Use of Honey in Treatment of Aphthous Ulcers

The medical and therapeutic uses of honey in wound healing have been known since ancient time. We hypothesized that Honey would exert comparable effects to Orabase®-B in the treatment of aphthous ulcers in humans. Objective: To evaluate honey as a treatment option for clinical symptoms associated with aphthous ulcers. Method: Thirteen subjects with continued history of aphthous ulcers were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: 1) Rabbitbush Honey, 2) Orange Blossom Honey and 3) Orabase®-B, an OTC palliative agent. All subjects within each group self applied their assigned treatment topically for 15 seconds three times a day for 14 days. Clinical assessments were made on days 0, 3, 6, 10 and 14. The maximum diameters of the ulcer and the erythematous halo were measured using 1mm increments on a periodontal probe. Healing, measured as reduction in ulcer size, was monitored and recorded using an intra-oral camera. Subjective evaluation of perceived pain was assessed and recorded using the impath visual analog scale. The ulcer size, duration, and resolution of pain were compared between groups (mixed effect model was used for analyses of repeated measures). Results: No statistical differences between the two honey groups on the values measured were noted; therefore the two honey groups were combined and compared against the Orabase®-B group. Halo size quadratically and ulcer size was significantly reduced over time in both honey and Orabase®-B groups (p< 0.0001) with no significant differences between the groups. However, the honey group reported greater pain reduction than the Orabase®-B group (p=0.0276). Conclusion: Honey exerts comparable effects when compared to Orabase®-B in the treatment of human aphthous ulcers. However, honey is more effective in providing relief from pain associated with these ulcers. (Supported by National Honey Board, CO)