Brazilian Honey and Its Therapeutic Properties

Abstract

Honey is an important food and therapeutic product of beekeeping work. In this chapter, our objective is to present different types of Brazilian honey produced in different regions of Brazil by farmers and traditional communities, and how this variety of honey products are used therapeutically by the population to treat some diseases. We mention orange honey, eucalyptus honey, uruçu honey, borá honey, vine-grape honey, jataí honey, chestnut honey, and cashew honey. Many of them have been used by the traditional Brazilian community to treat some diseases. According to research, some of these honeys have been shown to have natural compounds that interact with cellular targets and promote therapeutic action.

1. Introduction

Beekeeping is an activity widely explored by rural people because it is an alternative that generates profit, needs little maintenance, and has a low initial cost compared to other agricultural practices [1]. It also contributes to maintaining and preserving existing ecosystems and does not cause environmental impact [2]. Brazil is considered to have tremendous apicultural potential for being a vast country and for having a diversified flora [3]. It also has a varied climate that enables honey production throughout the year, differing from other countries (China, United States, Argentina, Mexico, and Canada) that only produce once a year [4]. Honey is a natural food produced through the nectar of flowers [5]. It has great nutritional value, so it is widely used for medicinal purposes, as it contains essential sources of energy and nutrients beneficial to health [6].

Honey is attributed to several medicinal properties besides its quality as food. Although man has used honey for therapeutic purposes since ancient times, its use as a unique food with special characteristics should be the main attraction for its consumption. Unfortunately, the Brazilian population generally does not see it this way, considering it more as a medicine than as food, consuming it only in the colder seasons of the year, when there is an increase in pathological cases related to respiratory problems. In Brazil, the consumption of honey as food is still small (approximately 700 g/inhabitant/year), especially when compared to other countries, such as the United States and the European Community and Asia, which can reach more than 1 kg/year per inhabitant.

Among the numerous medicinal properties attributed to honey by folk medicine, many medicinal properties have been proven by scientific studies, and its antimicrobial activity is perhaps its most active medicinal effect [7]. The factors responsible for this antimicrobial ability are physical factors, such as its high osmolarity and acidity, chemical factors related to inhibitory substances, such as hydrogen peroxide, and volatile substances, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids [8].

2. A brief history of honey production in Brazil

Beekeeping was introduced in Brazil by Father Antônio Carneiro in early 1839, who brought some colonies of bees of the species Apis mellifera from Portugal to Rio de Janeiro [9]. Soon afterward, other breeds of the same species were food science and technology: contemporary research and 472 practices introduced by European immigrants in some country regions, including A. mellifera linguistic, Apis mellifera carnica, A. mellifera scutelatta, Apis mellifera caucasica, [10]. Despite this, in the 1970s, which implemented adequate beekeeping techniques, such as the genetic improvement of bees, periodic replacement of queens, selection of genetic material, and cleaning of equipment, beekeeping has expanded, being explored by large and small producers [11].

Due to its vast territorial expansion and diverse climate, Brazil is the sixth country with the highest honey production globally, behind China, the United States, Argentina, Mexico, and Canada [12]. The Rio Grande do Sul is the top producer of honey in Brazil, with about 7000 tons during the year [13]. The northeast is the second Brazilian region that produces the most honey [14]. It is a region with vegetation resistant to drought, short rainy periods, low soil fertility, and limiting factors for agriculture, contributing to being one of the regions with the greatest beekeeping potential in the world [15]. Brazil produces only 50,000 tons per year but can produce 200,000 tons and could reach high in the market if honey was consumed more in food than medicines (Figure 1) [16].

Figure 1.

Honey Brazilian producer situated at Pitangui, Minas Gerais state, Brazil.

3. Biodiversity of bees and kinds of honeys in Brazil

The southern region of Brazil produces 38% of honey, followed by the northeast with 37% and 19% in the southeast.

Honey is considered one of nature’s purest products, derived from nectar and other natural plant secretions collected and processed by bees, enabling a new source of potentially nutritious and healthy alternative food. Because it is rich in energy, it enables us to carry out our daily tasks. It has organic acids, flavonoids, hormones, enzymes, water, glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, minerals, and vitamins [17].

The composition of honey depends mainly on the plant sources from which it is derived and on different factors, such as soil, the bee species, the physiological state of the colony, the honey’s ripeness, and the weather conditions of the harvest, among others [18]. In general, the main characteristic of the honey of meliponid species is the differentiation in its composition, especially the water content (humidity), which makes it less dense than the Honey of Africanized bees (A. mellifera).

The color varies from almost transparent to dark amber, and the taste and sugar levels depend on the palate, species, season, region, and especially the bloom. Bee honey, mainly from stingless bees, is widely used by Amazonian Indians for its therapeutic potentials, such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, sedative, and expectorant effects (Figure 2) [18].

Figure 2.

Honey pots from Apis mellifera illustrate the variety of colors. The nectar is transported to the hive, changing its concentration and chemical composition. However, during its transport to the hive, secretions from various glands, mainly the hypopharyngeal glands, are added, including invertase (a-glycosidase) and diastase (a- and β-amylase).

3.1 Honey of bees of the genus Apis

Bee honey of the genus Apis is the most consumed in the country and comes from various flowers (multiflora). It has antioxidants, soothing, laxatives, and may positively affect the skin and respiratory tract. It stimulates immunity and is a natural invigorator (Figure 3a).

Figure 3.

Brazilian kinds of honey: (a) Multiflora Apis Honey; (b) Coffee (Coffea arabica) flower honey; (c) Betônica (Betonica sp) flower honey; (d) Pequi (Caryocar brasiliense) flower honey; (e) Cipó-uva (Serjania lethalis) flower honey; (f) Velame (Croton heliotropiifolius) flower honey; (g) Aroeira (Astronium urundeuva) flower honey.

3.2 Coffee flower honey

Coffee flower honey has a mild citrus taste and has an energizing effect. This particular kind of honey is produced from the work of bees during flowering in coffee plantations; the nectar is collected from the flowers. This honey is a rare and seasonal food, and they are produced mainly in the southern region of Minas Gerais (Figure 3b).

3.3 Honey from “Assa-peixe”

The “Assa-peixe” (Vernonia polysphaera (Spreng.) Less.) is a plant of the genus Vernonia, native to Brazil [1]. The honey from the bees raised near the Assa-peixe plantations is delicious. The Brazilian population uses the Assa-peixe leaf to fight skin diseases, bronchitis, kidney stones, muscle pain, flu, pneumonia, fluid retention, and even coughing.

It has a pleasant aroma and taste, calming and expectorant effect. Assa-peixe flower honey is extracted from the typical Brazilian flower from the southeast and northeast regions of Minas Gerais, produced during spring and summer.

3.4 Aroeira honey

The Aroeira (Astronium urundeuva (M.Allemão) Engl.) is a tree species with great use of its wood. It is found mainly in the north of Minas Gerais and in the northwest region of Brazil. The honey from the Aroeira flower is extracted from the tree’s nectar, resulting in unique honey that stands out for its dark color [19, 20]. The difference between this unique honey and the others is the plant’s union with an insect, which has sanitary properties in the fight against stomach diseases [21]. Aroeira blossom honey has qualities and specifications comparable to New Zealand manuka honey. Honey de Flor de Aroeira rarely crystallizes and has demonstrated a powerful antioxidant and bactericidal effect produced mainly in the north and center of Minas (Figure 3g).

3.5 Eucalyptus honey

One of the most popular types, eucalyptus honey, is widely used to relieve sore throat, sinusitis, and colds because of its expectorant action. It is produced in the south and southeast regions, and, unlike orange blossom honey, it has a darker color and a solid and refreshing taste [22].

It has a more pungent taste and dark coloration. It is recommended that additional treatment relieve intestinal infections [23], urinary tract, and respiratory diseases. Eucalyptus flower honey is found all over Minas Gerais, mainly between March and June.

3.6 “Velame” honey

“Velame” (Croton heliotropiifolius Kunth) is endemic to the Brazilian northeast. The “Velame da Caatinga” is a trendy, fragrant plant with thick leaves and clusters of white flowers. Natural medicine is used for all kinds of infections [24]. The honey extracted from this plant has a very light color and is very tasty.

“Velame” flower honey is crystalline and is also called white amber. It is incredibly soft and produced from October to January. Found throughout the entire territory of Minas Gerais (Figure 3f).

3.7 “Candeia” flower honey

In Brazil, “Candeia” is a popular plant in the Asteraceae family. However, it is of challenging identification. The honey, known as “morrão de candeia” or “Candeia” honey (Croton sp.), is one of the most popular kinds of honey in folk medicine has a dark color and is used to treat respiratory system diseases, such as cough in general, whooping cough, laryngitis, hoarseness [24]. Very good as an adjuvant in cases of asthma attacks and gastric ulcers. Found in the central region of the state.

3.8 “Capixingui” flower honey

The “Capixingui” (Croton floribundus Spreng) is a small, fast-growing tree that can be exploited for its wood or honey.

“Capixingui” flower honey has a light amber color, with a pleasant and characteristic taste. Found mainly in the areas of influence of the Atlantic forest of eastern Minas.

3.9 “Cipó-uva” honey

“Cipó-uva” (Serjania lethalis A.St.-Hil.) is a plant because it exudes an aroma of pink grapes when in bloom. Cipó-uva honey has a light amber color and a pleasant flavor. Cipó-uva is known for its medicinal properties, extolled as a balm for intestinal cramps and kidney pain. Parts of the Cipó-uva plant, such as the roots, leaves, and stems of this plant, are indicated for topical use and treatment of pain. It is a natural detoxifier for liver and blood sugar control [25]. Although the pharmacological and cultivation characteristics of S. lethalis have already been widely researched scientifically, its therapeutic virtues are still incipient. The pollen honey of this plant has been used and appreciated in folk medicine for many decades.

3.10 “Periquiteira” flower honey

“Periquietira” (Trema micrantha (L.) Blume) is a pioneer species belonging to the cannabis family, previously considered to belong to the Ulmaceae family. It can be found in Brazil’s south, southeast, central-west, and northeast regions.

Its small fruits are widely eaten by birds, giving the species a high ecological value. Its most loyal consumers are Psittaciformes, a family which includes parakeets and parrots.

This honey is indicated for rickets, acting as an emollient in the respiratory tract, used against catarrhal coughs, with effects on lung disorders, bronchitis, pharyngitis, and asthma, presenting a concrete expectorant action and anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic [26]. Present in the northern region of Minas Gerais.

3.11 Orange blossom honey

More precisely, produced in the southeast in Minas and São Paulo orange blossom honey has a light color, mild aroma, and flavor with a light citrus touch. It can be a good ally for those who have trouble sleeping because it helps fight insomnia and improves bowel function.

3.12 “Uruçu” honey

The northeast region produces this yellowish honey with a propolis-like flavor. It stands out for its medicinal functions and for having plenty of water. The Melipona scutellaris “uruçu” bees are native to northeastern Brazil, widely found in forests on the coasts of the northeast, preferring humid places to make their hives, usually in trees [27].

The word uruçu derives from the Tupi word “eiru su,” which means giant bee. This is due to the various bees of the same genus, also found in north Brazil. It is possible to find the yellow uruçu and the uruçu bees. The honey is produced by the “uruçu” bee, a stingless bee with high-water content and antibacterial properties.

3.13 “Borá” honey

The “Borá” honey is produced by the bee Borá (Tetragona clavipes), a native stingless bee species of South America [28]. It is a bee of the Meliponidae family, and the original name comes from the Tupi Heborá, which means “that one which has to have honey.” “Borá” bee is popularly known as “Jataizão” and “Vorá.” The Indians also know it in Xingu, which is found in abundance. “Borá” is a yellow, bitter substance found in the nests of this bee, possibly because of a large amount of “Samora,” “saburá” (pollen) stored by this bee. Although honey is known for its sweet taste, “Bora” honey is different because it has a salty and slightly acidic flavor. It is often used to accompany cheese, fish, and other more elaborate dishes. It is produced in southeastern Brazil.

3.14 “Jataí” honey

Tetragonisca angustula, the jataí bee, is a little Brazilian bee, measuring approximately 5 mm, golden yellow, with prominent corpuscles (or pollen baskets) on its hind legs. The morphology of the entrance to the nest is a characteristic of the species: a tube of wax or cerumen with small holes along its length and an opening that allows several bees to pass simultaneously. At night, this entrance is closed to protect the nest. The Jataí bee is recorded in the five regions of Brazil. In the northeast region, it is found in Bahia, Maranhão, Ceará, Paraíba, and Pernambuco [29]. This species differs from other Melipona bees for its ability to nest and survive in urban areas, which positively influences the species’ evolutionary success, given the threats they have been experiencing in rural areas.

“Jataí” honey is produced throughout Brazil and has a light color and slightly acidic taste. It is excellent to ease flu symptoms by having decongestant action and works as an ally to increase the body’s immunity.

3.15 Cashew honey

The cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale L.) is a plant of the Anacardiaceae family, native to the northeast region of Brazil, with a twisted crown architecture and of different sizes [30]. In nature, there are two types: the common (or giant) and the dwarf. This species can reach a height of 5–12 m, but can reach 20 m in very favorable conditions.

Honey from this plant has six times more vitamin C than the fruit itself—an essential nutrient to solve the problem, helping the body absorb iron.

3.16 Bracatinga honey

Bracatinga honeydew (Mimosa scabrella Bentham) is relatively darker. Bees make it from the collection of a sweetened liquid (honeydew) produced by other insects called non-floral cochineal honey; once, the bee uses the molasses produced by the cochineal to produce the Bracatinga honey.

Produced in southern Brazil, it has recently gained prominence in the news in the beekeeping world.

4. Therapeutic usage by traditional communities in Brazil

The medicinal properties of bee honey have been mentioned for various medicinal and nutritional purposes [26]. Honey, by definition, is a natural product of bees obtained from the nectar of flowers (floral honey), from secretions of living parts of plants, or from excretions of insects sucking on living parts of plants (honeydew honey). Honeydew is a biological term that refers to the excretions in the form of sugary liquids of many species of Homopteran that live as parasitic suckers of the elaborate sap of plant phloem [31].

The bees sought and collected these sugary liquids as if they were nectar undergoing the same enzymatic processes. The bees, in turn, will use the resources available as a source of sugar to elaborate it. Therefore, the most common occurrence is floral honey mixed with honeydew honey. Honey consists of various sugars, predominantly D-fructose and D-glucose, and other components and substances, such as organic acids, enzymes, and solid particles collected by bees [32]. The appearance of honey varies from almost colorless to dark brown, and it can be fluid, dense, or even solid. Its taste and aroma vary according to the origin of the plant. Varieties of honey can be identified by their color, taste, flavor, and manner of crystallization.

The honey sediment is analyzed for its pollen grain content in exceptional circumstances. Alternatively, in honeydew honey varieties, another characteristic of components presents in honeydew honey varieties, such as spores, mycelium fragments, or leaf fragments, is determined. Other characteristics helpful in identifying the type of honey include specific conductivity and variety-specific flavor components. Honey is considered the most accessible beekeeping product to exploit, the best known and the one with the most significant potential for commercialization. Besides being a food, it is also used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries for its therapeutic actions.

Honey is a rich food with high energetic value, consumed worldwide, and extremely important for human health when pure. It has several properties: antimicrobial, curative, soothing, tissue regenerative, and stimulant.

The medicinal properties of bee honey and other hive products, for example, pollen, royal jelly, propolis, and bee larvae, have been mentioned for their variety of medicinal and nutritional purposes. Honey is undoubtedly the best known and most widespread of the products provided by bees. It was one of man’s first foods, and practically all ancient civilizations have used it as food and as a medicinal resource. Nowadays, man uses honey abundantly as food without ignoring its medicinal qualities and nutritional value.

One and three hundred sixty kilos of honey, by definition, is a natural product of bees obtained from the nectar of flowers (floral honey), secretions of living parts of plants, or excretions of sucking insects of living parts of plants (“honey de melaço”). Honey is a biological term that refers to the excretions in the form of sugary liquids of a large number of species of Homopteran, which live as parasites and suck the elaborate sap from the phloem of plants. Honey is a complex matrix due to the interference of variables not controlled by man during its production, such as climate, flowering, and the presence of sucking insects, among other factors.

The bees, in turn, will use the available resources as a source of sugar to produce it. Therefore, the most common occurrence is floral honey mixed with honeydew honey. Honey consists of various sugars, predominantly D-fructose and D-glucose, and other components and substances, such as organic acids, enzymes, and solid particles, collected by bees. The appearance of honey varies from nearly colorless to dark brown, and it can be fluid, dense, or even solid. Its taste and aroma vary according to the origin of the plant. Varieties of honey can be identified by their color, taste, flavor, and manner of crystallization.

The honey sediment is analyzed for its pollen grain content in exceptional circumstances. Another characteristic of components presents in honeydew honey varieties, such as spores, mycelium fragments, or leaf fragments, is determined. Other valuable characteristics in identifying the type of honey include specific conductivity and variety-specific flavor components. Honey is considered the most specific beekeeping product to exploit, the best known, and the one with the most significant potential for commercialization. Besides being a food, it is also used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries for its therapeutic actions.

Honey is a vibrant food with high energetic value, consumed worldwide, and extremely important for the health of the human body when pure because it has several properties, such as antimicrobial, curative, soothing, tissue regenerative, and stimulant, among others [33]. It consists of simple sugars, such as glucose and fructose. Its passage from the digestive tract to the bloodstream and from the bloodstream to the interior of cells, where it is metabolized, does not require many transformations, and its entry into cellular metabolism is relatively fast.

Honey has an energizing action on the human body, mainly due to the enzymes, vitamins, the presence of chemical elements that are critical for the proper functioning of the body, and the trace elements [34]. Honey has essential mineral elements for the human body, especially selenium, manganese, zinc, chromium, and aluminum.

5. Natural products on Brazilian honey

Among the raw materials extracted from beekeeping, honey is considered the most specific product to be exploited. It is also the one with the most significant possibilities for commercialization. Besides being a food, it can also be used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries due to its therapeutic actions. It is known that there are several medicinal properties of honey. In this sense, this review sought to evaluate the scientific literature from the last decade regarding the biological properties associated with honey. It was verified that this product had been used in several therapeutic lines, primarily due to its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and healing activities. In addition, there are also studies demonstrating its antiproliferative and antimetastatic effects in brain tumors, suggesting a synergistic effect in the use of different types of honey from different origins with different biological activities [17].

The exact chemical composition of any honey depends mainly on the plant sources from which it is derived and on climate, soil, and the bee species that produce it. Therefore, honey varies significantly in pollen content physicochemical, sensory, and aromatic characteristics from one region to another. An essential point in honey production is the certification of its botanical origin. Although there is no specific legislation for this parameter, and it is not mandatory for its commercialization, this knowledge allows inferring which bees explored plant species to make honey and, consequently, inferring the product characteristics, such as color and flavor medicinal properties.

Finally, several articles demonstrate that honey may have associated biological properties, such as healing activity, antifungal, antioxidant, antiviral, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties [33].

In Brazil, phytotherapeutics and homemade syrups with honey are widely used in popular therapies, mainly in indigenous and rural areas, due to their healing properties. Its topical application on the skin, including treating wounds and burns, is fascinating among its medicinal properties. Honey can extract moisture from the environment and thus dehydrate bacteria with the help of its hyperosmolar properties. In addition, honey also plays an essential role in the rapid autolytic debridement and deodorization of deep wounds.

This is due to the low makeup ideal for wound acidification, which accelerates the healing process. Honey promotes angiogenesis, granulation, and epithelialization, which helps to accelerate the wound healing process. In addition to all these properties, honey also stands out for its antimicrobial activity numerous characteristics of its numerous characteristics.

This enzyme, secreted by bee glands, is responsible for converting glucose, in the presence of water and oxygen into gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide, both considered solid antioxidant agents that attack the envelope of microorganisms, preserving and maintaining the sterility of honey during its maturation [35]. The iron and copper minerals in honey, associated with hydrogen peroxide, can lead to the generation of hydroxyl radicals with antimicrobial properties.

Finally, other factors that can contribute to the antimicrobial property of honey are high osmotic pressure, low water activity, low protein content, low redox potential due to the high content of reducing sugars, high viscosity that limits oxygen solubility, and other chemical and phytochemical agents [18].

6. Reported therapeutic actions of different kinds of Brazilian honey

To exemplify the properties of a kind of Brazilian honey on therapeutic usage, we can cite the Aroeira honey with the demonstrated antibacterial ideal concentration for inhibiting S. aureus and E. coli. The use of honey as antimicrobials has shown advantageous for reducing the microbial load since it could inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of the honey observed in this work reinforces the potential for the therapeutic use of Aroeira honey produced in the north of Minas Gerais, thus contributing to the aggregation value of this honey [19].

Bracatinga Honey’s benefits are associated with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity and the presence of highly bio-accessible minerals [20]. Another kind of Brazilian honey-like orange and eucalyptus honey, has been found to inhibit the formation of edema and infection and render the presence of crusts transient. The assa-peixe, eucalyptus, or orange honey reduces inflammation and necrosis and optimizes granulation tissue growth, fibroplasia, and reepithelization [36].

In vitro antimicrobial potential of these honey was verified in different dilutions through antibiograms against strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It was observed that this pure monofloral honey prevents the growth of the main bacterial agents present in the skin, emphasizing orange honey in the control of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli. Therefore, the assa-peixe, orange, or eucalyptus honey has healing and antimicrobial potential [36].

Some antibacterial and antioxidant properties have been attributed to honey of velame (Croton argyrophylloides). Chemical analysis of C. argyrophylloides leaves revealed the presence of compounds with antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity can be confirmed by the DPPH method and demonstrating a significant content of phenolic compounds and total flavonoid content in the species, which corroborates the activity in the plant sample. The foliar extracts had an antimicrobial effect, tested on plates that showed growth inhibition halos of 10 and 12 mm on Staphylococcus aureus [37, 38].

7. Conclusions

The incredible biodiversity of flora in Brazil can provide a diverse source for bee productivity, obtaining a diversity of types of honey in Brazil. These bee products have a high content of natural compounds with great potential for use in the treatment of human health. There are different effects already studied as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunological. However, more research is still needed, with pharmacological and medicinal use in the larger population, and with a scientific method, mainly related to monofloral honey to verify its phytotherapeutic potential. However, the potential of natural compounds produced by honey as a by-product of nectar, flowers, and another source of the high biodiversity of Brazilian flora has been demonstrated.

Some studies are conclusive, but given the incredible biodiversity, there is still a lot of work to be done on the natural products of Brazilian honey.

Acknowledgments

We are thankful to APIMELO store equipment for beekeeping, Pará de Minas city, Minas Gerais state, Brazil and Coopemapi—Mel das Gerais, Bocaiúva city, Minas Gerais state, Brazil for kindly transferring the image and information right to write this chapter.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.