ReviewBiological properties and therapeutic activities of honey in wound healing: A narrative review and meta-analysis
Section snippets
History and background
Throughout history, honey has been well used for medicinal applications. Islamic traditions, ancient Egyptians, ancient Greek, Chinese and other countries and nations have used honey as a remedy for every illness [1]. In modern history and in World War I, honey was used for repair of battle wounds. For the first time in 1892, antimicrobial properties of honey were noted by Van Ketel. The role of honey in healing of infected wounds was first reported in Europe and USA in the mid-20th century [2]
Therapeutic properties of honey
Honey, due to its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, boosting effect on immune system, debridement action and stimulating role in wound regeneration, significantly contributes in wound healing processes (Fig. 1, Table 1). Bellow, these beneficial biological properties have been discussed in detail.
Clinical observations on the wound healing properties of honey
To systematically evaluate the role of honey on clinical patients, only the clinical studies published in PubMed were considered. From the PubMed indexed clinical studies, only those that their patients had a cutaneous ulcer/wound and treated with honey, were included in the present review. In the present study, the clinical trials have been combined and their findings were provided as meta-analysis where appropriate and other clinical studies have been summarized, narratively. Based on the
Conclusion
In the present review, we highlighted the key information regarding therapeutic properties of honey and its mechanism of action. Honey is the most ancient wound dressing biomaterial and the effectiveness of honey in the management of wounds has been confirmed by many studies. There is no allergic reaction and no significant side effects due to clinical application of honey. Honey has all of the beneficial criteria to be considered as an ideal dressing material applicable for various wounds. It
Conflict of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
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