Sleep disorders present significant challenges to public health, necessitating effective and sustainable solutions beyond conventional pharmacological interventions. This study aims to investigate the potential of honey and its compositions as a functional food for addressing sleep disorders. A comprehensive review of existing literature explores honey's intrinsic properties and impact on sleep quality. The findings suggest that honey, with its unique composition and soothing effects, offers a promising avenue for enhancing sleep patterns without relying on pharmaceutical drugs. This study also discusses the possible mechanism of action and the challenges of using honey in this field. While further research is needed to elucidate specific mechanisms and optimal utilisation, integrating honey into holistic sleep management strategies holds promise for improving overall well-being and quality of life.
Effective wound healing requires biocompatible and functional wound dressings. This study explores the synergistic potential of gellan gum (GG), known for its exceptional gel-forming abilities, and acacia stingless bee honey (SBH), for its potent antioxidant properties, in developing advanced wound care solutions. GG hydrogel films incorporated with varying concentrations of SBH (v/v) at 10 % (GGSBH10), 15 % (GGSBH15), and 20 % (GGSBH20) were characterized. The incorporation of SBH into the GG matrix resulted in distinctive spectral peaks of ATR-FTIR associated with SBH, particularly evident in GGSBH20. Among the formulations, GGSBH20 demonstrated an impressive water vapor transmission rate of 1149 ± 11 g m-2 d-1 and a swelling ratio of 169 ± 7 %. Disk diffusion revealed that E. coli was susceptible to GGSBH. Cytotoxicity assessments (MTT and scratch assays) on 3 T3-L1 cells confirmed the biocompatibility of GGSBH, which showed no cytotoxic effects up to 72 h of incubation, and improved cell viability. Notably, GGSBH20 displayed the highest wound closure rate, significantly enhancing cell migration and proliferation. Overall, our findings underscore the promising healing properties of GG hydrogel films when enriched with acacia SBH, highlighting their potential as effective and innovative wound dressing materials.