Nataly Martini provides a brief overview of selected causes of dizziness and vertigo, such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and vestibular migraine. Through case studies, she explains how these conditions may differ from serious clinical syndromes such as cervicogenic dizziness, highlighting the complexities, risk factors and management of these conditions
Honey as a medicine: Special properties of mānuka honey
Honey as a medicine: Special properties of mānuka honey
Pharmacist and medical herbalist Phil Rasmussen examines the latest scientific research into the healing properties of mānuka honey in the first of a two-part series
1. Zaidi MZ, Sharma J. (2019). Honey and its beneficial therapeutic effects: A review. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2019;8(4):1056–061.
2. Nikhat S, Fazil M. History, phytochemistry, experimental pharmacology and clinical uses of honey: A comprehensive review with special reference to Unani medicine. J Ethnopharmacol 2022;282(10 Jan):114614.
3. Aw Yong PY, Islam F, Harith H,H et al. The Potential use of Honey as a Remedy for Allergic Diseases: A Mini Review. Front Pharmacol 2021;11(26 Jan):599080.
4. Jodidio M, Schwartz RA. Honey therapies for dermatological disorders: more than just a sweet elixir. Int J Dermatol 2024;63(4):422–30.
5. Khataybeh B, Jaradat Z, Ababneh Q. Anti-bacterial, anti-biofilm and anti-quorum sensing activities of honey: A review. J Ethnopharmacol 2023;317:116830.
6. Palma-Morales M, Huertas JR, Rodríguez-Pérez C. A comprehensive review of the effect of honey on human health. Nutrients 2023;15(13):3056.
7. Abuelgasim H, Albury C, Lee J. Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Evid Based Med 2021;26(2):57–64.
8. Rasmussen PL. Mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) – A Review. Phytonews 1, September 1998, published by Phytomed Medicinal Herbs Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand. ISSN 1175-0251.
9. Riley Murdoch. Māori Healing and Herbal. Published by Viking Sevenseas, Paraparaumu, New Zealand, 1994.
10. Mathew C, Tesfaye W, Rasmussen P, et al. Mānuka Oil – A Review of Antimicrobial and Other Medicinal Properties. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2020;13(11):343.
11. Wang S, Qiu Y, Zhu F. An updated review of functional ingredients of Mānuka honey and their value-added innovations. Food Chem 2024;440:138060.
12. Allen KL, Molan PC, Reid GM. A survey of the antibacterial activity of some New Zealand honeys. J Pharm Pharmacol 1991;43(12):817–22.
13. Willix DJ, Molan PC, Harfoot CG. A comparison of the sensitivity of wound-infecting species of bacteria to the antibacterial activity of manuka honey and other honey. J Appl Bacteriol 1992;73(5):388–94.
14. Al Somal N, Coley KE, Molan PC, et al. Susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori to the antibacterial activity of manuka honey. J R Soc Med 1994;87(1):9–12. PMID: 8308841; PMCID: PMC1294271.
15. Oelschlaegel S, Gruner M, Wang PN, et al. Classification and characterization of manuka honeys based on phenolic compounds and methylglyoxal. J Agric Food Chem 2012;25:60(29):7229–37.
16. Shan Y. Medicinal honey in clinical practice: viable alternative or useful adjunct in wound care management? Br J Nurs 2019;28(12):S23–30.
17. Gethin G, Cowman S. Bacteriological changes in sloughy venous leg ulcers treated with manuka honey or hydrogel: an RCT. J Wound Care 2008;17(6):241–44, 246–47.
18. Kamaratos AV, Tzirogiannis KN, Iraklianou SA, et al. Manuka honey-impregnated dressings in the treatment of neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers. Int Wound J 2014;11(3):259–63.
19. Sankar J, Lalitha AV, Rameshkumar R, et al. Use of Honey Versus Standard Care for Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injury in Critically Ill Children: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. Pediatr Crit Care Med 2021;22(6):e349–62.
20. Onyango LA, Liang J. Manuka honey as a non-antibiotic alternative against Staphylococcus spp. and their small colony variant (SCVs) phenotypes. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024;14:1380289.
21. Bukhari MA, Qamash RA, Bulkhi RA, et al. Biological studies of the activity of Manuka honey against Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) bacteria. Saudi Med J 2024;45(9):876–87.
22. Bashir I, Rasool MH, Shafique M, et al. Exploring the antimicrobial efficacy of Manuka honey against multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant Salmonella Typhi causing septicemia in Pakistan. Future Microbiol. Published online August 7, 2024.
23. Dahiya D, Mackin C, Nigam PS. Studies on bioactivities of Manuka and regional varieties of honey for their potential use as natural antibiotic agents for infection control related to wound healing and in pharmaceutical formulations. AIMS Microbiol 2024 May 6;10(2):288–310.
24. Xu L, Wang X, Wu Y et al. Effectiveness of APG and Honey Gauze in Pressure Injury of Elderly: A Randomized Control Trial. Int J Low Extrem Wounds 2024;25 Feb: 15347346241234420.
25. Uddduttula A, Jakubovics N, Khan I, et al. Layer-by-Layer Coatings of Collagen-Hyaluronic acid Loaded with an Antibacterial Manuka Honey Bioactive Compound to Fight Metallic Implant Infections. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2023;15(50):58119–135.
26. Boekema BKHL, Chrysostomou D, Ciprandi G, et al. Comparing the antibacterial and healing properties of medical-grade honey and silver-based wound care products in burns. Burns 2024;50(3):597–610.
27. Harrison F, Blower A, de Wolf C, et al. Sweet and sour synergy: exploring the antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of acetic acid and vinegar combined with medicalgrade honeys. Microbiology (Reading). 2023;169(7):001351.
28. Negut I, Grumezescu V, Grumezescu AM. Treatment Strategies for Infected Wounds. Molecules 2018;23(9):2392.
29. Minden-Birkenmaier BA, Bowlin GL. Honey-Based Templates in Wound Healing and Tissue Engineering. Bioengineering (Basel). 2018;5(2):46.
30. Felbaum DR, Dowlati E, Jacobs M, et al. Mānuka Honey: Feasibility and Safety in Postoperative Neurosurgical Wound Care. Adv Skin Wound Care 2021;34(5):249–53.
31. Hbibi A, Sikkou K, Khedid K, et al. Antimicrobial activity of honey in periodontal disease: a systematic review. J Antimicrob Chemother 2020;75(4):807–26.
32. Onuoha EO, Adekunle AA, Ajike SO, et al. Effect of manuka honey socket dressing on postoperative sequelae and complications following third molar extraction: A randomized controlled study. Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery 2023;51(4):252–60.
33. Muhrbeck M, Wladis A, Lampi M, et al. Efficacy of topical honey compared to systemic gentamicin for treatment of infected war wounds in a porcine model: A non-inferiority experimental pilot study. Injury 2022 Feb;53(2):381–92.
34. van Riel SJJM, Lardenoije CMJG, Wassen MMLH, et al. Efficacy of a medical grade honey formulation (L-Mesitran) in comparison with fluconazole in the treatment of women with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis: protocol for a randomised controlled trial (HONEY STUDY). BMJ Open 2023;13(8):e070466.
35. Maddocks-Jennings W, Wilkinson JM, Cavanagh HM, et al. Evaluating the effects of the essential oils Leptospermum scoparium (manuka) and Kunzea ericoides (kanuka) on radiotherapy induced mucositis: a randomized, placebo controlled feasibility study. Eur J Oncol Nurs 2009;13(2):87–93.
36. Badr LK, El Asmar R, Hakim S, et al. The efficacy of honey or olive oil on the severity of oral mucositis and pain compared to placebo (standard care) in children with leukemia receiving intensive chemotherapy: A randomized controlled trial (RCT). J Pediatr Nurs 2023;70:e48-e53.
37. Jahanbani Mazraeh E, Sadighi S, Manifar S, et al. Assessment of thyme honey oral gel for the prevention of adriamycin and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in patients with breast cancer. Support Care Cancer 2023;31(8):497.
38. Andriakopoulou CS, Yapijakis C, Koutelekos I, et al. Prevention and Treatment of Oral Mucositis in Pediatric Patients: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. In Vivo 2024;38(3):1016–29.
39. Braguês R, Marvão MF, Correia P, et al. Oral Mucositis Management in Children under Cancer Treatment: A Systematic Review. Cancers (Basel). 2024;16(8):1548.
40. Badders J, Coblens O, Ranasinghe V, et al. Medical Honey in Head and Neck Cancer. Cureus 2024;16(1):e52822.