TY - JOUR
T1 - Therapeutic and preventive properties of honey and its bioactive compounds in cancer
T2 - An evidence-based review
AU - Afrin, Sadia
AU - Haneefa, Shoja M.
AU - Fernandez-Cabezudo, Maria J.
AU - Giampieri, Francesca
AU - Al-Ramadi, Basel K.
AU - Battino, Maurizio
N1 - Funding Information:
Work in Professor Basel al-Ramadi’s laboratory was supported by a Zayed Centre grant (no. 31R025) from the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects, UAE University.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 The Author.
PY - 2020/6/1
Y1 - 2020/6/1
N2 - Despite the much improved therapeutic approaches for cancer treatment that have been developed over the past 50 years, cancer remains a major cause of mortality globally. Considerable epidemiological and experimental evidence has demonstrated an association between ingestion of food and nutrients with either an increased risk for cancer or its prevention. There is rising interest in exploring agents derived from natural products for chemoprevention or for therapeutic purposes. Honey is rich in nutritional and non-nutritional bioactive compounds, as well as in natural antioxidants, and its potential beneficial function in human health is becoming more evident. A large number of studies have addressed the anti-cancer effects of different types of honey and their phenolic compounds using in vitro and in vivo cancer models. The reported findings affirm that honey is an agent able to modulate oxidative stress and has anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, immune-modulatory and anti-metastatic properties. However, despite its reported anti-cancer activities, very few clinical studies have been undertaken. In the present review, we summarise the findings from different experimental approaches, including in vitro cell cultures, preclinical animal models and clinical studies, and provide an overview of the bioactive profile and bioavailability of the most commonly studied honey types, with special emphasis on the chemopreventive and therapeutic properties of honey and its major phenolic compounds in cancer. The implications of these findings as well as the future prospects of utilising honey to fight cancer will be discussed.
AB - Despite the much improved therapeutic approaches for cancer treatment that have been developed over the past 50 years, cancer remains a major cause of mortality globally. Considerable epidemiological and experimental evidence has demonstrated an association between ingestion of food and nutrients with either an increased risk for cancer or its prevention. There is rising interest in exploring agents derived from natural products for chemoprevention or for therapeutic purposes. Honey is rich in nutritional and non-nutritional bioactive compounds, as well as in natural antioxidants, and its potential beneficial function in human health is becoming more evident. A large number of studies have addressed the anti-cancer effects of different types of honey and their phenolic compounds using in vitro and in vivo cancer models. The reported findings affirm that honey is an agent able to modulate oxidative stress and has anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, immune-modulatory and anti-metastatic properties. However, despite its reported anti-cancer activities, very few clinical studies have been undertaken. In the present review, we summarise the findings from different experimental approaches, including in vitro cell cultures, preclinical animal models and clinical studies, and provide an overview of the bioactive profile and bioavailability of the most commonly studied honey types, with special emphasis on the chemopreventive and therapeutic properties of honey and its major phenolic compounds in cancer. The implications of these findings as well as the future prospects of utilising honey to fight cancer will be discussed.
KW - Antioxidant activity
KW - Bioavailability
KW - Cancer
KW - Chemoprevention
KW - Flavonoids
KW - Honey
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U2 - 10.1017/S0954422419000192
DO - 10.1017/S0954422419000192
M3 - Review article
C2 - 31791437
AN - SCOPUS:85073357212
SN - 0954-4224
VL - 33
SP - 50
EP - 76
JO - Nutrition Research Reviews
JF - Nutrition Research Reviews
IS - 1
ER -