Table 2.
Summary of nootropic effects of Tualang honey on humans and animal models.
| Study Model | Subject | Dose, Method of Administration and Duration of Tualang Honey Supplementation | Findings | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humans | Postmenopausal women (n = 102) | 20 g/day, oral, 16 weeks | Improved verbal learning and immediate memory performance in honey-treated participants comparable with oestrogen and progestin therapy | [21,22,23] |
| Schizophrenia patients (n = 80) | 20 g/day, oral, 8 weeks | Improvement in total learning score across domains in immediate memory using MVAVLT in honey-treated schizophrenic patients | [24] | |
| Animal models | Ovariectomised Sprague Dawley Rats (n = 10 per group) | 200 mg/kg/bwt, oral, 18 days | Improved short term and long-term memory in Tualang honey-treated comparable to oestrogen-treated in ovariectomised rats exposed to social instability stress | [34] |
| Young and aged male Sprague Dawley Rats (n = 12 per group) | 200 mg/kg/bwt, oral, 28–35 days | Improved short- and long-term memory function in aged rats exposed to loud noise stress treated with Tualang honey compared to untreated rats | [39] | |
| Young and adult male Sprague Dawley rats (n = 12 per group) | 70% honey concentration, forced feeding, 12 weeks | Improved spatial memory performance in honey-treated rats compared to untreated rats | [44] | |
| Adult male Sprague Dawley Rats (n = 12 per group) | 200 mg/kg/bwt, oral, 14 days | Tualang honey pre-treatment showed protective effects against hypoxia-induced memory deficits compared to untreated rats | [47] | |
| Adult male Sprague Dawley Rats (n = 18 per group) | 200 mg/kg/bwt, (methanolic fraction MTH 150mg/kg), IP, 14 days | Tualang honey and MTH improved spatial and recognition memory in LPS-induced memory deficits comparable to memantine | [51] | |
| Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion male Sprague Dawley Rats (n = 10 per group) | 1.2 g/kg, oral, 10 weeks | Improved spatial memory performance in honey-treated cerebral hypoperfusion rats compared to untreated rats | [57] | |
| Adult male Sprague Dawley Rats (n = 18 per group) | TH pre-treatment (1.0 g/kg bwt) five times every 12 h | Improvement in locomotor activity in kainic acid-induced rats pre-treated with TH compared to without TH | [61] |
Notes: bwt: body weight; MVAVLT: Malay Version of Auditory Verbal Learning Test; LPS: lipopolysaccharide; MTH: methanolic fraction of Tualang honey; KA: kainic acid.