Bee Honey Added to the Oral Rehydration Solution in Treatment of Gastroenteritis in Infants and Children

Geographical Origin Authentication-A Mandatory Step in the Efficient Involvement of Honey in Medical Treatment

Nowadays, in people's perceptions, the return to roots in all aspects of life is an increasing temptation. This tendency has also been observed in the medical field, despite the availability of high-level medical services with many years of research, expertise, and trials. Equilibrium is found in the combination of the two tendencies through the inclusion of the scientific experience with the advantages and benefits provided by nature. It is well accepted that the nutritional and medicinal properties of honey are closely related to the botanical origin of the plants at the base of honey production. Despite this, people perceive honey as a natural and subsequently a simple product from a chemical point of view. In reality, honey is a very complex matrix containing more than 200 compounds having a high degree of compositional variability as function of its origin. Therefore, when discussing the nutritional and medicinal properties of honey, the importance of the geographical origin and its link to the honey's composition, due to potential emerging contaminants such as Rare Earth Elements (REEs), should also be considered. This work offers a critical view on the use of honey as a natural superfood, in a direct relationship with its botanical and geographical origin.

Effect of honey on cardiometabolic risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Context

Excess calories from free sugars are implicated in the epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Honey is a free sugar but is generally regarded as healthy.

Objective

The effect of honey on cardiometabolic risk factors was assessed via a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) approach.

Data Sources

MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched up to January 4, 2021, for controlled trials ≥1 week in duration that assessed the effect of oral honey intake on adiposity, glycemic control, lipids, blood pressure, uric acid, inflammatory markers, and markers of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Data Extraction

Independent reviewers extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Data were pooled using the inverse variance method and expressed as mean differences (MDs) with 95%CIs. Certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE.

Data Analysis

A total of 18 controlled trials (33 trial comparisons, N = 1105 participants) were included. Overall, honey reduced fasting glucose (MD = −0.20 mmol/L, 95%CI, −0.37 to −0.04 mmol/L; low certainty of evidence), total cholesterol (MD = −0.18 mmol/L, 95%CI, −0.33 to −0.04 mmol/L; low certainty), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD = −0.16 mmol/L, 95%CI, −0.30 to −0.02 mmol/L; low certainty), fasting triglycerides (MD = −0.13 mmol/L, 95%CI, −0.20 to −0.07 mmol/L; low certainty), and alanine aminotransferase (MD = −9.75 U/L, 95%CI, −18.29 to −1.21 U/L; low certainty) and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD = 0.07 mmol/L, 95%CI, 0.04–0.10 mmol/L; high certainty). There were significant subgroup differences by floral source and by honey processing, with robinia honey, clover honey, and raw honey showing beneficial effects on fasting glucose and total cholesterol.

Conclusion

Honey, especially robinia, clover, and unprocessed raw honey, may improve glycemic control and lipid levels when consumed within a healthy dietary pattern. More studies focusing on the floral source and the processing of honey are required to increase certainty of the evidence.

Systematic Review Registration

PROSPERO registration number CRD42015023580.

Investigating Possible Synergism in the Antioxidant and Antibacterial Actions of Honey and Propolis from the Greek Island of Samothrace through Their Combined Application

Several honeybee products are known for their functional properties, including important antioxidant and antimicrobial actions. The present study examines the antioxidant activity (AA), total polyphenolic content (TPC), and antibacterial action of honey and propolis samples collected from the Greek island of Samothrace, which were applied in vitro either individually or in combination in selected concentrations. To accomplish this, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity and the Folin–Ciocalteu assays were employed to determine the AA and TPC, respectively, while the antibacterial action was investigated against each one of four important pathogenic bacterial species causing foodborne diseases (i.e., Salmonella enterica, Yersinia enterocolitica, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes) using the agar well diffusion assay. Compared to honey, propolis presented significantly higher AA and TPC, while its combined application with honey (at ratios of 1:1, 3:1, and 1:3) did not increase these values. Concerning the antibacterial action, Y. enterocolitica was proven to be the most resistant of all the tested bacteria, with none of the samples being able to inhibit its growth. S. enterica was susceptible only to the honey samples, whereas L. monocytogenes only to the propolis samples. The growth of S. aureus was inhibited by both honey and propolis, with honey samples presenting significantly higher efficacy than those of propolis. Νo synergism in the antibacterial actions was observed against any of the tested pathogens. Results obtained increase our knowledge of some of the medicinal properties of honey and propolis and may contribute to their further exploitation for health promotion and/or food-related applications (e.g., as preservatives to delay the growth of pathogenic bacteria).

Indigenous knowledge system associated with the uses of insects for therapeutic or medicinal purposes in two main provinces of Burkina Faso, West Africa

BACKGROUND

Some insects are harmful to humans, plants and animals, but some of them can also be a source of proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals and be of therapeutic value. The therapeutic potential requires that medicinal insects and their derived products need to be scrutinized. This study highlights the indigenous knowledge related to their use of medicinal insects in peri-urban and urban areas of Burkina Faso.

METHODS

The survey was carried out among 60 traditional healers spread across two phytogeographical zones of Burkina Faso. The questionnaire focused on medicinal insects used by experienced traditional healers. Chi-square tests and principal component analysis were performed to test for significant differences regarding knowledge of how insects in phytogeographically different areas were used therapeutically in connection with different disease categories.

RESULTS

A total of 19 species of medicinal insects belonging to 6 orders were cited in connection with treatments of at least 78 pathologies and symptoms. Most frequently mentioned was gastroenteritis. Our study showed that 48.78% of the insects and their products were associated with 46 plant species for the treatment of pathologies. In addition, honey, beeswax and nests were the most widely insect products used.

CONCLUSION

The current study allows us to identify medicinal insects as well as their products used in the treatment of pathologies and symptoms, suggesting the presence of a considerable diversity of therapeutically important insect species. These insects are used alone and/or with their products but often in association with medicinal plants. The results constitute a useful database for future studies of medicinal insects in central and western parts of Burkina Faso.

The Effect of Adding Honey to Zinc in the Treatment of Diarrhea in Children

Background

Honey has been used in medicine since ancient times. Limited reports are available to indicate its antibacterial, antiviral, and antidiarrheal properties. This study aimed to determine the effect of honey on acute diarrhea in children.

Methods

This randomized clinical trial included 80 children with acute diarrhea. Forty children received honey and zinc gluconate (trial group) and 40 received only zinc gluconate (control group). After treatment, vomiting/diarrhea duration, the recovery time, and the duration of hospitalization were compared between the groups.

Results

Among the 40 children in the trial group, 19 were male and 21 were female. In the control group, 25 children were male and 15 female (P=0.26). After initiating treatment, the duration of diarrhea, recovery time, and the duration of hospitalization was significantly shorter in the trial group than in the control group (P<0.05).

Conclusion

This study showed that honey with zinc gluconate reduces the duration of diarrhea, accelerates the recovery time, and shortens the duration of hospitalization.

Beehive Products as Antibacterial Agents: A Review

Honeybees are one of the most marvelous and economically beneficial insects. As pollinators, they play a vital role in every aspect of the ecosystem. Beehive products have been used for thousands of years in many cultures for the treatment of various diseases. Their healing properties have been documented in many religious texts like the Noble Quran and the Holy Bible. Honey, bee venom, propolis, pollen and royal jelly all demonstrated a richness in their bioactive compounds which make them effective against a variety of bacterial strains. Furthermore, many studies showed that honey and bee venom work as powerful antibacterial agents against a wide range of bacteria including life-threatening bacteria. Several reports documented the biological activities of honeybee products but none of them emphasized on the antibacterial activity of all beehive products. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the antibacterial activity of honey, bee venom, propolis, pollen and royal jelly, that are produced by honeybees.

Honey and children: only a grandma's panacea or a real useful tool?

Honey is a natural product that has been used as medication since the ancient times for its nutritive and therapeutic value. Despite these properties, honey use has been limited in evidence-based medicine due to the lack of evidence in clinical settings, particularly in paediatric population. An increasing interest has grown towards honey during the last years. The aim of this article is to examine the possible role of honey as a therapeutic tool in paediatrics. We performed a literature search to summarise the highest quality evidences, analysed articles regarding honey's nutritional properties and therapeutic value. The state of the art is represented by evidences related to beneficiary effects of honey on respiratory, gastroenterological and oncohaematologic diseases. Many other uses could promisingly come from in vitro studies or clinical trial based on adult samples. Honey shows an excellent risk-benefit profile and can be safely administrated in children older than 12 months. In conclusion, honey does not only represent a grandma's remedy, but is a real useful tool in different clinical settings, including paediatrics practice. However, there is a need for high-quality, large randomised controlled trials confirming effectiveness and practical application of honey in paediatric population.

Analytical Method Development and Chemometric Approach for Evidencing Presence of Plasticizer Residues in Nectar Honey Samples

Over the years, anthropogenic sources have increasingly affected food quality. One of the most sensitive and nutritional matrices affected by chemical contamination is honey, due to the use of acaricides. Recently, the attention has moved to the presence of phthalates (PAEs) and bisphenol A (BP-A), molecules present in plastic materials used both in the production phase and in the conservation of honey. In this study, an analytical method for the simultaneous determination of PAEs (dimethyl phthalate DMP, diethyl phthalate DEP, diisobutyl phthalate DiBP, dibutyl phthalate DBP, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate DEHP, and di-n-octyl-phthalate DnOP) and BP-A was developed. The extraction technique is the ultrasound-vortex-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (UVA-DLLME), using 150 µL of toluene as an extraction solvent, followed by the gas chromatography coupled with ion trap mass spectrometry analysis (GC-IT/MS). The developed method is sensitive, reliable, and reproducible: it shows high correlation coefficients (R > 0.999); limits of detection (LODs) less than 11 ng·g-1; limits of quantification (LOQs) less than 16 ng·g-1; repeatability below 3.6%, except BP-A (11.6%); and accuracy below 4.8%, except BP-A (17.6%). The method was applied to 47 nectar honey samples for evidencing similarities among them. The chemometric approach based on Hierarchical Cluster Analysis and Principal Component Analysis evidenced some similitudes about sample origin as well as marked differences between PAE and BP-A sources.

Effect of Honey on Diarrhea and Fecal Microbiotain in Critically Ill Tube-Fed Patients: A Single Center Randomized Controlled Study

Background

In patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Enteral Nutrition (EN) is the first choice for feeding support, however, it is often complicated by gastrointestinal side effects, such as diarrhea. There are no studies that have specifically evaluated effect of a prebiotic, which prevents diarrhea during enteral nutrition.

Objective

This study aimed at evaluating the effect of honey in enteral diet during occurrence of diarrhea and fecal microbiotain in critically ill patients.

Materials and Methods

In this double-blind, randomized controlled single-center study, 32 patients were randomly selected to receive a high protein kitchen enteral diet and the study group had honey as 10% of its carbohydrate intake. Quantitative analyses of bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species of fecal samples were assessed by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) on days 0 and 7.

Results

Patients in the honey group showed an insignificant increase in the frequency of bifidobacterium DNA by study day 7 in comparison with the control group. In the honey group, there was a considerable reduction in diarrhea (P = 0.09). A significant difference was found in length of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay (P = 0.001) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (P = 0.04) in favor of the honey group.

Conclusions

Enteral nutrition with honey might reduce the length of stay at the ICU and development of organ failure in critically ill patients. It seems that honey helps reduce the incidence of diarrhea.

Honey, Propolis, and Royal Jelly: A Comprehensive Review of Their Biological Actions and Health Benefits

BACKGROUND

There are several health benefits that honeybee products such as honey, propolis, and royal jelly claim toward various types of diseases in addition to being food.

SCOPE AND APPROACH

In this paper, the effects of honey, propolis, and royal jelly on different metabolic diseases, cancers, and other diseases have been reviewed. The modes of actions of these products have also been illustrated for purposes of better understanding.

KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

An overview of honey, propolis, and royal jelly and their biological potentials was highlighted. The potential health benefits of honey, such as microbial inhibition, wound healing, and its effects on other diseases, are described. Propolis has been reported to have various health benefits related to gastrointestinal disorders, allergies, and gynecological, oral, and dermatological problems. Royal jelly is well known for its protective effects on reproductive health, neurodegenerative disorders, wound healing, and aging. Nevertheless, the exact mechanisms of action of honey, propolis, and royal jelly on the abovementioned diseases and activities have not been not fully elucidated, and further research is warranted to explain their exact contributions.

In vitro activity of some natural honeys against Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia trophozoites

Considering the potentiality of honey in combating diseases, the present study was carried out aiming to assess the in vitro antiprotozoal activity of several honeys (Ziziphus spina-christi, Acacia nilotica, Acacia seyal, and Cucurbita maxima) against Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia by employing the sub-culture method. All the tested honeys inhibited the growth of trophozoites, and the level of inhibition varied according to the assayed concentrations and incubation times. Acacia seyal honey had completely stopped motility of E. histolytica trophozoites at a concentration ≤ 50 µg/ml after incubation for 72 h. Ziziphus spina-christi, Acacia seyal, and Acacia nilotica honeys had completely inhibited the growth of Giardia lamblia trophozoites at concentration ≤ 200 µg/ml after 72 h. These inhibitory activities were similar to that of Metronidazole™ which showed IC₅₀  = 0.27. The mammalian cytotoxicity of these honeys against normal Vero cell line which determined by applying MTT method verified the nontoxicity of the examined honeys. Also the proximate composition of the samples indicated compliance with the natural honey standards. The findings of the study indicate the need for in vivo studies and further investigations to identify active principles with antiprotozoal activities from natural honeys.

Zinc-fortified oral rehydration solution improved intestinal permeability and small intestinal mucosal recovery

A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study was conducted in children admitted to hospital with gastroenteritis (≥3 loose stools per day). All were treated for 5 days following admission with either zinc (Zn, 3 mg) or without Zn-fortified rice-based oral rehydration solution (ORS). (13)C-sucrose breath test (SBT) and intestinal permeability (lactulose/rhamnose or L/R ratio) were performed concurrently prior to commencement of ORS with or without Zn and at day 5 post-admission. There was a significant improvement in the SBT results in both the Zn-fortified group, median (5th-95th percentile) 2.1% (0.4% to 8.3%) versus 4.4% (0.4% to 10.4%), P < .05, and control group, 1.4% (0.1% to 5.4%) versus 4.3% (0.4% to 11.4%), P < .05, between the day of admission and day 5 post-admission. In the Zn-fortified group, there was also a significant improvement in L/R ratio between the day of admission and day 5 post-admission, 53.0 (19.5-90.6) versus 17.7 (13.4-83.2), P < .05. Low levels of Zn improved intestinal permeability but did not enhance short-term recovery following diarrheal illness.

Review article: the management of acute gastroenteritis in children

BACKGROUND

In 2008, the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) and the European Society of Paediatric Infectious Disease (ESPID) developed evidence-based guidelines for the management of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in children in Europe.

AIM

To summarise data published subsequently to the ESPGHAN/ESPID guidelines.

METHODS

MEDLINE and The Cochrane Library were searched in August 2012 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or their meta-analyses published after 2008.

RESULTS

Efforts to improve the taste and/or efficacy of oral rehydration solution (ORS) continue, and some interventions are promising. While standard (over 24 h) nasogastric rehydration is still being used, new evidence confirms that rapid (over 4 h) rehydration is also effective. For intravenous rehydration, new evidence is available regarding rapid or ultrarapid and large-volume vs. standard-volume rehydration; as the new evidence is not consistent, until more data are available, the administration of 20 mL/kg seems appropriate. Convincing evidence has accumulated showing that ondansetron reduces the risk for vomiting; however, a clearance on safety in children is needed. New evidence has reconfirmed that in Europe, where zinc deficiency is rare, there is no benefit from the use of zinc. New data, although mainly from outside of Europe, have reconfirmed that either smectite or racecadotril is an effective adjunctive therapy to oral rehydration. There is a clear effect of using certain probiotics, such as Lactobacillus GG or S. boulardii.

CONCLUSIONS

The update of current ESPGHAN/ESPID recommendations is warranted.

Detection of phytoconstituents in column fractions of n-hexane extract of Goldcrest honey exhibiting anti-Helicobacter pylori activity

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Alternative therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication from natural products is gaining much attention. This study sought to isolate and characterize the fraction responsible for the antibacterial activity in Goldcrest (GC) n-hexane extract.

METHODS

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) of the extract was carried out on Silica gel plates to determine the presence of chemical compounds, which were separated and partially purified by column chromatography. The obtained fractions GCCL, GCF2, GCF3 and GCF4 were tested for anti-H. pylori activity using the broth microdilution method. Volatile compounds in the active fractions were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. MINITAB was used for statistical analysis at 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS

The best antibacterial activity was exhibited by GCF3 (5 mg/mL), which was composed of many compounds with known antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. A total of 16 volatile compounds were identified from fractions GCF2, GCF3 and GCF4 into the following families; alcohol, ketone, aliphatic acid, benzene compound, hydrocarbon, furan and pyran derivatives.

CONCLUSIONS

The demonstration of antibacterial activity by the column fractions of GC n-hexane extract may provide new lead molecules that could serve as selective agents for H. pylori chemotherapy and control.

Low concentrations of honey reduce biofilm formation, quorum sensing, and virulence in Escherichia coli O157:H7

Bacterial biofilms are associated with persistent infections due to their high resistance to antimicrobial agents. Hence, controlling pathogenic biofilm formation is important in bacteria-related diseases. Honey, at a low concentration of 0.5% (v/v), significantly reduced biofilm formation in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 without inhibiting the growth of planktonic cells. Conversely, this concentration did not inhibit commensal E. coli K-12 biofilm formation. Transcriptome analyses showed that honey significantly repressed curli genes (csgBAC), quorum sensing genes (AI-2 importer and indole biosynthesis), and virulence genes (LEE genes). Glucose and fructose in the honeys were found to be key components in reducing biofilm formation by E. coli O157:H7 through the suppression of curli production and AI-2 import. Furthermore, honey, glucose and fructose decreased the colonization of E. coli O157:H7 cells on human HT-29 epithelial cells. These results suggest that low concentrations of honey, such as in honeyed water, can be a practical means for reducing the colonization and virulence of pathogenic E. coli O157:H7.