Composition, functional properties and safety of honey: a review.

Hong Wang, Lantao Li, Xiaohui Lin, Weidong Bai, Gengsheng Xiao, Gongliang Liu

Journal: Journal of the science of food and agriculture 2023;103(14):6767-6779

PMID: 37209396

Abstract

Honey has been used not only as a food source but also for medicinal purposes. Recent studies have indicated that honey exhibits antioxidant, hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic and anti-obesity properties, as well as anticancer, anti-atherosclerotic, hypotensive, neuroprotective and immunomodulatory activities. These health benefits of honey could be attributed to its wide range of nutritional components, including polysaccharides and polyphenols, which have been proven to possess various beneficial properties. It is notable that the composition of honey can also be affected by nectar, season, geography and storage condition. Moreover, the safety of honey requires caution to avoid any potential safety incidents. Therefore, this review aims to provide recent research regarding the chemical composition, biological activities and safety of honey, which might be attributed to comprehensive utilization of honey. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Address: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Lingnan Specialty Food Science and Technology, College of Light Industry and Food Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China.; Key Laboratory of Green Processing and Intelligent Manufacturing of Lingnan Specialty Food, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China.; School of Biosystems and Food Engineering, University College Dublin (UCD), Belfield, Ireland.

DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.12720

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https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.12720

MeSH Terms: Honey, Polyphenols, Antioxidants, Plant Nectar