Bioactive Potential of Cryogel Scaffolds with Manuka Honey

A preliminary in vitro evaluation of the bioactive potential of cryogel scaffolds incorporated with Manuka honey for the treatment of chronic bone infections

J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater. 2017 Sep 27. doi: 10.1002/jbm.b.34002. [Epub ahead of print]

Previous studies have identified honey as an agent in bacterial inhibition and a mediator in lowering the pH at the wound site. Manuka honey (MH), indigenous to New Zealand, contains a Unique Manuka Factor that provides an additional antibacterial agent.

While there are many potential benefits to incorporating MH into wounds, there is currently no ideal way to deliver the material to the site of injury. Cryogels are a type of scaffold that possess high porosity, mechanical stability, and a sponge-like consistency.

This study uniquely incorporates varying amounts of MH into cryogel scaffolds, utilizing its properties in a sustained release fashion to assist in the overall healing process, while using the cryogel structure as a tissue template. All cryogels were evaluated to determine the effects of MH on porosity, swelling potential, mechanical durability, and cell compatibility. The release of MH was also quantified to evaluate bacterial clearance potential, and the scaffolds were mineralized to replicate native bone.

It was determined that a 5% MH silk fibroin cryogel has the potential to inhibit bacterial growth while still maintaining adequate porosity, mechanical properties, and cell infiltration. Such a scaffold would have use in a number of applications, including bone regeneration.

Microwave Heating of Honey Decreases Anti-Bacterial Activity

Microwave processing of honey negatively affects honey antibacterial activity by inactivation of bee-derived glucose oxidase and defensin-1

Food Chem. 2018 Feb 1;240:1131-1136

Microwave (MW) thermal heating has been proposed as an efficient method for honey liquefaction, while maintaining honey quality criteria. However, little is known about the effects of MW thermal heating on honey antibacterial activity.

In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of MW heating on the antibacterial activity of raw rapeseed honeys against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, with a particular focus on two major bee-derived antibacterial components, defensin-1 and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Our results demonstrated that MW thermal heating completely abolished honey antibacterial activity whereas conventional thermal treatment at 45 and 55°C did not affect the antibacterial activity of honey samples.

A significant decrease in both glucose oxidase activity and H2O2 production as well as defensin-1 amount was observed in MW-treated samples. Given that defensin-1 and H2O2 are regular antibacterial components of all honeys, MW heating may have similar negative effects on every type of crystallized/liquid honey.

Royal Jelly May Help Treat Breast Cancer

The effect of royal jelly on the growth of breast cancer in mice

Oncology Letters

Due to various pharmacological properties, including antioxidative, anti inflammatory and antibiotic properties, royal jelly (RJ) has been widely consumed in daily diets in numerous countries.

In the present study, the effect of RJ on 4T1 bearing mice was investigated. The study was performed by feeding 4T1 bearing mice with RJ using either the prophylactic therapeutic (PTRJ) or therapeutic (TRJ) method.

The experimental results for the PTRJ group demonstrated that the weight of tumor was significantly reduced (RJ 0.5 and 1.5 g/kg); and in the serum, the levels of interleukin (IL) 2 (RJ 0.5 and 1.5 g/kg), interferon (IFN) α, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (T AOC) were significantly elevated, but the concentrations of IL 4 (RJ 0.5 and 1.5 g/kg) and IL 10 (RJ 1.0 g/kg) were significantly decreased. In addition, the activities of T AOC and glutathione reductase (GR) were significantly improved in the liver, whereas in the kidney, the activities of T AOC and GR were significantly increased only under the dose of 0.5 g/kg. For the TRJ group, the antitumor effect of RJ was not significant; the change in IL 2, IFN α, SOD and T AOC levels in the serum, and the change in T AOC and GR in liver were similar to those observed in the PTRJ groups.

RJ treatment was demonstrated to reduce the development of breast tumor in mice, and simultaneously improve the antioxidant capacity of the serum, liver and kidney, particularly using the prophylactic therapeutic method. These results corroborated the efficacy of RJ supplementation in diets. The results of the present study suggest that the antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities of RJ serve an important role on antitumor growth.

Asiatic Bee Honey Prevents Acute Alcohol-Induced Liver Damage

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of A. cerana honey against acute alcohol-induced liver damage in mice

Food Res Int. 2017 Nov;101:35-44

A. cerana honey, gathered from Apis cerana Fabricius (A. cerana), has not been fully studied. Samples of honey originating from six geographical regions (mainly in the Qinling Mountains of China) were investigated to determine their antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects against acute alcohol-induced liver damage.

The results showed that A. cerana honeys from the Qinling Mountains had high total phenolic contents (345.1-502.1mgGAkg-1), ascorbic acid contents (153.8-368.4mgkg-1), and strong antioxidant activities in DPPH radical scavenging activity assays (87.5-136.2IC50mgmL-1), ferric reducing antioxidant powers (191.8-317.4mgTroloxkg-1), and ferrous ion-chelating activities (27.5-35.5mgNa2EDTAkg-1)...

Propolis Forum in China October 18-20, 2017

Health Benefits of Manuka Honey as an Essential Constituent for Tissue Regeneration

Curr Drug Metab. 2017 Sep 11

Honey is known for its therapeutic properties from ancient civilizations but only since last few decades its mechanism has been studied on how it causes epithelial regeneration leading to wound and ulcer healing..

In the present review the health perspectives of honey, its chemical composition with special reference to flavonoids, polyphenol composition and other bioactive trace compounds used in tissue regeneration have been highlighted. Honey can inhibit carcinogenesis by moderating with molecular processes of initiation, advancement and progression stage of cancer cells, therefore it is considered a promising anti-cancer agent. Several, well-intentioned characteristics have drawn the attention of researchers to check copious endowed-biological activities of Manuka honey, including antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-proliferative capacities against cancer cells. Thus, scientists are trying to use Manuka honey in the area of biomedical and tissue engineering to design a template for regeneration. Naturally derived antibacterial agents, like Manuka honey, contain mixture of compounds, which can influence antibacterial potency.

The non-peroxide bacteriostatic properties of Manuka honey have been formerly associated to the presence of methylglyoxal (MGO). The assimilation of MGO as a functional antibacterial additive during designing a tissue template production would explore its properties as a potential agent for manufacturing tissue regeneration template.

The role of glyoxal (GO) and MGO in the bacterial growth inhibition, and in addition to immunomodulatory role, it also enhances wound healing and tissue regeneration. Researchers should step forward to explore the biomedical application, particularly integration into tissue regeneration templates. Therefore, further studies are fully needed to provide detailed information on active components of Manuka honey and their potential therapeutic efficacy in numerous models of human diseases.

Dried Bee Pollen Shows Very Low Microbial Contamination

Microbial characterization of bee pollen from the Vesuvius area collected by using three different traps

PLoS One. 2017 Sep 21;12(9):e0183208

Flower pollen is collected by honeybee foragers, adhered on their rear legs and transported into the hives in the form of pellets. Once in the hives, bee pollen is moisturised with nectar and bee mouth secretions and due to enzymatically modifications it becomes the so-called bee-bread, the protein reservoir of young bees.

Bee pollen can be artificially removed from bee legs and collected by using specific systems, the bee pollen traps. Bee pollen is commercialized for human consumption as fresh product and after freezing or drying. Although bee pollen is nowadays largely consumed in developed countries, as food or food supplement according to local legislation, little is known on its safety related to microbiological hazards.

In this work, we aimed to characterize for the first time the microbiological profile of Italian bee pollen in fresh, frozen and dried form collected along an entire harvesting season. Moreover, monthly microbiological analyses were performed on frozen (storage at -18°C) and dried (storage at room temperature) bee pollen over a 4 months period.

Further aim of this work was the evaluation of the possible impact on production level of three different traps used for pollen collection. Our results on microbial contamination of fresh and frozen bee pollen show that a more comprehensive microbiological risk assessment of bee pollen is required. On the other side, dried pollen showed very low microbial contamination and no pathogen survived after the drying process and during storage.

Buckwheat Honey Has High Antioxidant Activity

The Protective Effect of Whole Honey and Phenolic Extract on Oxidative DNA Damage in Mice Lymphocytes Using Comet Assay

Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2017 Sep 19

In this study, the antioxidant activity and the protective effect against hydrogen peroxide-induced DNA damage were assessed for five honeys of different botanical origin. Seven phenolic acids were detected in the honey samples. Ferulic acid was the most abundant phenolic acid detected in longan honey, jujube honey and buckwheat honey. Ellagic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and protocatechuic acid were the main phenolic acids detected in vitex honey.

Of all honey samples tested, the highest total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were found in buckwheat honey, whereas the lowest total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were found in locust honey. Treatment with hydrogen peroxide induced a 62% increase in tail DNA in mice lymphocytes, and all studied honeys significantly inhibited this effect (P < 0.05).

The buckwheat honey with higher antioxidant capability also exhibited super protective effect than others. Phenolic extracts of honey displayed greater protective effects than whole honey in comet assay. The hydrogen peroxide-generated increase in 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was effectively inhibited by the honeys studied (P < 0.05). Moreover, a dose-effect relationship between honey concentration and its protective effect was clearly observed in this study.

It can be deduced that phenolic acids of honey can penetrate into lymphocytes and protect DNA from oxidative damage by scavenging hydrogen peroxide and/or chelating ferrous ions.

Australia and New Zealand in a champagne-esque manuka honey war

3AW

Australia and New Zealand are locked in a battle over ownership of the word ‘manuka’ as the expensive honey’s popularity booms.

In a champagne-esque war, New Zealand is moving to make manuka honey its own, prompting Australian honey-makers to form a new alliance and fight back...

Apitherapy Folk Remedies for Bronchitis

2. Honey, onion and milk. This tool should be taken as a cough syrup, a teaspoon every hour for 1-2 days. Chop a large onion and pour it into a saucepan, pour a glass of milk and simmer over low heat until until the onions are soft. Then strain the onion in the milk and let it cool slightly and add 1 tsp of honey for 1 tbsp. of the milk decoction.

3. Honey, propolis and butter. Grind 10 g of a dry propolis with the help of a grater, melt 100 g of butter and let it cool down, then mix and add 100 g of honey. Make in half a Cup of boiled warm water add 1 tsp funds, which must be kept in the fridge, stir thoroughly and drink. Repeat the procedure 2-3 times a day.

The treatment of any disease should be treated comprehensively, using all available methods that can facilitate and improve the health of the person. So hope that will only help traditional medicine, is wrong...

Asiatic Honey Bee (A. cerana) Venom Shows Anti-Fibrinolytic and Anti-Microbial Activity

Anti-fibrinolytic and anti-microbial activities of a serine protease inhibitor from honeybee (Apis cerana) venom

Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol. 2017 Sep 13

Bee venom contains a variety of peptide constituents, including low-molecular-weight protease inhibitors. While the putative low-molecular-weight serine protease inhibitor Api m 6 containing a trypsin inhibitor-like cysteine-rich domain was identified from honeybee (Apis mellifera) venom, no anti-fibrinolytic or anti-microbial roles for this inhibitor have been elucidated.

In this study, we identified an Asiatic honeybee (A. cerana) venom serine protease inhibitor (AcVSPI) that was shown to act as a microbial serine protease inhibitor and plasmin inhibitor. AcVSPI was found to consist of a trypsin inhibitor-like domain that displays ten cysteine residues.

Interestingly, the AcVSPI peptide sequence exhibited high similarity to the putative low-molecular-weight serine protease inhibitor Api m 6, which suggests that AcVSPI is an allergen Api m 6-like peptide. Recombinant AcVSPI was expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells, and it demonstrated inhibitory activity against trypsin, but not chymotrypsin. Additionally, AcVSPI has inhibitory effects against plasmin and microbial serine proteases; however, it does not have any detectable inhibitory effects on thrombin or elastase.

Consistent with these inhibitory effects, AcVSPI inhibited the plasmin-mediated degradation of fibrin to fibrin degradation products. AcVSPI also bound to bacterial and fungal surfaces and exhibited anti-microbial activity against fungi as well as gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

These findings demonstrate the anti-fibrinolytic and anti-microbial roles of AcVSPI as a serine protease inhibitor.

Bee Venom May Help Treat Neuropathic Pain

Antiallodynic Effects of Bee Venom in an Animal Model of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1 (CRPS-I)

Toxins 2017, 9(9), 285

Neuropathic pain in a chronic post-ischaemic pain (CPIP) model mimics the symptoms of complex regional pain syndrome type I (CRPS I). The administration of bee venom (BV) has been utilized in Eastern medicine to treat chronic inflammatory diseases accompanying pain. However, the analgesic effect of BV in a CPIP model remains unknown.

The application of a tight-fitting O-ring around the left ankle for a period of 3 h generated CPIP in C57/Bl6 male adult mice. BV (1 mg/kg ; 1, 2, and 3 times) was administered into the SC layer of the hind paw, and the antiallodynic effects were investigated using the von Frey test and by measuring the expression of neurokinin type 1 (NK-1) receptors in dorsal root ganglia (DRG). The administration of BV dose-dependently reduced the pain withdrawal threshold to mechanical stimuli compared with the pre-administration value and with that of the control group. After the development of the CPIP model, the expression of NK-1 receptors in DRG increased and then decreased following the administration of BV.

SC administration of BV results in the attenuation of allodynia in a mouse model of CPIP. The antiallodynic effect was objectively proven through a reduction in the increased expression of NK-1 receptors in DRG

Health Benefits of Manuka Honey as an Essential Constituent for Tissue Regeneration

Curr Drug Metab. 2017 Sep 11

Honey is known for its therapeutic properties from ancient civilizations but only since last few decades its mechanism has been studied on how it causes epithelial regeneration leading to wound and ulcer healing..

In the present review the health perspectives of honey, its chemical composition with special reference to flavonoids, polyphenol composition and other bioactive trace compounds used in tissue regeneration have been highlighted. Honey can inhibit carcinogenesis by moderating with molecular processes of initiation, advancement and progression stage of cancer cells, therefore it is considered a promising anti-cancer agent. Several, well-intentioned characteristics have drawn the attention of researchers to check copious endowed-biological activities of Manuka honey, including antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-proliferative capacities against cancer cells. Thus, scientists are trying to use Manuka honey in the area of biomedical and tissue engineering to design a template for regeneration.

Naturally derived antibacterial agents, like Manuka honey, contain mixture of compounds, which can influence antibacterial potency. The non-peroxide bacteriostatic properties of Manuka honey have been formerly associated to the presence of methylglyoxal (MGO). The assimilation of MGO as a functional antibacterial additive during designing a tissue template production would explore its properties as a potential agent for manufacturing tissue regeneration template.

The role of glyoxal (GO) and MGO in the bacterial growth inhibition, and in addition to immunomodulatory role, it also enhances wound healing and tissue regeneration. Researchers should step forward to explore the biomedical application, particularly integration into tissue regeneration templates.

Therefore, further studies are fully needed to provide detailed information on active components of Manuka honey and their potential therapeutic efficacy in numerous models of human diseases.

Research on Honey as Anti-Cancer Agent

New discovery in UAEU research project on cancer-tackling qualities of honey

Researchers at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) have taken their groundbreaking studies into the role of honey in battling cancer a step further, through new findings that pinpoint its potential impact.

The beneficial effects of Manuka honey — renowned for its anti-bacterial properties and capacity to heal wounds — as an anti-cancer agent were identified in 2013 by a research group headed by Dr. Basel Al-Ramadi, then chair of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology within UAEU’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS).

Now further investigation by the team has discovered a particular molecular aspect of breast cancer that this type of honey can combat, paving the way for the development of new understanding about precisely how it can be used to fight one of the world’s most serious diseases, and enhancing UAEU’s reputation for pioneering medical research capable of global impact....

Propolis Effectively Prevents Chemotherapy-Induced Oral Mucositis

Oncology Nurse Advisor

The combination of propolis and sodium bicarbonate is an effective and well-tolerated therapeutic option to prevent oral mucositis (OM) in patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy, according to a study published The European Journal of Cancer Care.

Previous studies exploring the use of propolis, a waxy substance produced by bees that is considered to be a complementary therapy to anticancer agents, for the treatment of esophagitis, stomatitis, oral ulcers, and other conditions achieved mixed results. For this study, researchers investigated the effects of propolis in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced OM in patients with breast cancer.