Potential biological activity of acacia honey

• Published in: Frontiers in bioscience (Elite edition) Vol. 8; no. 2; p. 351
• Main Authors: Muhammad, Aliyu, Odunola, Oyeronke A, Ibrahim, Mohammed A, Sallau, Abdullahi B, Erukainure, Ochuko L, Aimola, Idown A, Malami, Ibrahim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Adjuvants, Immunologic - pharmacology; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Honey; Humans
• ISSN: 1945-0508
• DOI: 10.2741/e771

Recent advances in functional foods-based research have increasingly become an area of major interest because it affects human health and activities. Functional foods are classes of foods with health promoting and disease preventing properties in addition to multiple nutritional values and of such type is honey. Acacia honey is a type of honey produced by bees (Apis mellifera) fed on Acacia flowers, hence the name. This review focuses on the potential biological activities of Acacia honey which includes quality, antioxidant, immuno-modulatory, antiproliferative and neurological properties at in vitro and in vivo levels. Based on our review, Acacia honey used from various researches is of high purity, contains some bioactive compounds ranging from vitamins, phenolics, flavonoids and fatty acids. It's highly nutritional with strong antioxidant and immuno-modulatory potentials which may therefore be considered a potential candidate for both cancer prevention and treatment. Neurologically, it may be considered as a viable therapeutic agent in the management of Alzheimer's disease.