Production of bioactive honey from medicinal plants

This project is part of the global trend in functional food research and focuses on forming links between two important medicinal natural products for human health; medicinal plants and honey. The principal objective of this project was to produce a novel bioactive honey from medicinal plants using both conventional and alternative honey production methods under highly controlled conditions. The end result of the study is a novel medicinal scientifically-validated honey, produced from a medicinal plant with high bioactivities. This product could, potentially, add value to the therapeutic properties of both, the honey and medicinal plant industries. The value of honey may be increased if it is a scientifically-validated bioactive commodity. Medicinal plant growers will acquire a second income from the same plants. The pollen substitute developed by this project provides a complex mixture which includes proteins, minerals, carbohydrates, and other nutrients to provide sufficient amounts of the requirements to enhance multiple generations of bees, which may help to overcome the serious issue of the dramatic decrease in numbers of bees worldwide.