Review of animal models used to study effects of bee products on wound healing: findings and applications

Abstract

Non-healing wounds are associated with high morbidity and might greatly impact a patient's well-being and economic status. For many years, scientific research has focused on developing and testing several natural and synthetic materials that enhance the rate of wound healing or eliminate healing complications. Honey has been used for thousands of years as a traditional remedy for many ailments. Recently, honey has reemerged as a promising wound care product especially for infected wounds and for wounds in diabetic patients. In addition to its proposed potent broad-spectrum antibacterial properties, honey has been claimed to promote wound healing by reducing wound hyperaemia, oedema, and exudate, and by stimulating angiogenesis, granulation tissue formation and epithelialisation. Several animal models, including large animals, dogs and cats, and different species of laboratory animals have been used to investigate the efficacy and safety of various natural and synthetic agents for wound healing enhancement. Interpreting the results obtained by these studies is, however, rather difficult and usually hampered by many limiting factors including great variation in types and origins of honey, the type of animal species used as models, the type of wounds, the number of animals, the number and type of controls, and variation in treatment protocols. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of the most recent findings and applications of published experimental and clinical trials using honey as an agent for wound healing enhancement in different animal models.

Honey bee as an alternative model invertebrate organism

“…Produkty pszczele są znane od wieków w medycynie ludowej, a ich lecznicze właściwości skłaniają do testowania jako komponentów leków oraz suplementów dla zwierząt i ludzi (68,70). W celu sprawdzenia prozdrowotnych cech wytwory pszczele bada się na organizmach modelowych, zwykle zaczynając od gryzoni, poprzez króliki, a kończąc na dużych zwierzętach kręgowych, takich jak: psy, koty, świnie, a nawet bydło, owce, kozy i konie (45). Na kręgowych modelach zwierzęcych bada się wpływ produktów pszczelich m.in.…”

“…Na kręgowych modelach zwierzęcych bada się wpływ produktów pszczelich m.in. na: wspieranie terapii antybiotykowej (86), leczenie trudno gojących się ran (45), zwalczanie lub powstrzymywanie rozwoju różnych typów nowotworów (105), leczenie chorób skórnych (24) i wielu innych (84). Apiterapia oraz możliwości stosowania produktów pszczelich w medycynie i weterynarii zaczynają być na nowo odkrywane również w leczeniu konwencjonalnym, a pomimo już bardzo dobrze naukowo udokumentowanych własności wciąż istnieje potrzeba testowania i badania preparatów komercyjnie wprowadzanych na rynek farmaceutyczny.…”

Endothelial cells and angiogenesis in the horse in health and disease—A review

“…Insect products, particularly those of the European honey bee ( Apis mellifera ), have been reported to promote wound healing by stimulating angiogenesis, granulation tissue formation, epithelialization, reduction of wound hyperaemia and their broadband antibacterial properties (Bischofberger et al., 2016; Hananehl, Ismail, Alshehabat, & Ali, 2015).…”

Comparison of the effects of topical application of UMF20 and UMF5 manuka honey with a generic multifloral honey on wound healing variables in an uncontaminated surgical equine distal limb wound model

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Many topical wound medications have been used to enhance second-intention healing in the distal limb of horses with variable success. [11][12][13][14][15][16] However, different honey varietals may contain a diverse spectrum of different bioactive components that are found in variable concentrations. 11,12 Generically, honey is reported to have a diverse range of bioactivities, including antibacterial properties, osmotic and antioxidant activity, analgesic properties and an ability to modulate the early inflammatory response to wounding.…”

“…8,9 The application of honey to promote the healing of open wounds in humans dates back to ancient Egypt 10 and recently there has been a resurgence of interest in some honey varietals to address the increasing incidence of antibiotic resistance in human medicine. [11][12][13][14][15][16] Honey produced from the manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium) is the most extensively studied honey and is often used in human medicine for its superior antibacterial activity. [11][12][13][14][15][16] However, different honey varietals may contain a diverse spectrum of different bioactive components that are found in variable concentrations.…”