Chemical composition and uses of Honey: A Review

Author(s): Dessie Ashagrie Tafere

Honey is an organic natural substance that is produced from the nectar of flowers by Apis mellifera and is a sweet, flavorful liquid. It is one of the most popular natural sweet substances. From a chemical point of view, it could be defined as a natural food mainly composed of sugars and water together with minor constituent such as minerals, vitamins, amino acids, organic acids, flavonoids and other phenolic compounds and aromatic substances. Its composition is particularly variable, depending on its botanical and geographical origins. Honey is used to feed bees during the winter. For centuries, honey has been used as food and as natural medicine, being prescribed by physicians of many ancient cultures for the treatment of a wide variety of ailments.