Department of Physics, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy.
Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy.
Nutrients. 2024 Oct 26;16(21):3647. doi: 10.3390/nu16213647.
Honey is a natural product that, thanks to its composition, particularly the high sugar content, is highly appreciated as an energy nourishment. In addition to sugars, it contains many other substances (carbohydrates, free amino acids, enzymatic proteins, organic acids, polyphenols) from which the therapeutic properties of honey arise: hydrating and osmotic activity, antimicrobial action, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power. The present work aims to deepen our knowledge/understanding of the activity of skin protection exerted by honey, as a synergic result of its multiple therapeutic effects. Moreover, this study wants to find possible correlations between biological properties and the chemical-physical traits of honey. To carry out this research, five varieties of citrus honey, one of acacia honey, one of chestnut honey, and one of multifloral honey were used. The honeys were first characterized by chemical-physical analysis and then were subjected to qualitative melissopalynological analysis. Tests were also carried out to evaluate both their antioxidant power and the effect on collagenase, an enzyme involved in the degradation of collagen present in the extracellular matrix and, therefore, in the processes of skin aging. Finally, honey samples were then used in in vitro experiments to assess their action in stimulating cell viability and proliferation on human keratinocytes. Chemical-physical analysis demonstrated a good water content (about 17%), an important sugar content (with the monosaccharides glucose and fructose being the most represented in all the honey samples), various amino acids (with proline remarkably being the highest in all honeys), and a high concentration of polyphenols and total flavonoids (the maximum in chestnut honey, 762 mg/kg and 514 mg/kg, respectively). The results obtained in this work confirm the ethnopharmacological use of honey in wound care, bring new scientific knowledge on the use of honey in dermatology, and highlight two fields of excellence, particularly incitrus and chestnut honey.
蜂蜜是一种天然产物，由于其成分，尤其是高糖含量，被高度评价为一种能量滋养品。除了糖之外，它还含有许多其他物质（碳水化合物、游离氨基酸、酶蛋白、有机酸、多酚），这些物质赋予了蜂蜜的治疗特性：保湿和渗透活性、抗菌作用以及抗氧化和抗炎作用。
本研究旨在深入了解蜂蜜的皮肤保护作用，这是其多种治疗作用的协同结果。此外，本研究还希望找到蜂蜜的生物特性与其化学-物理特性之间的可能相关性。
为了进行这项研究，使用了五种柑橘蜂蜜、一种刺槐蜂蜜、一种栗树蜂蜜和一种杂花蜜。首先对蜂蜜进行了化学-物理分析，然后进行了定性的蜜源花粉分析。还进行了测试，以评估其抗氧化能力以及对胶原酶的作用，胶原酶是一种参与细胞外基质中胶原降解的酶，因此参与皮肤衰老过程。最后，将蜂蜜样品用于体外实验，以评估其刺激人角质形成细胞活力和增殖的作用。
化学-物理分析表明，蜂蜜的水分含量（约 17%）较好，糖含量（单糖葡萄糖和果糖在所有蜂蜜样品中含量最高）高，各种氨基酸（脯氨酸在所有蜂蜜中含量最高），以及高浓度的多酚和总类黄酮（栗树蜂蜜中的含量最高，分别为 762 毫克/千克和 514 毫克/千克）。
这项工作的结果证实了蜂蜜在伤口护理中的民族药理学用途，为蜂蜜在皮肤病学中的应用提供了新的科学知识，并突出了两个卓越领域，特别是柑橘和栗树蜂蜜。
