Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012;3(2):2.
doi: 10.3823/434.

In vitro antiviral activity of honey against varicella zoster virus (VZV): A translational medicine study for potential remedy for shingles

Aamir Shahzad  1 , Randall J Cohrs
Affiliations

In vitro antiviral activity of honey against varicella zoster virus (VZV): A translational medicine study for potential remedy for shingles

Aamir Shahzad et al. Transl Biomed. 2012.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro anti-viral effect of honey on varicella zoster virus. METHODS: Manuka and clover honeys were used at concentrations ranging from 0-6% wt/vol. A clinical VZV isolate was obtained from a zoster vesicle and used at low passage. Various concentrations of manuka and clover honey were added to the tissue culture medium of VZV-infected human malignant melanoma (MeWo) cells. RESULTS: Both types of honey showed antiviral activity against varicella zoster virus with an approximate EC50 = 4.5 % (wt/vol). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that honey has significant in vitro anti-VZV activity. As, honey is convenient for skin application, is readily available and inexpensive, honey may be an excellent remedy to treat zoster rash in developing countries where antiviral drugs are expensive or not easily available.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Viability of MeWo Cells in dilute honey solutions
Neutral red uptake assay was used to determine cell viability in various honey concentrations. MeWo cells were incubated for 3 hrs with 40 ug/ml neutral red in DMEM, fixed in 0.5% formaldehyde, 1% CaCl2 for 1 min, dissolved in 50% ethanol, 1% acetic acid for 5 min. Optical density was determined at 560 nm on triplicate samples. Cytotoxicity for both honeys is similar until highest concentration tested. At 5 % dilution, clover honey is more toxic to MeWo cells than Manuka honey.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Anti-VZV activity of manuka and clover honeys
MeWo cells were infected with VZV and treated with the indicate concentrations of manuka and clover honeys. At 3 days post infection, virus plaques were immunostained and counted.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effect of honey on VZV plaque morphology in MeWo cells. MeWo cells were infected with VZV and maintained in 0% (panels A and B) or 6% (panels C and D) honey. Virus plaques were visualized by staining for VZV IE63 protein and photographed at 10x (panels A and C) or 20x (panels B and D) magnification.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Kleinschmidt-DeMasters BK, Gilden DH. Varicella-Zoster virus infections of the nervous system: clinical and pathologic correlates. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2001;125(6):770–780. - PubMed
    1. Lua PJ, Euler GL, Jumaan AO, Harpaz R. Herpes zoster vaccination among adults aged 60 years or older in the United States, 2007: Uptake of the first new vaccine to target seniors. Vaccine. 200927(6):882–887. - PubMed
    1. Weinberg JM. Herpes zoster: epidemiology, natural history, and common complications. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2007;57(6 Suppl):S130–135. - PubMed
    1. Mcinerney RJF: Honey - a Remedy Rediscovered. J Roy Soc Med. 1990;83(2):127–127. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chiba M, Idobata K, Kobayashi N, Sato Y, Muramatsu Y. [Use of honey to ease the pain of stomatitis during radiotherapy]. Kangogaku Zasshi. 1985;49(2):171–176. - PubMed