Towards a Better Understanding of Nutritional and Therapeutic Effects of Honey and Their Applications in Apitherapy  
[PERSON]  
1 Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnology, University of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine  
Clip-Napoca, 400572 Clip-Napoca, Romania; [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (G.-M.B.) [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (A.R.M.) [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (B.D.M.) [PERSON]  
2  
[PERSON]  
1 Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnology, University of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine  
Clip-Napoca, 400572 Clip-Napoca, Romania; [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (G.-M.B.) [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (A.R.M.) [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (B.D.M.) [PERSON]  
3 Romanian Society of Apitherapy, 077125 Ilfov, Romania; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
[PERSON]  
1 Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnology, University of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine  
Clip-Napoca, 400572 Clip-Napoca, Romania; [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (G.-M.B.) [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (A.R.M.) bianca.marc@usammvcluj. that may enhance health [16]. Thus, several studies have highlighted the focus of consumers towards products that improve well-being and that are organic-certified, sustainable, contain nutritional and medicinal properties, and environmentally friendly [17; 18; 19; 20]. Honey can be defined as a sweet, natural and non-processed product [21], produced by honeybees from the nectar of plants or from secretions of living parts of plants which the bees collect [22; 23]. The process of honey-making is a complex one due to the intense work that bees undertake after collecting the nectar. Using the enzymes of their stomach through regurgitation and their wings for humidity reduction, the bees transform the nectar in honey by breaking down sugars and by storing it in beeswax honeycombs for maturation [24; 25]. Over recent years, the chemical composition of honey has been widely studied and it was revealed to contain more than 200 compounds, from which the most important are sugars (fructose and glucose). Other constituents include minerals, proteins, free amino acids, enzymes, vitamins, followed by phenolic acids; flavonoids are also present in honey composition, conferring its therapeutic effects [26]. According to some studies [9; 27; 28], phenolic acids and flavonoids are thought to be responsible for the health properties of honey on human health, including, but not limited to antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, antitumor, antiviral and antioxidative activity. Honey composition depends on the botanical and geographical origin of plants [29; 30; 31], along with the environmental conditions as climate during harvest and the ability of the beekeeper to process, pack and store the honey in appropriate conditions [32; 33]. The therapeutic benefits of natural foods such as honey is not a recent discovery, but rather dates back to when humankind considered some food products as having both nutritional and health benefits [2]. This is confirmed by ancient writings that reveal how bee products were used as remedies to several illnesses or for beauty purposes [34]. Historical finds and rock paintings from ancient times (the Spider Cave in Spain and ancient Egyptian temples) [6] highlight the importance that honey and other bee products had for many civilisations (Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, Islamic, among others) in terms of prevention and treatment of a variety of diseases [35]. The term \"apithery\" derives from \"apis\" meaning \"bee\", and therapy\" meaning \"treatment\" [36]. Despite the fact that the term was mainly used for bee venom therapy [37], thanks to several studies carried out in the last years, all bee products are now considered as having important and healing qualities, and therefore, regarded as part of an alternative and complementary medicine, namely, apitherary. The findings reveal that honey was used especially as facilitators to wound healing [38], treating skin condition diseases [39], alleviating gastrointestinal disorders [9], and also for embalming the deceased (ancient Egypt) [25], promoting virility and longevity (ancient Greece), or regulating the body secretions or the fever [25].