A chapter of the open access volume ‘The Power of Antioxidants – Unleashing Nature’s Defense Against Oxidative Stress’, edited by Prof. Ana Novo Barros and Dr. Ana Cristina Santos Abraão (University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal) is dedicated to honey nutraceutical properties and potential health benefits. (1)
1) Bees and honey, introduction
Honey is a natural sweet substance produced by the secretions of living parts of plants or by the excretions of nectar from eight species of bees:
– four species of medium-sized bees (Apis), which nest with multiple combs in cavities. Not only the famous Apis mellifera (western honeybee), but also Apis cerana, Apis koshevnicovi, Apis nigrocincta
– two species of small honey bees (Micrapis), with single exposed combs. Apis florea and Apis andreniformis
– two other species of large bees (Megapis), with single exposed comb. Apis dorsata and Apis laboriosa. (2)
The use of honey by humans has been documented since the Stone Age and its oldest written reference is found in ancient Egyptian documents dating back to 5500 BC. (3)
The characteristics of honey vary greatly depending on the botanical origins of the nectar sources and the geographic ones, the climates and the harvest seasons, in addition to the bee species. (4)
2) Honey, nutraceutical properties and potential health benefits
The composition of honey is based on monosaccharides, whose main compounds are glucose and fructose (65%), and water (18%). Minor components include proteins (enzymes), free amino-acids, organic acids, vitamins (e.g. niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, riboflavin and thiamine), essential minerals (i.e. calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc) and secondary metabolites (phenolic compounds).
‘According to several authors, there is a variety of potential functional properties of honey, especially those associated with health benefits and pharmaceutical applications, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antithrombotic and antioxidant, analgesic, as well as the treatment of burns, gastrointestinal disorders, asthma, infected wounds and skin ulcers’. (1)
3) Phenolic compounds
Phenolic compounds transferred by bees into honey are secondary metabolites with several chemical structures and functions, synthesized by plants in response to biotic (e.g. pathogens, parasites, predators) and physical (i.e. ultraviolet radiation) stresses. These phytocomplexes are classified into two main groups:
– phenolic acids (hydroxycinnamic and hydroxybenzoic acids) and stilbenes
– flavonoids (flavonols, flavones, isoflavones, anthocyanidins, chalcones and flavanols).
3.1) Phenolic acids, flavonoids and health
Phenolic acids are recognized for a wide range of benefits for human health, such as antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and neuroprotective. In addition to their radioprotective potential. (5)
Flavonoids, when consumed regularly in the diet, can contribute to the prevention of certain diseases, thanks to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antimicrobial, antiviral and anticancerogenic, anti-hepatotoxic, anti-ulcerogenic and anti-platelet properties, among others (6,7).
4) Biological activities of honey
Research on the bioactive compounds that are contained in honey has shown their positive effects on human health in various aspects, such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-tumor, anti-aging and anti-diabetic. (8)
Protective effects on the cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory, cardiac and gastrointestinal systems are also added.
The bioavailability of phytochemical components and the way in which they are absorbed and metabolized determine the effects of honey on human health. (9)
4.1) Antioxidant and anti-aging action
The antioxidant action of honey has gathered considerable attention from researchers who have analyzed in depth various types of honey, observing significant differences in relation to the different phenolic profiles. (7)
Oxidative stress forms free radicals and influences, among other things, the aging of cells and skin. The enzyme inhibitory activity attributed to the phenolic compounds contained in honey may offer an answer as a clinical nutraceutical tool.
Traditional Chinese and Arabic medicines recognize the beneficial effects of honey in improving the general appearance of the skin (as well as fighting fungal infections). The same researchers (Santos et al., 2023) have verified the anti-aging properties of a Portuguese honey from Pittosporum undulatum. (10)
5) Interim conclusions
‘The organoleptic characteristics and of honey, including phenolic compounds, play a fundamental role in defining its properties.
These phytochemical compounds are secondary metabolites and are mainly responsible for several bioactive activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-aging’. (1)
Dario Dongo
Notes
(1) Soraia Santos, Ana Abraão, Irene Gouvinhas, Ana Novo Barros. (2024). From Bees to Wellness: Exploring Nutraceutical Properties and Health-Boosting Potentials of Portuguese Honeys. Doi: 10.5772/intechopen.112872. From volume edited by Prof. Ana Novo Barros and Dr. Ana Cristina Santos Abraão. The Power of Antioxidants – Unleashing Nature’s Defense Against Oxidative Stress https://tinyurl.com/bdd73b75
(2) World’s 8 honey bee species. Bees 4 Life https://tinyurl.com/y9rvfj7y
(3) Kuropatnicki AK, Kłósek M, Kucharzewski M. Honey as medicine: Historical perspectives. Journal of Apicultural Research. 2018;57(1):113-118. Doi: 10.1080/00218839.2017.1411182
(4) See paragraph 1 (The complex nature of honey) in the previous article by Dario Dongo. FT (Food Times). December 19, 2024
(5) Bravo L. Polyphenols: Chemistry, dietary sources, metabolism, and nutritional significance. Nutrition Reviews. 1998;56(11):317-333. Doi: 10.1111/J.1753-4887.1998.TB01670.X
(6) Yao LH, Jiang YM, Shi J, Tomás-Barberán FA, Datta N, Singanusong R, et al. Flavonoids in food and their health benefits. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. 2004;59(3):113-122. Doi: 10.1007/s11130-004-0049-7
(7) The study under review (Santos et al., 2024. See footnote 1) represents in Table 2 some phenolic compounds identified in different types of honey according to their botanical source
(8) Vuolo MM, Lima VS, Maróstica Junior MR. Phenolic Compounds: Structure, Classification, and Antioxidant Power. Bioactive Compounds: Health Benefits and Potential Applications. Woodhead Publishing; 2019. pp. 33-50. Doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-814774-0.00002-5
(9) Cianciosi D, Forbes-Hernández T, Afrin S, Gasparrini M, Reboredo-Rodriguez P, Manna P, et al. Phenolic compounds in honey and their associated health benefits: A review. Molecules. 2018;23(9):2322. Doi: 10.3390/molecules23092322
(10) Santos S, Maia M, Barros A, Gouvinhas I. Assessment of phenolic content, antioxidant and anti-aging activities of honey from Pittosporum undulatum vent. Naturalized in the Azores Archipelago (Portugal). Applied Sciences. 2023;13(3):1788. Doi: 10.3390/MOLECULES21040451
