Using Manuka Honey to Treat Cat's Injury was Right Thing to Do

MV Times

...When all the debris and dead tissue was removed, I looked at it for a long time. There was not enough viable skin left on the top to suture closed. There were exposed tendons. On the bottom, at least all his pads were intact but much of the tissue between the pads, and farther up the leg, looked like hamburger. I palpated all the bones. Carpus. Metatarsals. Toes. There did not seem to be any broken. (We later confirmed this with radiographs.) “Okay,” I said to myself, trying to be optimistic. “I’ve seen worse things heal.” Out loud I asked my assistant to lay out my surgical equipment while I went into the house and grabbed the honey from my pantry.

That’s right. Honey. People have been using honey to treat wounds for more than 4,000 years. Now science has analyzed and documented why this ancient remedy can be so effective in certain circumstances. Honey helps dissolve away tissue that is no longer viable while simultaneously having antimicrobial effects, inhibiting bacterial growth. It helps draw fluid out of edematous tissues, reducing swelling. Honey can help the body to activate its own lymphocytes and to release substances that help with wound healing. Honey has antioxidant and moisturizing properties. Manuka honey, a product native to New Zealand made by bees who pollinate the manuka bush or tree (Leptospermum scoparium), is touted to have greatly enhanced anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory effects and to be the best type of honey for healing. It is actually approved by the FDA as a medical treatment for open wounds.

I didn’t happen to have medical grade Manuka honey, or any Manuka honey, in my cupboard, but in a pinch, any honey was better than none. I flushed Roro’s lesions thoroughly with sterile saline, sutured what I could to minimize the areas that would have to heal as open wounds. Then I slathered honey over the entire paw and applied a “wet-to-dry” bandage dressing. An injection of a long-acting broad spectrum antibiotic and a course of an oral nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medication and an opioid pain medication to be given for the next few days completed my ministrations. “Bring him back tomorrow for a bandage change,” I told his owner when Roro was awake enough to go home. “And pick him up a jar of Manuka honey.”...

Honey Could Help Manage Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Therapeutic Properties of Honey for the Management of Wounds; Is There a Role in the Armamentarium of Diabetic Foot Ulcer Treatment? Results From In vitro and In vivo Studies

Int J Low Extrem Wounds. 2021 Jun 18;15347346211026819

Diabetic foot ulcers are one of the most dreadful complications of diabetes mellitus and efforts to accelerate diabetic wound healing are of paramount importance to prevent ulcer infections and subsequent lower-limb amputations. There are several treatment approaches for the management of diabetic foot ulcers and honey seems to be a safe and cost-effective therapeutic approach on top of standard of care. The aim of this review was to summarize the therapeutic properties of honey and the data regarding its possible favorable effects on diabetic wound healing. A literature search of articles from 1986 until April 2021 was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library to assess for studies examining the therapeutic wound healing properties of honey, it's in vitro effect, and the efficacy and/or mechanism of action of several types of honey used for the treatment of diabetic animal wounds. Honey has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties and in vitro studies of keratinocytes and fibroblasts, as well as studies in diabetic animal models show that treatment with honey is associated with increased re-epithelialization and collagen production, higher wound contraction, and faster wound healing. The use of honey could be a promising approach for the management of diabetic foot ulcers.

Antimicrobial Activities of Green and Red Brazilian Propolis

Green and red Brazilian propolis: antimicrobial potential and anti-virulence against ATCC and clinically isolated multidrug-resistant bacteria

Chem Biodivers. 2021 Jun 4

Brazilian green and red propolis stand out as commercial products for different medical applications. In this paper, we report the antimicrobial activities of the hydroalcoholic extracts of green (EGP) and red (ERP) propolis, as well as guttiferone E plus xanthochymol (8) and oblongifolin B (9) from red propolis, against multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB). 

We undertook the minimal inhibitory (MIC) and bactericidal (MBC) concentrations, inhibition of biofilm formation (MICB 50 ), catalase, coagulase, DNase, lipase, and hemolysin assays, along with molecular docking simulations. ERP was more effective by displaying MIC and MBC values < 100 μg.mL -1 . 

Compounds 8 and 9 displayed the lowest MIC values (0.98 to 31.25 µg.mL -1 ) against all tested Gram-positive MDRB. They also inhibited the biofilm formation of S. aureus (ATCC 43300 and clinical isolate) and S. epidermidis (ATCC 14990 and clinical isolate), with MICB 50 values between 1.56 and 6.25 µg.mL -1 . The molecular docking results indicated that 8 and 9 might interact with the catalase's amino acids. Compounds 8 and 9 have great antimicrobial potential.

Mountain Tallow Tree Honey Protects Against Alcohol-Induced Liver Disease

Monofloral Triadica Cochinchinensis Honey Polyphenols Improve Alcohol-Induced Liver Disease by Regulating the Gut Microbiota of Mice

Front Immunol. 2021 May 21;12:673903

Honey produced from medicinal plants holds great promise for human health. Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiota plays an important role in liver pathology after alcohol intake. The aim of this study was to identify the polyphenol composition of triadica cochinchinensis honey (TCH), and to study the potential effect of honey polyphenols on the regulation of gut microbes in mice with alcohol-induced liver injury and the improvement of alcohol-induced liver disease. For these purposes, a total of 190 compounds were identified and 27 of them were quantified by ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS) and we successfully established a mouse model of alcohol-induced liver injury. The results show that TCH polyphenols can significantly restore the levels of ALT and AST, and TCH intervention can significantly improve the pathological changes of liver tissue in alcohol-exposed mice. Additionally, a significant decrease was observed in Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes after TCH treatment. Moreover, KEGG pathways of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, two-component system and biosynthesis of amino acids enriched the most differentially expressed genes after TCH intervention for 8 weeks. Our results may have important implications for the use of TCH as a functional food component with potential therapeutic utility against alcohol-induced liver disease.

Bee Pollen May Help Treat/Prevent Diabetes and Obesity, Delay Aging, Enhance Immunity, Boost Mental (Brain) Activity and Fertility, Protect Heart

Bee Pollen: Current Status and Therapeutic Potential

Nutrients. 2021 May 31;13(6):1876

Bee pollen is a combination of plant pollen and honeybee secretions and nectar. The Bible and ancient Egyptian texts are documented proof of its use in public health. It is considered a gold mine of nutrition due to its active components that have significant health and medicinal properties. Bee pollen contains bioactive compounds including proteins, amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and polyphenols. The vital components of bee pollen enhance different bodily functions and offer protection against many diseases. It is generally marketed as a functional food with affordable and inexpensive prices with promising future industrial potentials. This review highlights the dietary properties of bee pollen and its influence on human health, and its applications in the food industry.

Conclusions

Global interest and the increase of consumer awareness, especially regarding the nutritional and medicinal value of what they eat or drink, awaken the concept of returning to natural products, especially bee products. Bee pollen has had attracted a big deal of focus from the food supplement and food processing industries due to its high health value. The involvement of bee pollen in various formulations i.e., pills, tablets, capsules, and powders, helped to cover many customers’ needs. Bee pollen has served to prevent and treat many chronic diseases, especially metabolic disorders. It has a preventive role in various ailments such as diabetes, obesity, hyper-dyslipidemia, and heart complications. Bee pollen was recommended as a daily supplement to maintain a healthy weight. Additionally, bee pollen as a functional food can be used daily to protect against heart muscle diseases and the harmful impacts of food toxins. Long-term bee pollen consumption can improve health, foster blood circulation, delay aging, enhance immunity and increase physical and mental activities. More studies on metabolic pathways and biomedical interactions are required to establish bee pollen’s bioactivity in controlling body functions and preventing diseases. Boosting clinical practice and encouraging the search for bee pollen products play a significant role in fostering future innovations and possible applications.

Royal Jelly Can Play Anti-Inflammatory Role, Protect Kidney and Liver

The effect of royal jelly and silver nanoparticles on liver and kidney inflammation

Avicenna J Phytomed. May-Jun 2021;11(3):218-223

Objective: Royal jelly (RJ) is a honey bee product for which, anti-inflammatory properties were shown in vitro. Nanoparticles, including nano-silver (NS), are plausible inflammation inducers that act by activation of immune cells and consequent production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This project aimed to explore immunomodulatory effects of royal jelly and nano-silver on the kidney and liver.

Materials and methods: In this project, 40 male rats were grouped as follows: 10 rats as controls, 10 rats treated with RJ; 10 rats treated with both NS and RJ and 10 rats treated with NS. Liver and kidney interleukin (IL)-1β, -2, -6, and -33 levels were determined using commercial ELISA kits.

Results: RJ reduced kidney IL-6 levels in comparison to control and NS--RJ groups. RJ and NS reduced kidney and liver IL-1β levels. Kidney IL-33 levels were decreased in the RJ and nano-silver groups in comparison to the NS--RJ group.

Conclusion: Based on this study, it may be concluded that RJ together with NS can play anti-inflammatory roles and may affect the function of immune cells.