Background: The stingless bee is a natural type of bee that exists in almost every continent. The honey produced by this bee has been widely used across time and space. The distinctive feature of this honey is that it is stored naturally in the pot (cerumen), thus contributing to its beneficial properties, especially in the wound healing process. Methods: In this article, several studies on stingless bee honey that pointed out the numerous therapeutic profiles of this honey in terms of its antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, as well as moisturizing properties are reviewed. All of these therapeutic properties are related to wound healing properties. Results: Antioxidant in stingless bee honey could break the chain of free radicals that cause a detrimental effect to the wounded area. Furthermore, the antimicrobial properties of stingless bee honey could overcome the bacterial contamination and thus improve the healing rate. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory attribute in this honey could protect the tissue from highly toxic inflammatory mediators. The moisturizing properties of the honey could improve wound healing by promoting angiogenesis and oxygen circulation. Conclusion: The application of honey to the wound has been widely used since ancient times. As a result, it is essential to understand the pharmacological mechanism of the honey towards the physiology of the wounded skin in order to optimize the healing rate in the future.

1.
Rasmussen C, Cameron SA: Global stingless bee phylogeny supports ancient divergence, vicariance, and long distance dispersal. Biol J Linn Soc 2010;99:206-232.
2.
Michener CD: Pot-Honey: A Legacy of Stingless Bees. New York, Springer, 2013. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-4960-7
3.
Slaa EJ, Chaves L, Malagodi-Braga K, Hofstede FE: Stingless bees in applied pollination: practice and perspectives. Apidologie 2006;37:293-315.
4.
Ayala R, Gonzalez VH, Engel MS: Mexican stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae): diversity, distribution, and indigenous knowledge; in Vit P, Pedro SRM, Roubik DW (eds): Pot-Honey. New York, Springer, 2013, pp 135-152.
5.
Khairunnisa S: Stingless Bee Potential. Kuala Lumpur, Utusan Malaysia, 2011. http://ww1.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y= 2011&dt=0530&pub=utusan_malaysia&sec= Agrobiz&pg=ag_02.htm.
6.
Guerrini A, Bruni R, Maietti S, Poli F, Rossi D, Paganetto G, et al: Ecuadorian stingless bee (Meliponinae) honey: a chemical and functional profile of an ancient health product. Food Chem 2009;114:1413-1420.
7.
Bankova V: Chemical diversity of propolis makes it a valuable source of new biologically active compounds. J ApiProduct ApiMed Sci 2009;1:23-28.
8.
dos Santos CG, Megiolaro FL, Serrao JE, Blochtein B: Morphology of the head salivary and intramandibular glands of the stingless bee Plebeia emerina (Hymenoptera: Meliponini) workers associated with propolis. Ann Entomol Soc Am 2009;102:137-143.
9.
Simone-Finstrom M, Spivak M: Propolis and bee health: the natural history and significance of resin use by honey bees. Apidologie 2010;41:295-311.
10.
Temaru E, Shimura S, Amano K, Karasawa T: Antibacterial activity of honey from stingless honeybees (Hymenoptera; Apidae; Meliponinae). Polish J Microbiol 2007;56:281-285.
11.
Massaro FC, Brooks PR, Wallace HM, Russell FD: Cerumen of Australian stingless bees (Tetragonula carbonaria): gas chromatography-mass spectrometry fingerprints and potential anti-inflammatory properties. Naturwissenschaften 2011;98:329-337.
12.
Menezes C, Vollet-Neto A, Contrera FAFL, Venturieri GC, Imperatriz-Fonseca VL: The role of useful microorganisms to stingless bees and stingless beekeeping; in Pot-Honey: A Legacy of Stingless Bees. New York, Springer, 2013, pp 153-171.
13.
Anderson KE, Sheehan TH, Eckholm BJ, Mott BM, DeGrandi-Hoffman G: An emerging paradigm of colony health: microbial balance of the honey bee and hive (Apis mellifera). Insectes Soc 2011;58:431-444.
14.
Nogueira-Neto P: Vida e Criação de Abelhas Indígenas Sem Ferrão. São Paulo, Editora Nogueirapis, 1997.
15.
Souza B, Roubik D, Barth O, Heard T, EnrÍquez E, Carvalho C, et al: Composition of stingless bee honey: setting quality standards. Interciencia 2006;31:867-875.
16.
Bijlsma L, De Bruijn LLM, Martens EP, Sommeijer MJ: Water content of stingless bee honeys (Apidae, Meliponini): interspecific variation and comparison with honey of Apis mellifera. Apidologie 2006;37:480-486.
17.
Costa RAC, Da Cruz-Landim C: Hydrolases in the hypopharyngeal glands of workers of Scaptotrigona postica and Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera, Apinae). Genet Mol Res 2005;4:616-623.
18.
Jackson WM, Nesti LJ, Tuan RS: Concise review: clinical translation of wound healing therapies based on mesenchymal stem cells. Stem Cells Transl Med 2012;1:44-50.
19.
Guo S, DiPietro LA: Factors affecting wound healing. J Dent Res 2010;89:219-229.
20.
Dobanovački D, Milovanović L, Slavković A, Tatić M, Mišković SS, Škorić-Jokić S, et al: Surgery before common era (BCE). Arch Oncol 2012;20:28-35.
21.
Ahmed AKJ, Hoekstra MJ, Hage JJ, Karim RB: Honey-medicated dressing: transformation of an ancient remedy into modern therapy. Ann Plast Surg 2003;50:143-147; discussion 147-148.
22.
Vandamme L, Heyneman A, Hoeksema H, Verbelen J, Monstrey S: Honey in modern wound care: a systematic review. Burns 2013;39:1514-1525.
23.
Bergman A, Yanai J, Weiss J, Bell D, David MP: Acceleration of wound healing by topical application of honey: an animal model. Am J Surg 1983;145:374-376.
24.
Al-Waili N, Salom K, Al-Ghamdi A: Honey for wound healing, ulcers, and burns; data supporting its use in clinical practice. Sci World J 2011;11:766-787.
25.
Azim MK, Perveen H, Mesaik MA, Simjee SU: Antinociceptive activity of natural honey in thermal-nociception models in mice. Phytother Res 2007;21:194-197.
26.
Küpeli Akkol E, Orhan DD, Gürbüz I, Yesilada E: In vivo activity assessment of a “honey-bee pollen mix” formulation. Pharm Biol 2010;48:253-259.
27.
Tonks AJ, Dudley E, Porter NG, Parton J, Brazier J, Smith EL, et al: A 5.8-kDa component of manuka honey stimulates immune cells via TLR4. J Leukoc Biol 2007;82:1147-1155.
28.
Kassim M, Yusoff KM, Ong G, Sekaran S, Yusof MYBM, Mansor M: Gelam honey inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxemia in rats through the induction of heme oxygenase-1 and the inhibition of cytokines, nitric oxide, and high-mobility group protein B1. Fitoterapia 2012;83:1054-1059.
29.
Azim MK, Sajid M: Evaluation of nematocidal activity in natural honey. Pakistan J Bot 2009;41:3261-3264.
30.
Sajid M, Azim MK: Characterization of the nematicidal activity of natural honey. J Agric Food Chem 2012;60:7428-7434.
31.
Ahmad I, Jimenez H, Yaacob NS, Yusuf N: Tualang honey protects keratinocytes from ultraviolet radiation-induced inflammation and DNA damage. Photochem Photobiol 2012;88:1198-1204.
32.
D'Errico M, Lemma T, Calcagnile A, Santis LP De, Dogliotti E: Cell type and DNA damage specific response of human skin cells to environmental agents. Mutat Res Mol Mech Mutagen 2007;614:37-47.
33.
Wijesinghe WAP, Jeon YJ: Biological activities and potential cosmeceutical applications of bioactive components from brown seaweeds: a review. Phytochem Rev 2011;10:431-443.
34.
Victor VM, Rocha M, De La Fuente M: Immune cells: free radicals and antioxidants in sepsis. Int Immunopharmacol 2004;4:327-347.
35.
Ju HY, Chen SC, Wu KJ, Kuo HC, Hseu YC, Ching H, et al: Antioxidant phenolic profile from ethyl acetate fraction of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi with protection against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative damage in SH-SY5Y cells. Food Chem Toxicol 2012;50:492-502.
36.
Closa D, Folch-Puy E: Oxygen free radicals and the systemic inflammatory response. IUBMB Life 2004;56:185-191.
37.
Closa D: Free radicals and acute pancreatitis: much ado about … something. Free Radic Res 2013;47:934-940.
38.
Fang YZ, Yang S, Wu G: Free radicals, antioxidants, and nutrition. Nutrition 2002;18:872-879.
39.
Campos JF, dos Santos UP, Macorini LFB, de Melo AMMF, Balestieri JBP, Paredes-Gamero EJ, et al: Antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of propolis from Melipona orbignyi (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Food Chem Toxicol 2014;65:374-380.
40.
Matés JM, Pérez-Gómez C, Núñez de Castro I: Antioxidant enzymes and human diseases. Clin Biochem 1999;32:595-603.
41.
Baskar AA, Al Numair KS, Gabriel Paulraj M, Alsaif MA, Muamar M Al, Ignacimuthu S: β-Sitosterol prevents lipid peroxidation and improves antioxidant status and histoarchitecture in rats with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced colon cancer. J Med Food 2012;15:335-343.
42.
Ahmad P, Jaleel CA, Salem M, Nabi G, Sharma S: Roles of enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants in plants during abiotic stress. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2010;30:161-175.
43.
Khalil MI, Alam N, Moniruzzaman M, Sulaiman SA, Gan SH: Phenolic acid composition and antioxidant properties of Malaysian honeys. J Food Sci 2011;76:C921-C928.
44.
Oddo LP, Heard TA, Rodríguez-Malaver A, Pérez RA, Fernández-Muiño M, Sancho MT, et al: Composition and antioxidant activity of Trigona carbonaria honey from Australia. J Med Food 2008;11:789-794.
45.
Isla M, Cordero A, Diaz L, Perez-Perez EM, Vit P: Cosmetic properties of honey; in Vit P, Roubik D (eds): Stingless Bees Process Honey and Pollen in Cerumen Pots. Mérida, Universidad de Los Andes, 2013, pp 1-8.
46.
Mohd N, Mohd F, Sajap AS, Rosliza J, Suri R: Conservation and sustainable utilization of stingless bees for pollination services in agricultural ecosystems in Malaysia. Int Semin Enhanc Funct Biodivers Relev to Sustain Food Prod ASPAC, 2010, pp 1-11.
47.
Kakkar S, Bais S: A review on protocatechuic acid and its pharmacological potential. ISRN Pharmacol 2014;2014:952943.
48.
Takahama U, Hirota S, Nishioka T, Oniki T: Human salivary peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of nitrite and nitration of salivary components 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid and proteins. Arch Oral Biol 2003;48:679-690.
49.
Biskup I, Golonka I, Gamian A, Sroka Z: Antioxidant activity of selected phenols estimated by ABTS and FRAP methods. Postepy Hig Med Dosw (Online) 2013;67:958-963.
50.
Dutra RP, Nogueira AMC, Marques RRDO, Costa MCP, Ribeiro MNS: Pharmacognostic evaluation of geopropolis of Melipona fasciculata Smith from Baixada Maranhense, Brazil. Braz J Pharmacogn 2008;18:557-562.
51.
Sawaya A, Barbosa da Silva Cunha I, Marcucci M: Analytical methods applied to diverse types of Brazilian propolis. Chem Cent J 2011;5:27.
52.
Alvarez-Suarez JM, Giampieri F, González-Paramás AM, Damiani E, Astolfi P, Martinez-Sanchez G, et al: Phenolics from monofloral honeys protect human erythrocyte membranes against oxidative damage. Food Chem Toxicol 2012;50:1508-1516.
53.
Vowden K, Vowden P, Carville K: Antimicrobial dressings made easy. Wounds Int 2011;2:1-6.
54.
Li J, Chen J, Kirsner R: Pathophysiology of acute wound healing. Clin Dermatol 2007;25:9-18.
55.
Korting H, Schöllmann C, White R: Management of minor acute cutaneous wounds: importance of wound healing in a moist environment. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2011;25:130-137.
56.
Martin P: Wound healing - aiming for perfect skin regeneration. Science 1997;276:75-81.
57.
Heng MCY: Wound healing in adult skin: aiming for perfect regeneration. Int J Dermatol 2011;50:1058-1066.
58.
Cano RJ, Borucki MK, Higby-Schweitzer M, Poinar HN, Poinar Jnr GO, Pollard KJ: Bacillus DNA in fossil bees: an ancient symbiosis? Appl Environ Microbiol 1994;60:2164-2167.
59.
Yoshiyama M, Kimura K: Characterization of antimicrobial peptide genes from Japanese honeybee Apis cerana japonica (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Appl Entomol Zool 2010;45:609-614.
60.
Promnuan Y, Kudo T, Chantawannakul P: Actinomycetes isolated from beehives in Thailand. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2009;25:1685-1689.
61.
Siddiqui AR, Bernstein JM: Chronic wound infection: facts and controversies. Clin Dermatol 2010;28:519-526.
62.
Gerding DN: Foot infections in diabetic patients: the role of anaerobes. Clin Infect Dis 1995;20(suppl 2):S283-S288.
63.
Krasner D: Minimizing factors that impair wound healing: a nursing approach. Ostomy Wound Manage 1995;41:22-26, 28, 30-32.
64.
Irish J, Carter DA, Blair SE, Heard TA: Antibacterial activity of honey from the Australian stingless bee Trigona carbonaria. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2008;32:89-90.
65.
Boorn KL, Khor YY, Sweetman E, Tan F, Heard TA, Hammer KA: Antimicrobial activity of honey from the stingless bee Trigona carbonaria determined by agar diffusion, agar dilution, broth microdilution and time-kill methodology. J Appl Microbiol 2010;108:1534-1543.
66.
Pimentel RB de Q, da Costa CA, Albuquerque PM, Junior SD: Antimicrobial activity and rutin identification of honey produced by the stingless bee Melipona compressipes manaosensis and commercial honey. BMC Complement Altern Med 2013;13:151.
67.
Choudhari MK, Punekar SA, Ranade RV, Paknikar KM: Antimicrobial activity of stingless bee (Trigona sp.) propolis used in the folk medicine of Western Maharashtra, India. J Ethnopharmacol 2012;141:363-367.
68.
Molan PC: Honey: Antimicrobial actions and role in disease management; in Ahmad I, Aqil F (eds): New Strategies Combating Bacterial Infection. Hoboken, Wiley-Blackwell, 2009, pp 229-253.
69.
White JW, Subers MH, Schepartz AI: The identification of inhibine, the antibacterial factor in honey, as hydrogen peroxide and its origin in a honey glucose-oxidase system. Biochim Biophys Acta 1963;73:57-70.
70.
Zainol M, Mohd Yusoff K, Mohd Yusof M: Antibacterial activity of selected Malaysian honey. BMC Complement Altern Med 2013;13:129.
71.
Tan H, Rahman R, Gan S, Halim A, Hassan S, Sulaiman S, et al: The antibacterial properties of Malaysian tualang honey against wound and enteric microorganisms in comparison to manuka honey. BMC Complement Altern Med 2009;9:34.
72.
Mandal MD, Mandal S: Honey: its medicinal property and antibacterial activity. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed 2011;1:154-160.
73.
Koochak H, Seyyednejad SM, Motamedi H: Preliminary study on the antibacterial activity of some medicinal plants of Khuzestan (Iran). Asian Pac J Trop Med 2010;3:180-184.
74.
Stow A, Briscoe D, Gillings M, Holley M, Smith S, Leys R, et al: Antimicrobial defences increase with sociality in bees. Biol Lett 2007;3:422-424.
75.
Ewnetu Y, Lemma W, Birhane N: Antibacterial effects of Apis mellifera and stingless bee honeys on susceptible and resistant strains of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. BMC Complement Altern Med 2013;13:269.
76.
Boscá L, Zeini M, Través PG, Hortelano S: Nitric oxide and cell viability in inflammatory cells: a role for NO in macrophage function and fate. Toxicology 2005;208:249-258.
77.
Kim KN, Ko YJ, Yang HM, Ham YM, Roh SW, Jeon YJ, et al: Anti-inflammatory effect of essential oil and its constituents from fingered citron (Citrus medica L. var. sarcodactylis) through blocking JNK, ERK and NF-κB signaling pathways in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells. Food Chem Toxicol 2013;57:126-131.
78.
Kazłowska K, Hsu T, Hou CC, Yang WC, Tsai GJ: Anti-inflammatory properties of phenolic compounds and crude extract from Porphyra dentata. J Ethnopharmacol 2010;128:123-130.
79.
Jones MK, Wang H, Peskar BM, Levin E, Itani RM, Sarfeh IJ, et al: Inhibition of angiogenesis by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: insight into mechanisms and implications for cancer growth and ulcer healing. Nat Med 1999;5:1418-1423.
80.
Krischak GD, Augat P, Claes L, Kinzl L, Beck A: The effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug application on incisional wound healing in rats. J Wound Care 2007;16:76-78.
81.
Mulder GD, Vande Berg JS: Cellular senescence and matrix metalloproteinase activity in chronic wounds. Relevance to debridement and new technologies. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 2002;92:34-37.
82.
Schreml S, Szeimies R-M, Prantl L, Landthaler M, Babilas P: Wound healing in the 21st century. J Am Acad Dermatol 2010;63:866-881.
83.
Shamaki BU, Yusuf A, Balla HJ, Halima IG, Sherifat OB, Abdulrahman FI, et al: Evaluation of chemical composition and the comparative wound healing effect of natural honey and olive oil in rabbits. Infin Commun Appl Sci 2014;2:149-169.
84.
Franchin M, Da Cunha MG, Denny C, Napimoga MH, Cunha TM, Koo H, et al: Geopropolis from Melipona scutellaris decreases the mechanical inflammatory hypernociception by inhibiting the production of IL-1b and TNF-α J Ethnopharmacol 2012;143:709-715.
85.
Kassim M, Achoui M, Mustafa MR, Mohd MA, Yusoff KM: Ellagic acid, phenolic acids, and flavonoids in Malaysian honey extracts demonstrate in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. Nutr Res 2010;30:650-659.
86.
Hussein SZ, Mohd Yusoff K, Makpol S, Mohd Yusof YA: Gelam honey inhibits the production of proinflammatory, mediators NO, PGE 2, TNF-α, and IL-6 in carrageenan-induced acute paw edema in rats. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2012;2012:109636.
87.
Aljadi AM, Kamaruddin MY: Evaluation of the phenolic contents and antioxidant capacities of two Malaysian floral honeys. Food Chem 2004;85:513-518.
88.
Alvarez-Suarez JM, Tulipani S, Romandini S, Bertoli E, Battino M: Contribution of honey in nutrition and human health: a review. Med J Nutrition Metab 2010;3:15-23.
89.
Molan PC: The evidence and the rationale for the use of honey as a wound dressing. Wound Pract Res 2011;19:204-220.
90.
Boateng JS, Matthews KH, Stevens HNE, Eccleston GM: Wound healing dressings and drug delivery systems: a review. J Pharm Sci 2008;97:2892-2923.
91.
Schultz GS, Sibbald RG, Falanga V, Ayello EA, Dowsett C, Harding K, et al: Wound bed preparation: a systematic approach to wound management. Wound Repair Regen 2003;11:2-21.
92.
Davis SC, Perez R: Cosmeceuticals and natural products: wound healing. Clin Dermatol 2009;27:502-506.
93.
Kurhade S, Momin M, Khanekar P, Mhatre S: Novel biocompatible honey hydrogel wound healing sponge for chronic ulcers. Int J Drug Deliv 2013;5:353-361.
94.
Atiyeh BS, Amm CA, El Musa KA: Improved scar quality following primary and secondary healing of cutaneous wounds. Aesthetic Plast Surg 2003;27:411-417.
95.
Atiyeh BS, Hayek SN: Moisture and wound healing. J Plaies Cicatrisation 2005;9:7-11.
96.
Ediriweera ERHSS, Premarathna NYS: Medicinal and cosmetic uses of bee's honey - a review. Ayu 2012;33:178-182.
97.
Bikowski J: The use of therapeutic moisturizers in various dermatologic disorders. Cutis Cutan Med Pract 2001;68:3-11.
98.
Draelos ZD: Active agents in common skin care products. Plast Reconstr Surg 2010;125:719-724.
99.
Ciulu M, Solinas S, Floris I, Panzanelli A, Pilo MI, Piu PC, et al: RP-HPLC determination of water-soluble vitamins in honey. Talanta 2011;83:924-929.
100.
Tuberoso CIG, Jerković I, Bifulco E, Marijanovic Z, Congiu F, Bubalo D: Riboflavin and lumichrome in Dalmatian sage honey and other unifloral honeys determined by LC-DAD technique. Food Chem 2012;135:1985-1990.
101.
Vanhanen LP, Emmertz A, Savage GP: Mineral analysis of mono-floral New Zealand honey. Food Chem 2011;128:236-240.
102.
Molan PC: Potential of honey in the treatment of wounds and burns. Am J Clin Dermatol 2001;2:13-19.
103.
Ovington LG: Advances in wound dressings. Clin Dermatol 2007;25:33-38.
104.
Truchado P, Vit P, Ferreres F, Tomas-Barberan F: Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis allows the simultaneous characterization of C-glycosyl and O-glycosyl flavonoids in stingless bee honeys. J Chromatogr A 2011;1218:7601-7607.
105.
Suntiparapop K, Prapaipong P, Chantawannakul P: Chemical and biological properties of honey from Thai stingless bee (Tetragonula leaviceps). J Apic Res 2012;51:45-52.
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.