TABLE 3.
Pre‐clinical studies on the anti‐allergic potential of various types of honey.
| Author | Type of allergic disease | Type of honey | Cell/Animal model | Number of animals | Age, gender, and weight | Treatment method | Control grouping | Honey treatment Grouping | Experimental outcome | Study conclusion (anti-allergic effects of honey) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamaruzaman et al. (2014) | Allergic asthma | Tualang honey | Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) | 40 (5 in each group) | Mean age: ND Gender: 3 Female; 37 Male Mean weight: 2.40 ± 0.56 kg |
Pre-treatment | Group 1: Normal control Group 2: i.p. injection with OVA (day 1 and 14) Group 3: i.p. injection with OVA (day 1 and 14), followed by aerosolised OVA (day 28–30) Group 4: i.p. injection with PBS (day 1 and 14), followed by aerosolised PBS (day 28–30) |
Induction of allergic asthma was done with i.p. injection of OVA at day 1 and 14 Group 5: Aerosolised 25% (v/v) honey (day 23–27) Group 6: Aerosolised 50% (v/v) honey (day 23–27) Group 7: Aerosolised 25% (v/v) honey (day 23–27), followed by aerosolised OVA (day 28–30) Group 8: Aerosolised 50% (v/v) honey (day 23–27), followed by aerosolised OVA (day 28–30) |
Inflammatory cell response (Wright-Giemsa stain): ↓ neutrophils, eosinophils, and macrophages infiltration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) Goblet cells (AB-PAS stain): ↓ cell hyperplasia and mucus accumulation in bronchioles |
Yes |
| Shamshuddin and Mohd Zohdi (2018) | Allergic asthma | Gelam honey | Mice (BALB/c) | 42 (6 in each group) | Mean age: 8–12 weeks old Gender: 42 Female Mean weight: ND |
Pre-treatment | Group 1: Normal control Group 2: i.p. injection with OVA (days 0, 7, and 14), followed by intranasal instillations with OVA (day 14, 25, 26, and 27) Group 3: i.p. injection with OVA (days 0, 7, and 14), followed by intranasal instillations with OVA (day 14, 25, 26, and 27) and oral feeding of PBS Group 4: i.p. injection with OVA (days 0, 7, and 14), followed by intranasal instillations with OVA (day 14, 25, 26, and 27) and oral feeding of 3 mg/kg dexamethasone |
Induction of allergic asthma was done with with i.p. injection of OVA at day 0, 7, and 14 Group 5–7: Intranasal instillations with OVA (day 14, 25, 26, and 27) and oral feeding with 10, 40 or 80% (v/v) of honey (day 14, 25, 26, and 27) |
Histopathological analysis (hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain): ↓ eosinophil, neutrophils and lymphocytes infiltration in lung tissue Mucin expression (PAS stain): ↓ mucin expression in airway epithelium Mast cell count (toluidine stain): ↓ number of mast cells per bronchiole Total inflammatry cell count (wright-giemsa stain): ↓ number of inflammatory cells in BALF Beta hexosaminidase release assay: ↓ beta hexosaminidase release in BALF |
Yes |
| El-Aidy et al. (2015) | Allergic asthma | Apiary honey | Mice (Albino CD1) | 36 (6 in each group) | Mean age: 6 weeks old Gender: 42 Male Mean weight: 18–20 g |
Co-treatment | Group 1: Normal control Group 2: i.p. injection with conalbumin (days 0 and 7), followed by intratracheal administration with conalbumin (day 14, 20, and 30) Group 3: i.p. injection with conalbumin (days 0 and 7), followed by intratracheal administration with conalbumin (day 14, 20, and 30) and i.p. injection with 0.5 mg/kg dexamethasone (day 15–33) |
Group 4: i.p. injection with conalbumin (days 0 and 7), followed by intratracheal administration with conalbumin (day 14, 20, and 30) and i.p. injection with 650 mg/kg honey (day 15–33) | Histopathological analysis (H&E stain): No significant ↓ in eosinophil, monocytes, neutrophils, and lymphocytes infiltration in lung tissues |
No |
| Duddukuri et al. (1997) | Passive cutaneous anaphylaxis | Rock bee honey | Mice (BALB/c, C57BL/6, and SWR/J) | ND | Mean age: 8 weeks old Gender: Female Mean weight: ND |
Co-treatment | Group 1: Normal control Group 2–4: i.p. injection with OVA/cowpea/finger millet (days 0, 21, and 35) |
Group 5–7: i.p. injection with OVA/cowpea/finger millet mixed with 100 µl rock bee honey (days 0, 21, and 35) | ↓ IgE antibody level in the peripheral blood of all 3 species of mice | Yes |
| Alangari et al. (2017) | Mast cell degranulation | Manuka honey | LAD-2 (human mast cell line) | NA | NA | Pre-treatment | Group 1: Normal control cells Group 2 and 3: Cells induced with calcium ionophoreA23187 |
Group 3–5: Cells pre-treated with 0.5, 1 or 2% honey and later induced with calcium ionophore-A23187 | Histamine EIA kit: dose-dependent ↓ in histamine release |
Yes |
ND, no data; NA, Not applicable.