Physicochemical and Medicinal Properties of Tualang, Gelam and Kelulut Honeys: A Comprehensive Review
Findings revealed that these honeys have anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anti-cancer, anti-oxidative, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties and effects on the cardiovascular system, nervous system and reproductive system. The physicochemical properties of these honeys were compared and discussed and results showed that they have high-quality contents and excellent antioxidant sources.
Honey from different botanical and geographical origins has different physicochemical properties and compositions that ultimately affect their biological properties.
Tualang, Gelam and Kelulut honeys have unique physicochemical properties mostly attributed to Malaysia’s tropical climate.
Chemical constituents of Tualang, Gelam and Kelulut honeys: Iron, Magnesium, Zinc, Etc.
The medicinal properties of Tualang, Gelam and Kelulut honeys.
Among medicinal properties discussed, all three honey shared these major health benefits; (a) anti-oxidative; (b) anti-cancer; (c) anti-inflammatory; (d) wound-healing; (e) anti-microbial; (f) anti-diabetic and; (g) anti-obesity.
Anti-oxidative mechanism of Tualang, Gelam and Kelulut honeys.
The most positive medicinal effects of Malaysian honey were attributed to its antioxidant properties.
The antioxidant capacity of Gelam, Tualang and Kelulut honey is strongly correlated with:
its high concentration of its phenolic content, flavonoid, and intense darker-colour.
Anti-cancer mechanism of Tualang, Gelam and Kelulut honeys.
The anti-cancer effect of Tualang honey was demonstrated through modulation in five aspects:
tumor growth, tumor grading and haematologic, oestrogenic and apoptotic (plays a role in preventing cancer) activities.
Summary of anti-cancer properties
The anti-microbial activity of Tualang, Gelam, and Kelulut honeys.
Tualang honey has been reported to possess antibacterial activity against antibiotic resistant bacteria, such as MRSA.
Tualang, Gelam, and Kelulut also possesses antifungal and antiviral properties.
Anti-inflammatory mechanism of Tualang, Gelam and Kelulut honeys.
Tualang, Gelam, and Kelulut honeys demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties.
Tualang and Kelulut honeys were found to have an anti-diabetic effect.
Although the anti-diabetic effect of honey may sound paradoxical as it contains a high content of sugar, several studies proved it otherwise.
Summary of anti-diabetic properties
Gelam and Kelulut honeys have been found to show anti-obesity properties.
Supplementation of Kelulut honey yielded a higher reduction in body mass index (BMI) and could prevent changes, such as high omental fat mass, serum triglyceride, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressures, adipocyte area and adipocyte perimeter, caused by metabolic syndrome.
Wound-healing mechanism of Tualang, Gelam and Kelulut honeys.
Honey has been used to treat wounds, ulcers, and burns beginning from ancient times.
It is almost equal or slightly superior effects compared with conventional treatments.
Tualang, Gelam and Kelulut honeys have been demonstrated to have wound-healing properties
Tualang honey was reported to affect the cardiovascular system.
Tualang Honey supplementation showed a superior effect in lowering diastolic blood pressure and fasting blood sugar over honey cocktail (a mixture of honey, beebread and royal jelly) in postmenopausal women.
Tualang, Gelam and Kelulut honeys demonstrated benefits toward male and female reproductive systems.
Tualang honey:
- is beneficial for the postmenopausal syndrome
- prevents uterine atrophy
- increases bone density
- suppresses body weight elevation
- improves trabecular bone structure better than calcium supplements
- has the potential to be an alternative to hormone replacement therapy for postmenopausal women
- is comparable with that of Tribestan in improving sperm concentration, motility and morphology in amongst oligospermic males
Tualang, Gelam and Kelulut honeys have a positive affect on the nervous system.
Tualang honey:
- improves memory
- reduces depressive-like behavior in animals and humans
- protects against memory decline in noise stress-induced participants
- improves memory performance
- decreases depressive-like behavior in those exposed to loud noise stress
- improves the immediate memory of postmenopausal women
Kelulut honey:
- reduces serum triglyceride and LDL
- normalizes blood glucose levels in metabolic disease
- lessens anxious behavior
- enhances memory retention
Conclusions
Tualang, Gelam and Kelulut honeys were extensively demonstrated to have various health benefits.
Tualang honey is superior as a wound dressing over conventional dressing.
Tualang, Gelam and Kelulut honey have excellent preclinical potential in multiple diseases.
These honeys are proven superfoods and a benefit to humanity.