Abd Jalil Mohd Azri, Kasmuri Abdul Razak, Hadi Hazrina
Faculty of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Malaysia.
Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2017;30(2):66-75. doi: 10.1159/000458416. Epub 2017 Mar 15.
The stingless bee is a natural type of bee that exists in almost every continent. The honey produced by this bee has been widely used across time and space. The distinctive feature of this honey is that it is stored naturally in the pot (cerumen), thus contributing to its beneficial properties, especially in the wound healing process.
In this article, several studies on stingless bee honey that pointed out the numerous therapeutic profiles of this honey in terms of its antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, as well as moisturizing properties are reviewed. All of these therapeutic properties are related to wound healing properties.
Antioxidant in stingless bee honey could break the chain of free radicals that cause a detrimental effect to the wounded area. Furthermore, the antimicrobial properties of stingless bee honey could overcome the bacterial contamination and thus improve the healing rate. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory attribute in this honey could protect the tissue from highly toxic inflammatory mediators. The moisturizing properties of the honey could improve wound healing by promoting angiogenesis and oxygen circulation.
The application of honey to the wound has been widely used since ancient times. As a result, it is essential to understand the pharmacological mechanism of the honey towards the physiology of the wounded skin in order to optimize the healing rate in the future.
无刺蜂是一种几乎存在于各大洲的天然蜜蜂品种。这种蜜蜂所产的蜂蜜在时空上都得到了广泛应用。这种蜂蜜的独特之处在于它天然储存在蜂巢（蜂蜡）中，因而具有诸多有益特性，尤其是在伤口愈合过程中。
本文综述了多项关于无刺蜂蜂蜜的研究，这些研究指出了这种蜂蜜在抗氧化、抗菌、抗炎以及保湿特性方面的众多治疗功效。所有这些治疗特性都与伤口愈合特性相关。
无刺蜂蜂蜜中的抗氧化剂能够打断对伤口区域产生有害影响的自由基链。此外，无刺蜂蜂蜜的抗菌特性能够克服细菌污染，从而提高愈合速度。而且，这种蜂蜜的抗炎特性能够保护组织免受高毒性炎症介质的侵害。蜂蜜的保湿特性能够通过促进血管生成和氧气循环来改善伤口愈合。
自古以来，蜂蜜在伤口上的应用就很广泛。因此，为了在未来优化愈合速度，了解蜂蜜对受伤皮肤生理机能的药理机制至关重要。
