Potential pathway of anti-inflammatory effect by New Zealand honeys

Abstract

The role of honey in wound healing continues to attract worldwide attention. This study examines the anti-inflammatory effect of four honeys on wound healing, to gauge its efficacy as a treatment option. Isolated phenolics and crude extracts from manuka (Leptospermum scoparium), kanuka (Kunzea ericoides), clover (Trifolium spp.), and a manuka/kanuka blend of honeys were examined. Anti-inflammatory assays were conducted in HEK-Blue™-2, HEK-Blue™-4, and nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)2-Wild Type (NOD2-WT) cell lines, to assess the extent to which honey treatment impacts on the inflammatory response and whether the effect was pathway-specific. Kanuka honey, and to a lesser extent manuka honey, produced a powerful anti-inflammatory effect related to their phenolic content. The effect was observed in HEK-Blue™-2 cells using the synthetic tripalmitoylated lipopeptide Pam3CysSerLys4 (Pam3CSK4) ligand, suggesting that honey acts specifically through the toll-like receptor (TLR)1/TLR2 signaling pathway. The manuka/kanuka blend and clover honeys had no significant anti-inflammatory effect in any cell line. The research found that kanuka and manuka honeys have an important role in modulating the inflammatory response associated with wound healing, through a pathway-specific effect. The phenolic content of honey correlates with its effectiveness, although the specific compounds involved remain to be determined.

Keywords:

• Leptospermum scoparium
• manuka
• Kunzea ericoides
• kanuka
• Trifolium
• clover
• inflammatory response
• phenolics
• wound healing

Acknowledgments

The authors express their appreciation to Comvita Innovation (Comvita New Zealand Ltd) for their assistance in conducting the research, and to the Department of Nutrition and the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre laboratories (The University of Auckland) for their help and support, particularly Dr Nishi Karunasinghe and Noha Ahmed Nasef. Sincere thanks to Airborne Honey Ltd and to B Stevenson (Comvita New Zealand Ltd) for the provision of the New Zealand honey samples.

Disclosure

Victoria Tomblin received a research scholarship and funding for materials from Comvita New Zealand Ltd. Ralf Schlothauer is an employee of Comvita New Zealand Ltd. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.