Honey: an immunomodulatory agent for disorders of the skin

PCL-gelatin honey scaffolds promote Staphylococcus aureus agrA expression in biofilms with Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Introduction

Bacterial infection and biofilm formation contribute to impaired healing in chronic diabetic wounds. Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are found in human diabetic wound biofilms. They may develop antibiotic resistance, increasing the urgency for alternative or complementary therapies. Diabetic wound healing may be improved with the use of biomedically engineered scaffolds, which can also serve as delivery systems for antibacterial compounds. Manuka honey is a potent antibacterial and wound care agent due to its high osmolarity, low pH, and constituents (such as methylglyoxal). Honey exhibits bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects, modulates the expression of biofilm forming genes, and restores antibiotic susceptibility in previously drug resistant pathogens.

Methods

In this study, we created a dermal regeneration template (DRT) composed of polycaprolactone-gelatin (PCL-gelatin) and Manuka honey to retain honey in the wound and also provide a scaffold for tissue regeneration.

Results and discussion

Soluble Manuka honey inhibited the planktonic and biofilm growth of both S. aureus (UWH3) and P. aeruginosa (PA14) co-cultures. Manuka honey embedded PCL-gelatin scaffolds did not exhibit bacteriostatic or bactericidal effects on cocultures of UHW3 and PA14; however, they promoted the expression of AgrA, a gene associated with dispersal of S. aureus biofilms.

Nano-immunomodulators: prospective applications to combat drug resistant bacterial infections and related complications

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing problem in our healthcare sector, it can make infections more difficult and expensive to treat and lead to treatment failure and increased risk of death. Currently, at least 700,000 people worldwide die each year from AMR. Alternative methods for mitigating drug-resistant bacterial infections are desperately needed because of the unacceptably low rate of conventional antibiotic discovery. Therefore, the implementation of various therapeutic strategies is necessary to deal with drug-resistant bacteria and immunomodulation is one of them which is highly encouraged through various studies. Immunomodulators are different biological or synthetic substances that possess the capability of inducing, suppressing, or overall modulating the innate and adaptive immune system. Some phytochemicals, including flavonoids, glycosides, polysaccharides, terpenoids, essential oils, peptides, synthetic molecules, and synthetic biomaterials, can play a crucial role in the fight against bacterial infections directly or indirectly by enhancing the activity of existing antibiotics or by boosting immunity. Nanotechnology can be used to modulate immune responses through various fabrication methods and strategies of design and for drug formulation by encapsulating potential compounds/molecules in the form of nanoparticles and by surface modification or capping of nanomaterials. This approach can improve drug solubility, stability, and bioavailability, reduce toxicity, and help to increase the effectiveness of drugs against resistant microorganisms. This review aims to provide current developments in the field of immunomodulators of different origins that can be combined with nanotechnology and exploited as potential future drugs or adjuvants to fight drug-resistant bacterial pathogens.

Qualitative phytochemical analysis and in vitro investigation of the immunomodulatory properties of honeys produced in Kazakhstan

Honey is known to have antimicrobial, immunomodulatory and wound healing properties. The biological properties of honey have been attributed to phytochemicals derived from their source plants and research has focused on identifying the bioactive phytochemicals with therapeutic potential. In this study, we determined the ability of 5 honeys from Kazakhstan and manuka honey to stimulate TNF-α and TGF-β production by human keratinocytes. TNF-α and TGF-β levels increased over time in honey treated and untreated keratinocytes, whereas cells treated with sugar solutions that matched those of the honeys had reduced levels of both cytokines. This suggests that the non-sugar phytochemical components of the honeys may have prevented this decrease. Analysis by LC-MS confirmed that the honeys contained a diverse range of phytochemicals. Some phytochemicals e.g. pinobanksin and vanillin were present at different levels across the honey types, whereas other components, e.g. dicarboxylic acids and their glycosides, were abundant in all honeys.

Honey polyphenols: regulators of human microbiota and health

A comprehensive review of research over the last decade was conducted to carry out this work. The main objective of this work is to present relevant evidence of the effect of honey intake on the human intestinal microbiota and its relationship with the improvement of various chronic diseases, such as cirrhosis, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and obesity, among others. Therefore, this work focuses on the health-improving honey dietary supplementation implications associated with specific changes in the human microbiota and their biochemical mechanisms to enhance the proliferation of beneficial microorganisms and the inhibition of pathogenic microorganisms. Consumption of honey polyphenols significantly improves people's health conditions, especially in patients with chronic disease. Hence, honey intake unequivocally constitutes an alternative way to enhance health and could be used to prevent some relevant chronic diseases.

Perceptions on The Therapeutic Effects of Stingless Bee Honey and its Potential Value in Generating Economy among B40 Community of Kampung Bukit Kuin, Kuantan

Meliponiculture or keeping stingless bee in Malaysia is expanding and has the potential to generate money for the the bottom 40% of income earners (B40). The increased production of stingless bee honey as a complementary medicine as a therapeutic medium for health for a variety of reasons. Thus, this study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions on the therapeutic effects of stingless bee honey and its potential value in generating economy among the B40 community. Semi-structured interviews were carried out among the B40 community who participated in the Desa Kelulut project of Kampung Bukit Kuin, Kuantan. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. A total of six respondents interviewed in the study out of 20 participants. Four themes emerged, namely, benefit of stingless bee honey; market supply and economy; sustaining the farm; and facilitate income. The participants valued the beneficial properties of the honey toward health and acknowledged the potential of the stingless bee honey to be marketed in Malaysia as well as generating income for the B40 community of Kampung Bukit Kuin, Kuantan.

Honey Bee Products: Preclinical and Clinical Studies of Their Anti-inflammatory and Immunomodulatory Properties

Inflammation is a defense process triggered when the body faces assaults from pathogens, toxic substances, microbial infections, or when tissue is damaged. Immune and inflammatory disorders are common pathogenic pathways that lead to the progress of various chronic diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. The overproduction of cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, is an essential parameter in the clinical diagnosis of auto-inflammatory diseases. In this review, the effects of bee products have on inflammatory and autoimmune diseases are discussed with respect to the current literature. The databases of Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Sci-Finder and clinical trials were screened using different combinations of the following terms: “immunomodulatory”, “anti-inflammatory”, “bee products”, “honey”, “propolis”, “royal jelly”, “bee venom”, “bee pollen”, “bee bread”, “preclinical trials”, “clinical trials”, and “safety”. Honey bee products, including propolis, royal jelly, honey, bee venom, and bee pollen, or their bioactive chemical constituents like polyphenols, demonstrate interesting therapeutic potential in the regulation of inflammatory mediator production as per the increase of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, Il-2, and Il-7, and the decrease of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Additionally, improvement in the immune response via activation of B and T lymphocyte cells, both in in vitro, in vivo and in clinical studies was reported. Thus, the biological properties of bee products as anti-inflammatory, immune protective, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and antimicrobial agents have prompted further clinical investigation.

Pityriasis capitis: Causes, pathophysiology, current modalities, and future approach

BACKGROUND

Pityriasis capitis commonly known as dandruff is one of the most common and widely seen dermatological disease that affects majority of the world population. It is more than superficial flaking, as it leads to significant structural changes in the stratum corneum and inflammatory biomarkers. Various intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such as Malassezia yeast, host epidermal conditions, sebaceous secretion, and abnormal immune responses, are found to contribute to the pathogenesis. Regardless of wide research, detail understanding, and treatment modalities, it still remains to be a cause of concern due to its recurring nature.

AIMS

The objective of this study is to enhance the understanding of its wide causes, pathophysiology, current treatment, and future approach.

METHODS

The article also aims at evaluating various promising anti-dandruff agents that can be further researched to become the leads in anti-dandruff therapy.

RESULTS & CONCLUSION

The article summarizes the current knowledge on dandruff and present new facts and evidences in order to spread awareness, create potential for new herbal treatment options, and effectively control the most commercially exploited scalp disorder.

Phenolic-enriched maple syrup extract protects human keratinocytes against hydrogen peroxide and methylglyoxal induced cytotoxicity

Reactive carbonyl species including methylglyoxal (MGO) are oxidation metabolites of glucose and precursors of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). They are important mediators of cellular oxidative stress and exacerbate skin complications. Published data supports that certain phenolic compounds can exert cellular protective effects by their antioxidant activity. A phenolic-enriched maple syrup extract (MSX) was previously reported to show protective effects against AGEs- and MGO-induced cytotoxicity in human colon cells but its skin protective effects remain unknown. The protective effects of MSX were evaluated against hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 )- and MGO-induced cytotoxicity in human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells). Cellular viability and antioxidant activity were evaluated by the luminescent cell viability CellTiter-Glo assay and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay, respectively. A single-cell gel electrophoresis (Comet assay) was used to measure the strand breaks in the DNA of HaCaT cells. MSX (at 50 μg/mL) ameliorated H2 O2 - and MGO-induced cytotoxicity by increasing cell viability by 21.5% and 25.9%, respectively. MSX reduced H2 O2 - and MGO-induced ROS production by 69.4% and 56.6%, respectively. MSX also reduced MGO-induced DNA damage by 47.5%. MSX showed protective effects against H2 O2 - and MGO-induced cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells supporting its potential for dermatological and/or cosmeceutical applications.

Comparing the quality of honey from beekeepers and honey from the market chain

Honey is a valuable food for its beneficial nutritional and dietetic effects. The quality of honey fluctuates considerably according to various criteria, the adulteration of honey with cheaper substitutes is not negligible. The quality of honey in the market chain with honey taken from beekeepers was compared in this study. A total of 10 samples from each group were tested for basic qualitative markers and compared with legislative criteria. The samples were analysed for fructose and glucose content, water content, titratable acidity and two tests for illegal sugar additions. The results revealed the addition of 25% of the technical syrup in one sample of honey from the market chain, one sample had the sum of fructose and glucose 56,3%, it is below the required limit 60% (differed by 6,3%). In other parameters the samples complied with the valid legislation. All tested parameters in honey from beekeepers met the criteria of the legislation, only 1 sample of blossom honey had the sum of fructose and glucose just below the required limit. The sum of fructose and glucose in this sample was 58.3 %, it differed by 2.9% from the required content of 60%. Sensory analysis was used to assess four samples of honey from beekeepers collected by different techniques. Results have not shown significant difference in sensory properties between manually pressed honey and honey obtained after whirling. The responses characterizing the favourable sensory properties of the examined honey samples were prevailing. The difference between the perception of honey after whirling and honey harvested by press manually was not demonstrated in sensory properties.

Honey as a Complementary Medicine

The beneficial effects of honey on human health have long been recognized. Today, many of those positive effects have been studied to elucidate its mode of action. This review briefly summarizes the best studied features of honey, highlighting it as an appealing alternative medicine. In these reports, the health benefits of honey range from antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory activity to anticancer action, metabolic and cardiovascular benefits, prebiotic properties, human pathogen control, and antiviral activity. These studies also support that the honey's biological activity is mainly dependent on its floral or geographic origin. In addition, some promising synergies between honey and antibiotics have been found, as well as some antiviral properties that require further investigation. Altogether, these studies show that honey is effectively a nutraceutical foodstuff.