Molecular Pharmacology of Honey

Abstract

Honey is a natural by-product from flower nectar and the aero-digestive tract of the honey bee. Honey has a complex chemical and biochemical composition including sugars, proteins, amino acids, phenolics, vitamins and minerals. Honey is a natural medicinal agent with antioxidant, anti-bacterial, antifungal, anti-malarial and anti-tumor properties. This review describes the major active ingredients in honey and their potential pharmacological effects with a description and analysis of the underlying molecular mechanism. As an example, we describe how high fructose concentration in honey helps in lowering blood glucose levels and triggers weight loss in obese individuals by increased insulin secretion, expression of GLUT5 mRNA and activation of glucokinase activity. In this review we highlight the molecular pharmacology of the prominent chemical and biochemical constituents of natural honey along with some toxicology analysis of the constituents.