Natural Honey as a Potent Therapeutic Agent: A Review
Shivani Seraik
*
Department of Biosciences, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, India.
Mahender Singh Thakur
Department of Biosciences, HPU, Shimla, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Context: Since the beginning of time, among the most valued and cherished natural products that people have access to is honey. In addition to being used as a nutritional supplement, honey is utilised in traditional medicine to treat a variety of clinical ailments, from cancer therapy to wound healing. Due to its high protein, amino acid, simple sugar, flavonoid, and phenolic acid content, honey has a wide range of nutritional and bioactive qualities. As a result, it can be regarded as a functional food that supports health and has recently attracted attention from researchers as a possible therapeutic product.
Aim: To give a summary of honey's clinical applications in medicine, highlighting its efficacy and to draw attention to honey's numerous therapeutic uses
Methods: To find pertinent research on the therapeutic uses of honey, a thorough literature search was carried out. Numerous databases were searched, and papers published between 1992 and 2022 were included. To gather relevant data for this critical assessment, the chosen studies were subjected to a critical evaluation.
Results: Antibacterial, antiproliferative, antioxidative, anticancer, and anti-metastatic qualities are reportedly present in honey's ingredients. Honey may help treat and manage wounds, diabetes, cancer, asthma, and other neurological, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal conditions, according to a growing body of research. Honey may be used therapeutically to cure illness because of its phytochemical, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties. Honey has two primary bioactive substances, flavonoids and polyphenols, both of which have antioxidant qualities. Numerous medical diseases, including as diabetes mellitus, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and nervous system disorders, may benefit from honey's preventive properties, according to current scientific literature. Honey may possibly be useful in the treatment of cancer because it contains a range of antioxidants.
Conclusion: Honey has potential applications as a natural remedy for a variety of illnesses. There is enough evidence to support using honey to cure medical ailments and the use of honey in medical wards is amply supported by the data. Healthcare practitioners have the chance to improve patient outcomes and treatment quality by utilising honey's full potential in the medical area.
Keywords: Honey, wound, antioxidant, therapeutic, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal