The skin is a large organ consisting of different types of tissues. It serves many important functions such as protection against microorganisms, viruses, and harmful UV rays from the sun. Additionally, the skin plays a crucial role in regulating body temperature. It is composed of three layers: the epidermis, dermis, and subcutis. When injured, blood vessels in the dermis are penetrated, resulting in bleeding. Wound healing occurs through a process divided into four phases aimed at tissue repair. Honey has long been used for its health-promoting properties, especially in wound healing, although the molecular mechanisms underlying these properties remain unclear. To contribute to a better understanding of this, this literature review examines the effects of manuka honey on various types of wounds and aims to answer whether manuka honey works better compared to standard treatments for certain wound types. This work compiled results from randomized controlled trials retrieved from the PubMed database in 2024 using the search terms "manuka honey, wound healing." The five selected studies examined the effect of manuka honey on different types of wounds (diabetic foot ulcers, leg ulcers, wounds after tooth or nail extraction, and venous ulcers) compared to standard treatments such as dressings or placebos. The studies included participants from various countries and age groups. Exclusion criteria included age under 16 years, serious illnesses, honey allergies, and ongoing steroid or anti-inflammatory treatments. The results indicated that manuka honey improved healing time for certain wound types, such as neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers and post-tooth extraction wounds and contributed to changes in bacterial flora for venous leg ulcers. Despite these promising results, the studies showed no advantage of manuka honey dressings over paraffin dressings for postoperative and venous ulcers after longer treatment durations.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:lnu-130622 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Hamad, Ruba |
| Publisher | Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för kemi och biomedicin (KOB) |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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