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Honey is appreciated the world over as one of Nature’s most delicious foods, but did you know it may have potent anti-flu activity as well?

A fascinating new study published in the Archives of Medical Research titled, “Anti-influenza Viral Effects of Honey In Vitro: Potent High Activity of Manuka Honey,” reveals that honey may actually provide a natural drug alternative to anti-flu drugs, but without the notorious side effects associated with this drug class which includes Tamiflu (oseltamivir).

The study tested a commonly researched H1N1 influenza strain known as A/WSN/3, infecting MadineDarby canine kidney (MDCK) cells with the virus, and then exposing them to various forms of honey, including manuka (L. scoparium), soba (F. esculentum; buckwheat), kanro (honeydew), acacia (R. pseudoacacia), and renge (A. sinicus).

Honey’s Potent Anti-Viral Properties Against Influenza

The anti-influenza virus effects of the honey samples were evaluated by growing MDCK cells in 48-well plates and infecting them with influenza virus in the presence of 2-fold serially diluted honey samples. Two days after infection, the cells were fixed and stained in order to ascertain the degree to which they prevented the cytopathic effect (i.e., the degree to which influenza virus infection caused the cells to die and detach from the plate) of influenza virus.

The results of the study were represented pictorially in the figure below:
   
   
The study also tested whether manuka honey is able to directly inhibit influenza virus growth through what is known as the plaque inhibition assay, as determined through the following 4 methods:

• Pretreatment of cells: Adding manuka to the cells for 1 h and subsequently washed out before viral infection. 

• Pretreatment of virus: Mixing manuka with influenza virus suspension for 1 h before viral infection  

• Treatment during infection: Adding manuka during virus adsorption for 1 h and subsequently washed out 

• Treatment after infection: Adding manuka to the agarose gels

The most potent effect was exhibited with pretreatment of the virus itself, indicating manuka has potent virus-killing properties. Moderate reductions in plaque numbers were observed on treatment of cells with the honey during  and after infection.  The only method that did not demonstrate a growth inhibition was the pretreatment of cells.