title: Honey modulates oxidative burst of professional phagocytes.
abstract: The effects of natural honey and its major sugar constituents (i.e. D-fructose, D-glucose, maltose and sucrose) on phagocytic respiratory burst have been studied. Pre-incubated whole blood and isolated leukocytes with honey samples and sugars were induced for phagocytosis and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was monitored by using chemiluminescence assays. Honey samples were found to decrease the luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence in opsonized zymosan-stimulated whole blood and isolated leukocytes with statistically significant differences; indicating inhibition of ROS production including hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl free radical and hypochlorous acid. Thus honey appears to modify the oxidative burst process by inhibiting phagocytic myeloperoxidase activity. Chemiluminescence assays further showed that among the major sugar constituents of honey, D-fructose in high concentration exerted an inhibitory effect on exocytosis-associated myeloperoxidase catalyzed ROS formation. These results pointed out an immuno-modulatory potential of honey in the course of phagocytosis.
authors.affiliation: Dr Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.
authors.forename: M Ahmed
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mesaik
authors.forename: M Kamran
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Azim
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohiuddin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005089:Exocytosis; D006722:Honey; D006801:Humans; D049449:Luminescence; D051379:Mice; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D016897:Respiratory Burst
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D009195:Peroxidase