Honey and Its Phyto-Constituents: From Chemistry to Medicine

Honeybees depend upon plants for everything they want to maintain the colony running; nectar and pollen that is their only carbohydrate and protein essential nutrients. In order to achieve their necessary nutritional requirement, honey bees eventually collect essential plant metabolites when component of nectar and pollen. In addition, several molecules exhibit biological activity which may become significant in the battle against pests and pathogens in the hive. Flavonoids, terpenoids, and polyphenols are essential biologically active ingredients found in honey and also have antioxidant properties. Nonetheless, for reasons of room, it is practically impossible to give a detailed overview of the phytochemical characteristics of honey and pollen in a literature review of this scope. In addition, the therapeutic ability of biologically active ingredients and their use in value-added food products are also at the core of this chapter.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

1. Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, RAKCOPS, RAK Medical and Health Sciences University, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates Adil Farooq Wali, Jayachithra Ramakrishna Pillai, Maryam Razmpoor & Salma Jabnoun
2. School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi, Delhi, India Imra Akbar
3. Forest Biotech Lab, Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Management, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia Saiema Rasool
4. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Azher Arafah
5. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia Andleeb Khan
6. Department of Biochemistry, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India Rukhsana Akhter
7. Department of Biochemistry, Govt. Medical College, (GMC-Srinagar), Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India Sabhiya Majid

1. Adil Farooq Wali