and its polyphenolic compounds are of main natural antioxidants that have been used in traditional medicine. The aim of this review was to identify the protective effects of honey and chrysin (a polyphenol available in honey) against the chemical and natural toxic agents.

METHOD:

The scientific databases such as MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar were searched to identify studies on the antidotal effects of honey and chrysin against toxic agents.

RESULTS:

This study found that honey had protective activity against toxic agents-induced organ damages by modulating oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis pathways. However, clinical trial studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of honey and chrysin as antidote agents in human intoxication.

CONCLUSION:

Honey and chrysin may be effective against toxic agents. (www.actabiomedica.it).

Bee Pollen Shows Gut-Protecting Potential

Lipidomics Provides Novel Insights into Understanding the Bee Pollen Lipids Transepithelial Transport and Metabolism in Human Intestinal Cells

J Agric Food Chem. 2019 Dec 26

Bee pollen (BP) shows profound gut-protecting potentials. BP lipids (BPLs) mainly composed by phospholipids and polyunsaturated fatty acids might be one of the important contributors, while how BPL exerts gut-protecting effects and is transported through intestinal cell monolayers need to be investigated.

Here, we exploited a strategy that combines an UPLC-Q-exactive orbitrap/MS-based lipidomics approach with a human intestinal cell (Caco-2) monolayer transport model, to determine the transepithelial transportation of BPL from Camellia sinensis L. (BPL-Cs), in pathological conditions.

The results showed that BPL-Cs protected Caco-2 cells against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction by improving cell viability, maintaining membrane integrity, increasing tight junctions (ZO-1 and Claudin-1), and eliciting the expressions of antioxidative-related genes (NQO1, Nrf2, Txnrd1, and GSTA1). Lipidomics analysis revealed that DSS suppressed the transport and uptake of most of BPL-Cs including glycerophospholipids, sphingomyelins, and glycosylsphingolipids. Pretreatment with BPL-Cs significantly regulated glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid metabolisms, potentially involved in building permeability barriers and alleviating intestinal oxidative stress.

Finally, eight classes of lipids were identified as the potential biomarkers for evaluating DSS-induced Caco-2 cell dysfunctions and BPL-intervened modulation.

These findings shed light on the development of BPL as gastrointestinal protective food supplements in the future.