honey

see also:

• diets and healthy foods

• honey is primarily composed of fructose (33-43%), glucose (25-35%), sucrose (0.2-2%) and water (17-20%) but also contains other substances which can have anti-oxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory actions such as:
  • phenolic plant compounds (2–42 mg GAE/100g)
    • non-flavonoids like hydroxybenzoic acid comprise 90% of phenolic in MH
    • 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid
    • gallic acid
    • ellagic acid, caffeic, p-coumaric, and ferulic acids
    • flavonoids (e.g., hespereti, kaempferol, and quercetin)
  • amino acids (0.2–0.4%)
  • minerals (0.1–0.5%)
  • enzymes
  • organic acids (0.2–0.8%)
  • hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)
  • methylglyoxal (MG)
  • vitamins
• honey’s composition varies depending on factors such as botanical source, geographical location, and environmental conditions
• with its high sugar concentrations, acidic pH, and bioactive content, honey prevents microbial growth and wound infection and promotes tissue repair and can inhibit multi-drug-resistant bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • antimicrobial mechanisms in honey are either peroxide- or non-peroxide-based.
    • peroxide-based honey converts glucose to gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide by glucose oxidase.
    • non-peroxide-based honey like MH relies on polyphenols and the formation of methylglyoxal, which suppresses glucose peroxidase activity
• much of this page is derived from https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250119/Manuka-vs-Ohia-Lehua-honey-Study-reveals-key-antioxidant-differences-and-health-benefits.aspx

• pure honey produced by honeybees in New Zealand that primarily feed on the Manuka shrub (Leptospermum scoparium)
• it is a non-peroxide-based honey
• as with OLH, it contains pinocembrin-glucoside
• has ten times as much phenolic content as OLH but these are variable
• also contains the flavonoids apigenin-glucoside, quercetin-glucoside, and quercetin which are not found in OLH
• has a high content of methyl-syringic acid, which protects DNA from oxidative damage

• produced in the Ka’u district of Hawaii’s Big Island from honeybees feeding on Metrosiderospolymorpha blossoms
• has high in vivo antioxidant activity, primarily achieved by reducing serum oxidant activity
• prevents lipid peroxidation, reduces oxidative stress, and increases antioxidant capacity rather than inhibiting NO and protein oxidation pathways
• has much greater anti-oxidant actions than MH ¹⁾