Table 4.

Anti-stress or anti-depressive effects of honey supplementation on animal models.

Authors (Year)	Type of source	Purpose	Mechanism
Azman et al. (2015)	Animal study (rat)	To examine the effects of honey supplements administered to prevent or attenuate the occurrence of stress-related behaviors in male rats subjected to noise stress.	Honey intake is able to mitigate the depressive-like behavior and cognitive processes linked to the HPA axis.
Al-Rahbi et al. (2014a)	Animal study (rat)	To evaluate the effects of honey, a phytoestrogen, and 17 β -estradiol (E2) on depressive-like behavior, stress hormones, and BDNF concentration in stressed ovariectomised (OVX) rats.	Honey consumption restores antidepressive-like effects in stressed OVX mice linked to the HPA axis and increases BDNF levels
Asari et al. (2019)	Animal study (rat)	To investigate the effects of honey, DHA-rich fish oil, and their combination on the concentrations of selected pro-inflammatory cytokines in rat brains following exposure to chronic stress.	Honey can reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine and corticosterone levels in rats’ brains under prolonged stress circumstances
Arabmoazzen et al. (2015)	Animal study (rat)	To investigate the effect of oral administration of honey on serum glucose, lipids, stress oxidative markers, and morphology of Langerhans islets in noise-induced hyperglycemic rats	Honey treatment significantly ameliorated the increased malondialdehyde (MDA) content and reduced the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the brain.
Filho et al. (2016)	Animal study (rat)	To investigate the action of chrysin treatment (5 or 20 mg/kg) for 14 days in the depressant-like behavior and in the hippocampal dysfunction induced by olfactory bulbectomy, an animal model of agitated depression.	Chrysin therapy prevented all the alterations in the hippocampus
Badrasawi et al. (2013)	Human study (depressed elderly patients)	To determine the effect of Talbinah on mood and depression among institutionalized elderly people in Seremban.	Honey consumption is able to improve mood by composition of amino acid (trp:BCAA and trp:LNCAA) and mineral (zinc and magnesium).