Honey Therapy in Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Promising Strategy for Effective Wound Healing

Abstract

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are considered a major problem for public health, leading to high rates of lower-limb amputations. Moreover, due to the high prevalence rate of predisposing factors, the incidence rate of DFU is still rising. Although DFUs are complex in nature, foot ulceration usually precedes diabetic foot amputations. These impaired chronic wounds usually promote a microbial biofilm, commonly characterized by the presence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms, hampering the efficacy of conventional antibiotic treatments. Honey has been shown to be an effective antibacterial component, including against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Honey’s physical–chemical characteristics, such as the presence of hydrogen peroxide, its low pH levels, and its high sugar and phenolic contents, promote anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities, improving wound healing. This review aims to explore honey’s effects in wound healing, especially for DFUs, and to show how the different physical–chemical features among different honey types might influence the treatment’s effectiveness. For this, the mechanisms by which honey can promote wound healing and the potential use of honey dressings in diabetic wounds were investigated in animal models and humans. After revising the diabetic wound impairment mechanisms, we found that most of the clinical studies that treated DFUs with honey in animal models or humans reported accelerated wound healing, greater wound contraction, and lower amputation or hospitalization rates; however, few studies characterized the features of honeys used for wound treatment, hindering the possibility of extensively comparing the different types of honey and identifying characteristics that most successfully promote wound healing. According to this review, honey is a cost-effective and safe option for DFU management.