Honey Composition, Therapeutic Potential and Authentication through Novel Technologies: An Overview

*Muhammad Talha, Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Haseeb Ahmad, Rabia Shabir Ahmad, Muhammad Kamran Khan, Muhammad Abdul Rahim and Muhammad Faizan Afzal*

### **Abstract**

Honey is acknowledged as a natural functional food with additional health benefits. Due to its medicinal and therapeutic properties, honey is being used in both pharmaceutical and food industries to develop products as a remedy against various types of ailments. Honey contains polyphenols, flavonoids, and other key compounds that play an important role in human health. Honey possesses anticancer and antimicrobial properties as well as contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substance. Some studies also highlighted the antidiabetic properties of honey. It supports the respiratory system and contributes beneficial effects to the cardiovascular system. As a functional and nutraceutical food, honey plays a significant role. Due to the modernization and digitalization in this era, the role of novel technologies for characterization and authentication of honey cannot be ignored. Hence, the main purpose of this chapter is to review the latest studies related to honey's advantageous effects on human health and to highlight the novel technologies to detect the impurities in honey.

**Keywords:** honey, composition, therapeutic potential, novel technologies, authentication

### **1. Introduction**

Honey is an ordinary product that can be found in nature and is the only concentrated sweetener. The composition of honey is thoroughly associated to its environmental conditions and botanical sources. Bees accumulate honeydew and transfer it into the mass, where enzymes act upon the sugars and transform these sugars into

honey. In several countries, it has been used as a treatment of diseases for several centuries. It possesses the great potential or purpose of healing wound and burn injury. In addition to this, it has been recognized to be very effective in virtually all cases of infection [1]. Honey is also known as a natural sweetener with additional health benefits. It is frequently used as an important constituent of herbal medicines and considered as a nutraceutical agent. Since the last 1500 years, honey has been utilized in food and medicinal products [2].

In the past, honey has been utilized for medicinal and therapeutic purposes in a variety of cultures. Ancient Greeks have used it as cure for wound, fever, gout, and pain, and ancient Egyptians used honey for mummifying their deceased and also for the purpose of wound dressing as a topical balm [3]. The medicinal effect of honey is due to the manifestation of different antioxidant compounds, including phenolic acids and flavonoids. Various studies observed the antidiabetic, anticancer, and antimicrobial action of honey. The defensive impact of honey on cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, and nervous systems has also been demonstrated. Due to the excellent bio-functional properties of honey, many industries and local suppliers are adulterating honey by adding artificial sweeteners. In recent decades, the rate of adulteration of honey has increased in both developing and underdeveloped countries. Researchers and scientists have been using various new technologies to test honey adulteration like spectroscopic techniques, electronic tongue, microscopic analysis, immunoassays, and thixotropicity [4].

Honey contains protein contents, carbohydrates, pigments, moisture contents, enzymes, vitamins and minerals, phenols, and minor amounts of bioactive compounds such as carotenoid content, proline level, total flavonoid content, salicylic acid, naringin, and taxifolin. Normally, honey comprises about 80% of carbohydrates and 20% of water [5]. In all religious books, honey has been mentioned as an important food and medicine. It was not renowned as a significant therapeutic agent regardless of its extensive history or as beneficial medicine due to its wide range of activity and inadequate understanding of its properties. Now, honey is rapidly becoming a part of the pharmaceutical industry, and research is being done to check the medicinal properties of honey [6].

### **2. Sources**

*Manuka, Sidr*, *Jelly bush*, *Pasture*, *Jungle*, and *Sumra* are common varieties of honey because of different botanical sources and environmental conditions [5]. Due to its wide range of antibacterial efficiency, *Manuka* honey has had key reputation. This beneficial Leptospermum sp. originates from Australia and New Zealand. In the pharmaceutical industry, this medical-grade honey has been effectively used to treat a wide range of diseases [7]. Almost 500 different species of honeybee have been found in Africa, America, Australia, and Southeast Asia. These varieties can be classified into *Melipona* and *Trigona*, the two main genera of honeybees. The *Melipona* genus is generally in majority than the common bee *Apis mellifera* [8].

*Apis florae, Apis cerana*, *Apis dorsata*, and *Apis mellifera* are famous species of honeybee found in Pakistan. *A. mellifera* is found in different parts of Pakistan, especially in KPK, and is one the most common in terms of quality of honey [9]. There are two primary floral sources of honey in Oman: *Ziziphus spina-Christi*, also known as *Sidr* locally, and *Acacia tortilis*, also known locally as *Sumera* [10].

*Honey Composition, Therapeutic Potential and Authentication through Novel Technologies:… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110007*

### **3. Chemical composition of honey**

Lim et al. [11] investigated the nutritional makeup of honey from various botanic sources. Results showed that the moisture content of honey ranged from 27 to 31 g/100 g of honey. The ash level of honey samples that were analyzed ranged from 0.15 to 0.90 g/100 g. Protein content was found to range from 0.2 to 0.8 g/100 g of honey. The carbohydrate level of honey samples was analyzed and found between 67.58 and 72.25 g/100 g. Another experiment conducted to examine the nutritional conformation of honey from various botanic sources. Results showed moisture around 18–19%, fructose 45–48%, glucose 29–31%, sucrose 2–4%, total sugar level (glucose, fructose, and sucrose) 77–82%, protein level (mg/kg) 0.76–0.80 mg, and ascorbic acid content 0.22–0.27 mg of honey [12].

Santos-Buelga and González-Paramás [13] hypothesized in 2017 that the chemical makeup of honey is influenced by its botanical source and place of origin. Due to abundance in sugar composition, honey is identified as a naturally sweet product. The composition is different depending on floral sources and processing along with certain natural factors.

### **3.1 Carbohydrates**

The most profuse sugars are monosaccharides, which include fructose and glucose that comprise nearly 70% of the total sugar content in honey. The enzyme invertase present in honey is involved in the hydrolysis of sugars from nectar, resulting in the production of monosaccharide fructose and glucose [14]. Rest of sugars comprise 10–15% of the total sugar content of honey including disaccharides and trisaccharides. A daily dosage of 20 g of honey can provide 3% of one's daily energy needs [15]. In addition to fructose and glucose, honey is also known to contain oligosaccharides, maltose, isomaltose, maltulose, gentiobiose, kojibiose, laminaribiose, nigerose, and kojibiose. Furthermore, honey contains 4–5% fructooligosaccharides. Fructo-oligosaccharides are a good source of prebiotics that can support the digestive system, as they are indigestible. They also support the microbiota of intestine [16].

### **3.2 Proteins**

The rough estimate of protein is about 0.5%, which includes amino acids and enzymes; however, the contribution of these proteins in meeting daily requirements is marginal. The main enzymes are amylase, invertase, and oxidase [17]. Proline, which makes up 80–90% of all the amino acids in honey, is the main amino acid found in it. In addition to this, other amino acids are also present (both essential and nonessential) alongside proline in honey [18].

### **3.3 Vitamins and minerals**

Potassium (K) is the main mineral found in honey, with amounts ranging from 0.1 to 1.0%, followed by magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), sulfur (S), calcium (Ca), and phosphorus (P). Other than these, trace minerals include copper, manganese, iron, and zinc. Some vitamins are also present including vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, B2 complex, thiamine (B1), vitamin C, nicotinic acid, and riboflavin [19, 20].


### **Table 1.**

*Bioactive compounds in honey.*

### **3.4 Polyphenols**

Several polyphenols have been found in honey during the last few decades. According to a study, several varieties of honey contain 56–500 mg/kg of polyphenols. The major flavonoid in honey is chrysin, pinobanksin, and pinocembrin, while the minor flavonoids include kaempferol, galangin, quercetin, and isorhamnetin [21, 22]. An average amount of phenylacetic acid, leptosin, methyl syringate, and methoxyphenylacetic acid were found. Other constituents include various 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds [23].

### **3.5 Other components**

Honey also contains polyphenols and organic acids like acetic acid, butyric acid, and citric acid [24]. The key flavonoids in honey are chrysin, pinobanksin, and pinocembrin, while the minor flavonoids include kaempferol, galangin, quercetin and isorhamnetin [21]. Over 600 different volatile compounds have been found in honey as shown in **Table 1**.

Gallic acid, pimaric acid, and pimaric acid isomers were discovered in the cerumen of stingless bees, which demonstrated the powerful antioxidant effect of honey [28]. According to Souza et al. [26], gallic acid is the most prevalent phenolic compound found in the Brazilian species *Apis mellifera*, with lesser levels of cinnamic, protocatechuic, quercetin, and p-coumaric acids being found.

### **4. Therapeutic properties of honey**

### **4.1 Antioxidant effect**

DPPH technique was used to check antioxidants in honey since it is a simple, exact, and precise technique [29]. The IC50 constraint, which addresses the concentration of the material necessary to hinder half of the free radicals, was used to resolve the antioxidant assessment in light of the scavenging activity against the free radical DPPH. As a result, honey's lower IC50 value indicates that it contains more antioxidants and has a greater ability to neutralize free radicals. For Sumer testing, honey samples

*Honey Composition, Therapeutic Potential and Authentication through Novel Technologies:… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110007*

had antioxidant levels between 7.8 and 48.6 mg/ml; for *Sidr* tests, between 33.8 and 72.3 mg/ml; and for multiflora tests, between 91.2 and 190.1 mg/ml. According to their more obscure variety and greater phenolic content, *Sumer* honey had the highest antioxidant levels of all the honey samples. A survey described the antioxidants (IC50) in *Acacia* from different countries; their quality ranged between 10.5 and 111.1 mg/ml. Comparative results were published in the study. Also described were the multiflora honey's antioxidant levels, which ranged from 4.4 mg/ml in Croatian honey to 358 mg/ml in Czech honey. Iranian honey had an IC50 of 5.9–89.7 mg/ml compared to 84.9–168.9 mg/ml for Portuguese honey [30].

### **4.2 Antimicrobial effect**

Honey shows antibacterial action against several bacteria in different environments. Honey has exceptional antibacterial effect against MRSA and several varieties of Pseudomonas, which are frequently linked with burn and wound infections. Manuka honey shows efficiency against several pathogenic microorganisms, including *S. aureus*, *Salmonella*, *Enterobacter erogen*, and *Escherichia coli* (*E. coli*) [7]. Honey's antimicrobial properties are mostly related to its acidity, osmolality, glucose oxidase enzyme, and production of hydrogen peroxide. Gluconic acid is formed from glucose by this enzyme; hydrogen peroxidase is also produced as a by-product in this reaction. Hydrogen peroxide is responsible for antimicrobial activity against bacteria [31].

### **4.3 Anti-inflammatory effect**

Quantitative analysis of total phenolics, flavonols, and flavonoids was conducted through HPLC for the determination of radical scavenging activity and the antiinflammatory activity through in vitro studies. The phenolics were found to be 663.22 mg of the gallic acid per 100 g, while the flavanols and flavonoids were found to be 3.16 and 3.61, respectively [32]. An experiment demonstrated the effect of honey on reepithelialization through various cellular responses when loaded with nanofiber technology, which resulted in it showing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Further, the assay of markers including interleukins and cyclooxygenases confirmed its role in anti-inflammatory action [33].

### **4.4 Wound healing**

A study was carried out to find the effect of a hydrogel prepared by using honey on the healing of wounds and antimicrobial activity. The gel was used in different concentrations and showed 75% antimicrobial activity and in vivo healing of burns in mice. The result was surprisingly amazing as this gel was 75% more effective than the commercial gel used for burns [34].

In another investigation, the intrinsic production of hydrogen peroxide was used to identify the mechanism involved in wound healing. The human keratinocyte cell lining was used, which showed that H2O2 through a specific aquaporin moves to the plasma membrane where it induces the entrance of extracellular calcium through a receptor and the Orai-1 channel due to calcium-ion-channel redox regulation and hydrogen peroxide production. The calcium route is involved in tissue regeneration during wound healing [35].

### **4.5 Antiulcer**

A common disease affecting humans. A study was done to find out how honey affected artificially induced gastric ulcers. The mechanism was determined by using four groups of rat model through the examination of stomach macroscopically. The result showed that there was a reduction in mucosal NO, GSH, lipid peroxide, and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Honey significantly decreased the ulcer index, prevented lesion formation, preserved the stomach's glycoprotein content, and decreased plasma levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha. Honey exerts its antiulcer effect due to certain enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants and by reducing cytokine levels in the body [36].

Honey has also a protecting effect on oral ulcer. Hence, a study was conducted to determine an effective method for using honey. For that, three groups were created with one as control, while the other two were given honey, to one in adhesive form and to the other in gel form. Although there was complete healing in both of the groups, microscopically a significant difference was observed, with the gel having a higher mean value. So, it could be concluded that the therapeutic value of gel is more than that of the adhesive form in wound healing [37].

### **4.6 Antidiabetic**

To ascertain the impact of honey consumption on individuals with type 1 diabetes, a randomized crossover trial was done. Twenty patients of 4–18 years of age were taken and were given a dietary intervention of honey in an amount of 0.5 ml per kg/day for 12 weeks. The research resulted in significant decline in the skinfold thickness, total cholesterol, fasting serum glucose, serum triglycerides, and LDL and elevation of C-peptide, thereby suggesting that a long-term use of honey may have a great impact on reducing type 1 diabetes [38]. Another randomized trial conducted on type 2 diabetes resulted in increased HbA1c but decreased anthropometric measures [39].

### **4.7 Anticancer**

Human cervical and breast cancer cell lines, as well as normal breast epithelial cell lines, were treated with honey for 72 h to study the anticancer potential of honey. This resulted in elevated lactate dehydrogenase, increased apoptosis in cancerous cells, decreased mitochondrial potential, and the activation of caspases 7 and 9, thus indicating mitochondrial-based apoptotic pathway in human cervical and breast cancer cell lines [40]. A clinical experiment demonstrated honey's effectiveness against head and neck cancer; following 6 weeks of radiation therapy, the honey group saw a lower proportion of oral mucositis than the control group [41].

### **4.8 Cardioprotective effect of honey**

Heart is an important organ of the body. A study determined the effect of chronic intake of honey on cardiac arrhythmias in rat heart; honey was fed to the rats for 45 days; then, after giving anesthesia, their hearts were separated. The result of the ECG test showed that honey significantly declined the ventricular tachycardia and time of reverse ventricular fibrillation [42]. Honey also affects the HDL, LDL, VLDL, and total cholesterol, thus reducing the risk of heart disease. An animal trial showed a decrease in serum LDL and an increase in HDL, VLDL, and TG in comparison with

*Honey Composition, Therapeutic Potential and Authentication through Novel Technologies:… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110007*

**Figure 1.** *Nutritional properties of honey.*

the control, concluding that the honey can improve lipid profile and decrease the cardiac disease risk (**Figure 1**) [43].

### **5. Honey as a functional food**

Honey can play a useful part in the food industry as functional and nutraceutical substance. Honey-based edible coatings are being utilized in the food industry for fruit preservation because of the antimicrobial and dehydrating properties of honey [44]. Honey can be used as treatment for coughs and sore throat when mixed with lime juice. Research showed the beneficial impact of honey in the food industry. Honey can impart desired characteristics like texture, flavor, and color, especially in pastes, butters, and spreads. Honey is being used in the baking industry as a natural sweetener because of its unique flavor and supportive chemical properties. It would improve the appearance, nutrition, and taste when use in food production [45].

Honey is one of the most important functional foods, which contains protein, minerals, and vitamins. It maintains the face and skin while strengthening memory and the immune system. The sweetness level of honey is higher than sucrose (table sugar) because honey captures its sweetness from glucose and fructose. Honey imparts 33 more calories as compared to sucrose. Due to the presence of oligosaccharides, honey can individually support the gut microbiota by accelerating the growth of probiotic *bifidobacteria* and *lactobacilli*, consequently improving host metabolic relationship [46].

Ramya and Anitha [47] prepared muffins with the addition of honey along with regular sugar. Results showed that there is increase in volume of muffins containing honey as an ingredient. The organoleptic properties of muffins exhibited substantial variation in different parameters like color, flavor, texture, and their overall acceptability. Results showed momentous variation of muffins relieved with honey as linked to control. Spray drying of sweeteners is also an emerging technology in the food sector. Honey is also produced as spray-dried honey. Using honey as natural sweetener, numerous products are being developed in food industries. Deneesha Madunimani et al. [48] developed a cinnamon-based ready-to-eat drink using honey as sweetener.

### **6. Novel techniques to detect impurities in honey**

For several decades, natural honey of bee has been the topic of research purpose. However, with its biological, prophylactic activity and diversity, and nutritional properties, it still surprises scientists. As a result, techniques for assessing its quality are continuously improved and changed in an effort to dispense with costly and dangerous reagents, speed up analysis, improve accuracy, and lighten the workload. Many scientists are looking for methods that will make it quicker and easier to find contaminants in honey [49].

Adulterants in honey are typically discovered using physicochemical techniques. Chemical analyses using diastase, fructose, sucrose, glucose, and HMF can be used to detect the adulteration of honey by cane sugar syrup, invert sugar syrup, and crystallized cane sugar. Physicochemical characteristics of the honey, including color, moisture, fructose, free acidity, electrical conductivity, glucose, sucrose, and HMF, can be used to classify it geographically [50]. Because detecting honey adulteration is difficult, new adulterant detection technologies are continually being developed.

### **6.1 Spectroscopic techniques**

Many adulterants in food can be detected using infrared (IR) spectroscopy, which is considered superior than other approaches. There is little to no sample preparation required, and just a small number of samples are needed for analysis. Additionally, the technique is regarded as simple-to-perform, nondestructive, quick, and inexpensive. Because of this, the technique may be portable and enable on-site analysis of adulterants in honey. Another alternative for on-site use is Raman spectroscopic analysis, which is nondestructive and requires little sample preparation. The apparatus can be made portable and is comparable to IR spectroscopy in terms of cost, simplicity, and speed. An advantage over IR is that there is no fluorescence interference on the samples [51]. In addition to this, fluorescence spectroscopy may also be an important candidate for the authentication of the honey based on the flourophores that provide the excitation and emission bands at specific wavelength combination.

### **6.2 Electronic tongue**

Food for mankind is judged by our senses, which assist us in determining the product's acceptability and quality. Emerging technology known as "biomimetics" will further research by simulating human senses to create things like an artificial tongue. Although an electronic tongue has been used in numerous food assessments, only a few research have used it to analyze honey. For instance, electronic tongue was utilized to research the botanical and geographic sources of honey, as well as the physiochemical characteristics of both pure honey and honey adulterants [52, 53].

### **6.3 Microscopic analysis**

Microscopic analysis is used to find adulterants as well as identify the botanical and geographic origins of honey. It is more accurate to combine microscopic analysis *Honey Composition, Therapeutic Potential and Authentication through Novel Technologies:… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110007*

for adulterants with additional procedures such as PCR, HPLC, and physicochemical analysis. Particularly in developing countries where alternative technologies are prohibitively expensive, microscopic methods may be helpful [54].

### **6.4 Immunoassays**

An analytical method known as an immunoassay relies on the idea of immunology and is based on the interaction of an antigen and an antibody. The body produces an antibody, a glycoprotein, in response to exposure to an antigen, which is a foreign body. In a favorable environment, these antigens trigger the production of antibodies. Immunoassay is a technique for detecting foreign entities (antigens) in a sample matrix, which can be proteins or smaller molecules. A new method of checking contaminants has been developed based on enzymes and honey proteins [54].

### **6.5 Thixotropicity**

Thixotropy, viscoelastic and flow behavior, creep, shear stress, crystal formation, and nitrogen concentration can all be used to identify carbohydrate adulterants like sucrose syrups, fructose, and glucose. The ability to identify adulterants is influenced by the honey's solubility, temperature, and length of storage. The sensitivity of adulterant detection utilizing viscoelastic behavior is unknown, despite the fact that it is effective in identifying the presence and absence of carbohydrate adulterants in honey. More improved detection technologies are necessary for quantification. More research is required to determine the thixotropicity of honey with other adulterants before choosing a method that would be considered viable for a honey adulterant kit. After establishing a carbohydrate adulterant detection tool, glucose, sucrose syrup, and fructose adulterants could be recognized [55].

### **7. Conclusion**

Honey can be considered a natural antioxidant medicine, and it is one such promising nutraceutical antioxidant. The phenolic compounds, which include polyphenols and flavonoids, are involved in preventing or lowering the risk of a number of human disorders, including ulcers, tumors, chronic inflammation, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Studies show the beneficial effect of honey in wound healing. In the food industry, honey is used as a functional and nutraceutical ingredient in the preparation of novel food products. Some novel technologies like spectroscopy, electronic tongue, microscopy, immunoassays, and thixotropicity may be considered helpful to detect adulterants in honey. This chapter provides significant indications about the use of honey in both food and medical sectors.

## **Author details**

Muhammad Talha, Muhammad Imran\*, Muhammad Haseeb Ahmad, Rabia Shabir Ahmad, Muhammad Kamran Khan, Muhammad Abdul Rahim and Muhammad Faizan Afzal Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Food Science, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan

\*Address all correspondence to: imran@gcuf.edu.pk

© 2023 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

*Honey Composition, Therapeutic Potential and Authentication through Novel Technologies:… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110007*

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### **Chapter 2**

## Brazilian Honey and Its Therapeutic Properties

*Sacramento R. Ana Julia, Neimar F. Duarte, Adriano H. Araujo, Lucas A. Ribeiro and Eduardo J.A. Corrêa*

### **Abstract**

Honey is an important food and therapeutic product of beekeeping work. In this chapter, our objective is to present different types of Brazilian honey produced in different regions of Brazil by farmers and traditional communities, and how this variety of honey products are used therapeutically by the population to treat some diseases. We mention orange honey, eucalyptus honey, uruçu honey, borá honey, vine-grape honey, jataí honey, chestnut honey, and cashew honey. Many of them have been used by the traditional Brazilian community to treat some diseases. According to research, some of these honeys have been shown to have natural compounds that interact with cellular targets and promote therapeutic action.

**Keywords:** Brazilian honey, therapeutic properties, natural products, bee

### **1. Introduction**

Beekeeping is an activity widely explored by rural people because it is an alternative that generates profit, needs little maintenance, and has a low initial cost compared to other agricultural practices [1]. It also contributes to maintaining and preserving existing ecosystems and does not cause environmental impact [2]. Brazil is considered to have tremendous apicultural potential for being a vast country and for having a diversified flora [3]. It also has a varied climate that enables honey production throughout the year, differing from other countries (China, United States, Argentina, Mexico, and Canada) that only produce once a year [4]. *Honey* is a natural food produced through the nectar of flowers [5]. It has great nutritional value, so it is widely used for medicinal purposes, as it contains essential sources of energy and nutrients beneficial to health [6].

Honey is attributed to several medicinal properties besides its quality as food. Although man has used honey for therapeutic purposes since ancient times, its use as a unique food with special characteristics should be the main attraction for its consumption. Unfortunately, the Brazilian population generally does not see it this way, considering it more as a medicine than as food, consuming it only in the colder seasons of the year, when there is an increase in pathological cases related to respiratory problems. In Brazil, the consumption of honey as food is still small

(approximately 700 g/inhabitant/year), especially when compared to other countries, such as the United States and the European Community and Asia, which can reach more than 1 kg/year per inhabitant.

Among the numerous medicinal properties attributed to honey by folk medicine, many medicinal properties have been proven by scientific studies, and its antimicrobial activity is perhaps its most active medicinal effect [7]. The factors responsible for this antimicrobial ability are physical factors, such as its high osmolarity and acidity, chemical factors related to inhibitory substances, such as hydrogen peroxide, and volatile substances, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids [8].

### **2. A brief history of honey production in Brazil**

Beekeeping was introduced in Brazil by Father Antônio Carneiro in early 1839, who brought some colonies of bees of the species *Apis mellifera* from Portugal to Rio de Janeiro [9]. Soon afterward, other breeds of the same species were food science and technology: contemporary research and 472 practices introduced by European immigrants in some country regions, including *A. mellifera linguistic*, *Apis mellifera carnica*, *A. mellifera scutelatta*, *Apis mellifera caucasica*, [10]. Despite this, in the 1970s, which implemented adequate beekeeping techniques, such as the genetic improvement of bees, periodic replacement of queens, selection of genetic material, and cleaning of equipment, beekeeping has expanded, being explored by large and small producers [11].

Due to its vast territorial expansion and diverse climate, Brazil is the sixth country with the highest honey production globally, behind China, the United States, Argentina, Mexico, and Canada [12]. The Rio Grande do Sul is the top producer of honey in Brazil, with about 7000 tons during the year [13]. The northeast is the second Brazilian region that produces the most honey [14]. It is a region with vegetation resistant to drought, short rainy periods, low soil fertility, and limiting factors for agriculture, contributing to being one of the regions with the greatest beekeeping potential in the world [15]. Brazil produces only 50,000 tons per year but can produce 200,000 tons and could reach high in the market if honey was consumed more in food than medicines (**Figure 1**) [16].

### **Figure 1.**

*Honey Brazilian producer situated at Pitangui, Minas Gerais state, Brazil.*

## **3. Biodiversity of bees and kinds of honeys in Brazil**

The southern region of Brazil produces 38% of honey, followed by the northeast with 37% and 19% in the southeast.

Honey is considered one of nature's purest products, derived from nectar and other natural plant secretions collected and processed by bees, enabling a new source of potentially nutritious and healthy alternative food. Because it is rich in energy, it enables us to carry out our daily tasks. It has organic acids, flavonoids, hormones, enzymes, water, glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, minerals, and vitamins [17].

The composition of honey depends mainly on the plant sources from which it is derived and on different factors, such as soil, the bee species, the physiological state of the colony, the honey's ripeness, and the weather conditions of the harvest, among others [18]. In general, the main characteristic of the honey of meliponid species is the differentiation in its composition, especially the water content (humidity), which makes it less dense than the Honey of Africanized bees (*A. mellifera*).

The color varies from almost transparent to dark amber, and the taste and sugar levels depend on the palate, species, season, region, and especially the bloom. Bee honey, mainly from stingless bees, is widely used by Amazonian Indians for its therapeutic potentials, such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, sedative, and expectorant effects (**Figure 2**) [18].


### **Figure 2.**

*Honey pots from Apis mellifera illustrate the variety of colors. The nectar is transported to the hive, changing its concentration and chemical composition. However, during its transport to the hive, secretions from various glands, mainly the hypopharyngeal glands, are added, including invertase (a-glycosidase) and diastase (a- and β-amylase).*

### **3.1 Honey of bees of the genus Apis**

Bee honey of the genus Apis is the most consumed in the country and comes from various flowers (multiflora). It has antioxidants, soothing, laxatives, and may positively affect the skin and respiratory tract. It stimulates immunity and is a natural invigorator (**Figure 3a**).

### **3.2 Coffee flower honey**

Coffee flower honey has a mild citrus taste and has an energizing effect. This particular kind of honey is produced from the work of bees during flowering in coffee plantations; the nectar is collected from the flowers. This honey is a rare and seasonal food, and they are produced mainly in the southern region of Minas Gerais (**Figure 3b**).

### **3.3 Honey from "Assa-peixe"**

The "Assa-peixe" (Vernonia polysphaera (Spreng.) Less.) is a plant of the genus Vernonia, native to Brazil [1]. The honey from the bees raised near the Assa-peixe plantations is delicious. The Brazilian population uses the Assa-peixe leaf to fight skin diseases, bronchitis, kidney stones, muscle pain, flu, pneumonia, fluid retention, and even coughing.

### **Figure 3.**

*Brazilian kinds of honey: (a) Multiflora Apis Honey; (b) Coffee (*Coffea arabica*) flower honey; (c) Betônica (*Betonica *sp) flower honey; (d) Pequi (*Caryocar brasiliense*) flower honey; (e) Cipó-uva (*Serjania lethalis*) flower honey; (f) Velame (*Croton heliotropiifolius*) flower honey; (g) Aroeira (*Astronium urundeuva*) flower honey.*

### *Brazilian Honey and Its Therapeutic Properties DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106413*

It has a pleasant aroma and taste, calming and expectorant effect. Assa-peixe flower honey is extracted from the typical Brazilian flower from the southeast and northeast regions of Minas Gerais, produced during spring and summer.

### **3.4 Aroeira honey**

The Aroeira (*Astronium urundeuva* (M.Allemão) Engl.) is a tree species with great use of its wood. It is found mainly in the north of Minas Gerais and in the northwest region of Brazil. The honey from the Aroeira flower is extracted from the tree's nectar, resulting in unique honey that stands out for its dark color [19, 20]. The difference between this unique honey and the others is the plant's union with an insect, which has sanitary properties in the fight against stomach diseases [21]. Aroeira blossom honey has qualities and specifications comparable to New Zealand manuka honey. Honey de Flor de Aroeira rarely crystallizes and has demonstrated a powerful antioxidant and bactericidal effect produced mainly in the north and center of Minas (**Figure 3g**).

### **3.5 Eucalyptus honey**

One of the most popular types, eucalyptus honey, is widely used to relieve sore throat, sinusitis, and colds because of its expectorant action. It is produced in the south and southeast regions, and, unlike orange blossom honey, it has a darker color and a solid and refreshing taste [22].

It has a more pungent taste and dark coloration. It is recommended that additional treatment relieve intestinal infections [23], urinary tract, and respiratory diseases. Eucalyptus flower honey is found all over Minas Gerais, mainly between March and June.

### **3.6 "Velame" honey**

"Velame" (*Croton heliotropiifolius* Kunth) is endemic to the Brazilian northeast. The "Velame da Caatinga" is a trendy, fragrant plant with thick leaves and clusters of white flowers. Natural medicine is used for all kinds of infections [24]. The honey extracted from this plant has a very light color and is very tasty.

"Velame" flower honey is crystalline and is also called white amber. It is incredibly soft and produced from October to January. Found throughout the entire territory of Minas Gerais (**Figure 3f**).

### **3.7 "Candeia" flower honey**

In Brazil, "Candeia" is a popular plant in the Asteraceae family. However, it is of challenging identification. The honey, known as "morrão de candeia" or "Candeia" honey (*Croton* sp.), is one of the most popular kinds of honey in folk medicine has a dark color and is used to treat respiratory system diseases, such as cough in general, whooping cough, laryngitis, hoarseness [24]. Very good as an adjuvant in cases of asthma attacks and gastric ulcers. Found in the central region of the state.

### **3.8 "Capixingui" flower honey**

The "Capixingui" (*Croton floribundus* Spreng) is a small, fast-growing tree that can be exploited for its wood or honey.

### *Honey - Composition and Properties*

"Capixingui" flower honey has a light amber color, with a pleasant and characteristic taste. Found mainly in the areas of influence of the Atlantic forest of eastern Minas.

### **3.9 "Cipó-uva" honey**

"Cipó-uva" (*Serjania lethalis* A.St.-Hil.) is a plant because it exudes an aroma of pink grapes when in bloom. Cipó-uva honey has a light amber color and a pleasant flavor. Cipó-uva is known for its medicinal properties, extolled as a balm for intestinal cramps and kidney pain. Parts of the Cipó-uva plant, such as the roots, leaves, and stems of this plant, are indicated for topical use and treatment of pain. It is a natural detoxifier for liver and blood sugar control [25]. Although the pharmacological and cultivation characteristics of S. lethalis have already been widely researched scientifically, its therapeutic virtues are still incipient. The pollen honey of this plant has been used and appreciated in folk medicine for many decades.

### **3.10 "Periquiteira" flower honey**

"Periquietira" (*Trema micrantha* (L.) Blume) is a pioneer species belonging to the cannabis family, previously considered to belong to the Ulmaceae family. It can be found in Brazil's south, southeast, central-west, and northeast regions.

Its small fruits are widely eaten by birds, giving the species a high ecological value. Its most loyal consumers are Psittaciformes, a family which includes parakeets and parrots.

This honey is indicated for rickets, acting as an emollient in the respiratory tract, used against catarrhal coughs, with effects on lung disorders, bronchitis, pharyngitis, and asthma, presenting a concrete expectorant action and anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic [26]. Present in the northern region of Minas Gerais.

### **3.11 Orange blossom honey**

More precisely, produced in the southeast in Minas and São Paulo orange blossom honey has a light color, mild aroma, and flavor with a light citrus touch. It can be a good ally for those who have trouble sleeping because it helps fight insomnia and improves bowel function.

### **3.12 "Uruçu" honey**

The northeast region produces this yellowish honey with a propolis-like flavor. It stands out for its medicinal functions and for having plenty of water. The *Melipona scutellaris* "uruçu" bees are native to northeastern Brazil, widely found in forests on the coasts of the northeast, preferring humid places to make their hives, usually in trees [27].

The word uruçu derives from the Tupi word "eiru su," which means giant bee. This is due to the various bees of the same genus, also found in north Brazil. It is possible to find the yellow uruçu and the uruçu bees. The honey is produced by the "uruçu" bee, a stingless bee with high-water content and antibacterial properties.

### **3.13 "Borá" honey**

The "Borá" honey is produced by the bee Borá (*Tetragona clavipes*), a native stingless bee species of South America [28]. It is a bee of the Meliponidae family, and the original name comes from the Tupi Heborá, which means "that one which has to have *Brazilian Honey and Its Therapeutic Properties DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106413*

honey." "Borá" bee is popularly known as "Jataizão" and "Vorá." The Indians also know it in Xingu, which is found in abundance. "Borá" is a yellow, bitter substance found in the nests of this bee, possibly because of a large amount of "Samora," "saburá" (pollen) stored by this bee. Although honey is known for its sweet taste, "Bora" honey is different because it has a salty and slightly acidic flavor. It is often used to accompany cheese, fish, and other more elaborate dishes. It is produced in southeastern Brazil.

### **3.14 "Jataí" honey**

*Tetragonisca angustula*, the jataí bee, is a little Brazilian bee, measuring approximately 5 mm, golden yellow, with prominent corpuscles (or pollen baskets) on its hind legs. The morphology of the entrance to the nest is a characteristic of the species: a tube of wax or cerumen with small holes along its length and an opening that allows several bees to pass simultaneously. At night, this entrance is closed to protect the nest. The Jataí bee is recorded in the five regions of Brazil. In the northeast region, it is found in Bahia, Maranhão, Ceará, Paraíba, and Pernambuco [29]. This species differs from other Melipona bees for its ability to nest and survive in urban areas, which positively influences the species' evolutionary success, given the threats they have been experiencing in rural areas.

"Jataí" honey is produced throughout Brazil and has a light color and slightly acidic taste. It is excellent to ease flu symptoms by having decongestant action and works as an ally to increase the body's immunity.

### **3.15 Cashew honey**

The cashew tree (*Anacardium occidentale* L.) is a plant of the Anacardiaceae family, native to the northeast region of Brazil, with a twisted crown architecture and of different sizes [30]. In nature, there are two types: the common (or giant) and the dwarf. This species can reach a height of 5–12 m, but can reach 20 m in very favorable conditions.

Honey from this plant has six times more vitamin C than the fruit itself—an essential nutrient to solve the problem, helping the body absorb iron.

### **3.16 Bracatinga honey**

Bracatinga honeydew (*Mimosa scabrella* Bentham) is relatively darker. Bees make it from the collection of a sweetened liquid (honeydew) produced by other insects called non-floral cochineal honey; once, the bee uses the molasses produced by the cochineal to produce the Bracatinga honey.

Produced in southern Brazil, it has recently gained prominence in the news in the beekeeping world.

### **4. Therapeutic usage by traditional communities in Brazil**

The medicinal properties of bee honey have been mentioned for various medicinal and nutritional purposes [26]. Honey, by definition, is a natural product of bees obtained from the nectar of flowers (floral honey), from secretions of living parts of plants, or from excretions of insects sucking on living parts of plants (honeydew honey). Honeydew is a biological term that refers to the excretions in the form of sugary liquids of many species of Homopteran that live as parasitic suckers of the elaborate sap of plant phloem [31].

The bees sought and collected these sugary liquids as if they were nectar undergoing the same enzymatic processes. The bees, in turn, will use the resources available as a source of sugar to elaborate it. Therefore, the most common occurrence is floral honey mixed with honeydew honey. Honey consists of various sugars, predominantly D-fructose and D-glucose, and other components and substances, such as organic acids, enzymes, and solid particles collected by bees [32]. The appearance of honey varies from almost colorless to dark brown, and it can be fluid, dense, or even solid. Its taste and aroma vary according to the origin of the plant. Varieties of honey can be identified by their color, taste, flavor, and manner of crystallization.

The honey sediment is analyzed for its pollen grain content in exceptional circumstances. Alternatively, in honeydew honey varieties, another characteristic of components presents in honeydew honey varieties, such as spores, mycelium fragments, or leaf fragments, is determined. Other characteristics helpful in identifying the type of honey include specific conductivity and variety-specific flavor components. Honey is considered the most accessible beekeeping product to exploit, the best known and the one with the most significant potential for commercialization. Besides being a food, it is also used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries for its therapeutic actions.

Honey is a rich food with high energetic value, consumed worldwide, and extremely important for human health when pure. It has several properties: antimicrobial, curative, soothing, tissue regenerative, and stimulant.

The medicinal properties of bee honey and other hive products, for example, pollen, royal jelly, propolis, and bee larvae, have been mentioned for their variety of medicinal and nutritional purposes. Honey is undoubtedly the best known and most widespread of the products provided by bees. It was one of man's first foods, and practically all ancient civilizations have used it as food and as a medicinal resource. Nowadays, man uses honey abundantly as food without ignoring its medicinal qualities and nutritional value.

One and three hundred sixty kilos of honey, by definition, is a natural product of bees obtained from the nectar of flowers (floral honey), secretions of living parts of plants, or excretions of sucking insects of living parts of plants ("honey de melaço"). Honey is a biological term that refers to the excretions in the form of sugary liquids of a large number of species of Homopteran, which live as parasites and suck the elaborate sap from the phloem of plants. Honey is a complex matrix due to the interference of variables not controlled by man during its production, such as climate, flowering, and the presence of sucking insects, among other factors.

The bees, in turn, will use the available resources as a source of sugar to produce it. Therefore, the most common occurrence is floral honey mixed with honeydew honey. Honey consists of various sugars, predominantly D-fructose and D-glucose, and other components and substances, such as organic acids, enzymes, and solid particles, collected by bees. The appearance of honey varies from nearly colorless to dark brown, and it can be fluid, dense, or even solid. Its taste and aroma vary according to the origin of the plant. Varieties of honey can be identified by their color, taste, flavor, and manner of crystallization.

The honey sediment is analyzed for its pollen grain content in exceptional circumstances. Another characteristic of components presents in honeydew honey varieties, such as spores, mycelium fragments, or leaf fragments, is determined. Other valuable characteristics in identifying the type of honey include specific conductivity and variety-specific flavor components. Honey is considered the most specific beekeeping product to exploit, the best known, and the one with the most significant potential

for commercialization. Besides being a food, it is also used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries for its therapeutic actions.

Honey is a vibrant food with high energetic value, consumed worldwide, and extremely important for the health of the human body when pure because it has several properties, such as antimicrobial, curative, soothing, tissue regenerative, and stimulant, among others [33]. It consists of simple sugars, such as glucose and fructose. Its passage from the digestive tract to the bloodstream and from the bloodstream to the interior of cells, where it is metabolized, does not require many transformations, and its entry into cellular metabolism is relatively fast.

Honey has an energizing action on the human body, mainly due to the enzymes, vitamins, the presence of chemical elements that are critical for the proper functioning of the body, and the trace elements [34]. Honey has essential mineral elements for the human body, especially selenium, manganese, zinc, chromium, and aluminum.

### **5. Natural products on Brazilian honey**

Among the raw materials extracted from beekeeping, honey is considered the most specific product to be exploited. It is also the one with the most significant possibilities for commercialization. Besides being a food, it can also be used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries due to its therapeutic actions. It is known that there are several medicinal properties of honey. In this sense, this review sought to evaluate the scientific literature from the last decade regarding the biological properties associated with honey. It was verified that this product had been used in several therapeutic lines, primarily due to its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and healing activities. In addition, there are also studies demonstrating its antiproliferative and antimetastatic effects in brain tumors, suggesting a synergistic effect in the use of different types of honey from different origins with different biological activities [17].

The exact chemical composition of any honey depends mainly on the plant sources from which it is derived and on climate, soil, and the bee species that produce it. Therefore, honey varies significantly in pollen content physicochemical, sensory, and aromatic characteristics from one region to another. An essential point in honey production is the certification of its botanical origin. Although there is no specific legislation for this parameter, and it is not mandatory for its commercialization, this knowledge allows inferring which bees explored plant species to make honey and, consequently, inferring the product characteristics, such as color and flavor medicinal properties.

Finally, several articles demonstrate that honey may have associated biological properties, such as healing activity, antifungal, antioxidant, antiviral, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties [33].

In Brazil, phytotherapeutics and homemade syrups with honey are widely used in popular therapies, mainly in indigenous and rural areas, due to their healing properties. Its topical application on the skin, including treating wounds and burns, is fascinating among its medicinal properties. Honey can extract moisture from the environment and thus dehydrate bacteria with the help of its hyperosmolar properties. In addition, honey also plays an essential role in the rapid autolytic debridement and deodorization of deep wounds.

This is due to the low makeup ideal for wound acidification, which accelerates the healing process. Honey promotes angiogenesis, granulation, and epithelialization, which helps to accelerate the wound healing process. In addition to all these

properties, honey also stands out for its antimicrobial activity numerous characteristics of its numerous characteristics.

This enzyme, secreted by bee glands, is responsible for converting glucose, in the presence of water and oxygen into gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide, both considered solid antioxidant agents that attack the envelope of microorganisms, preserving and maintaining the sterility of honey during its maturation [35]. The iron and copper minerals in honey, associated with hydrogen peroxide, can lead to the generation of hydroxyl radicals with antimicrobial properties.

Finally, other factors that can contribute to the antimicrobial property of honey are high osmotic pressure, low water activity, low protein content, low redox potential due to the high content of reducing sugars, high viscosity that limits oxygen solubility, and other chemical and phytochemical agents [18].

### **6. Reported therapeutic actions of different kinds of Brazilian honey**

To exemplify the properties of a kind of Brazilian honey on therapeutic usage, we can cite the Aroeira honey with the demonstrated antibacterial ideal concentration for inhibiting *S. aureus* and *E. coli*. The use of honey as antimicrobials has shown advantageous for reducing the microbial load since it could inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of the honey observed in this work reinforces the potential for the therapeutic use of Aroeira honey produced in the north of Minas Gerais, thus contributing to the aggregation value of this honey [19].

Bracatinga Honey's benefits are associated with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity and the presence of highly bio-accessible minerals [20]. Another kind of Brazilian honey-like orange and eucalyptus honey, has been found to inhibit the formation of edema and infection and render the presence of crusts transient. The assa-peixe, eucalyptus, or orange honey reduces inflammation and necrosis and optimizes granulation tissue growth, fibroplasia, and reepithelization [36].

*In vitro* antimicrobial potential of these honey was verified in different dilutions through antibiograms against strains of *Staphylococcus aureus*, *Staphylococcus epidermidis*, *Escherichia coli,* and *Pseudomonas aeruginosa*. It was observed that this pure monofloral honey prevents the growth of the main bacterial agents present in the skin, emphasizing orange honey in the control of *Staphylococcus aureus*, *Staphylococcus epidermidis* and *Escherichia coli*. Therefore, the assa-peixe, orange, or eucalyptus honey has healing and antimicrobial potential [36].

Some antibacterial and antioxidant properties have been attributed to honey of velame (*Croton argyrophylloides*). Chemical analysis of *C. argyrophylloides* leaves revealed the presence of compounds with antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity can be confirmed by the DPPH method and demonstrating a significant content of phenolic compounds and total flavonoid content in the species, which corroborates the activity in the plant sample. The foliar extracts had an antimicrobial effect, tested on plates that showed growth inhibition halos of 10 and 12 mm on *Staphylococcus aureus* [37, 38].

### **7. Conclusions**

The incredible biodiversity of flora in Brazil can provide a diverse source for bee productivity, obtaining a diversity of types of honey in Brazil. These bee products

*Brazilian Honey and Its Therapeutic Properties DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106413*

have a high content of natural compounds with great potential for use in the treatment of human health. There are different effects already studied as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunological. However, more research is still needed, with pharmacological and medicinal use in the larger population, and with a scientific method, mainly related to monofloral honey to verify its phytotherapeutic potential. However, the potential of natural compounds produced by honey as a by-product of nectar, flowers, and another source of the high biodiversity of Brazilian flora has been demonstrated.

Some studies are conclusive, but given the incredible biodiversity, there is still a lot of work to be done on the natural products of Brazilian honey.

### **Acknowledgements**

We are thankful to APIMELO store equipment for beekeeping, Pará de Minas city, Minas Gerais state, Brazil and Coopemapi—Mel das Gerais, Bocaiúva city, Minas Gerais state, Brazil for kindly transferring the image and information right to write this chapter.

### **Conflict of interest**

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

### **Author details**

Sacramento R. Ana Julia1 \*, Neimar F. Duarte2 , Adriano H. Araujo3 , Lucas A. Ribeiro4 and Eduardo J.A. Corrêa1 \*

1 Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária de Minas Gerais (EPAMIG ITAC), Pitangui, MG, Brazil

2 Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

3 Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais (PUC-MG), Betim, Brazil

4 Honey Producer in Brazil, Pitangui, MG, Brazil

\*Address all correspondence to: anajulia@epamig.br; eduardo@epamig.br

© 2022 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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