Honey Can Obviate Heavy Metal Toxicity: A Review

Abstract

Toxicity caused by heavy metals inflicts a grave global menace to the habitat and inhabitants. Arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) are the non-essential yet harmful heavy metals commonly associated with pollution and resultant health complications. Typical chelating/complexing agents are not worthy of combating heavy metal-induced sub-chronic and chronic toxicities. It transpires from scientific data mining that, honey obviates investigational heavy metal toxicity. This review aims to collate such investigations conducted against As, Cd, and Pb toxicity. There is a total of 19 pre-clinical works demonstrating the ameliorative effect of honey against empirical As, Cd, and Pb toxicity. Pre-clinical reports against Hg and clinical study against these heavy metals could not found. From the outcome of the current literature investigation, it seems that honey has a marked heavy metal toxicity meliorative effect which is chiefly ascribed to its innate antioxidant effect due to its diverse polyphenol content.

A review of important heavy metals toxicity with special emphasis on nephrotoxicity and its management in cattle

“…This silvery white and soft metal is chemically similar to the other two stable metals (zinc and mercury) in group 12 ( 170 , 171 ). It is a heavy metal that is both naturally present and released as part of industrial pollution ( 172 ). Typically, it is found in minerals along with other elements like chlorine (cadmium chloride) ( 173 – 175 ), oxygen (cadmium oxide), or sulfur (cadmium sulfide, cadmium sulfate) ( 176 ).…”