Multi-Enzyme Inhibition and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Dammar Bee Honey: An In Vitro Study

Inflammation plays an important role in the development of many chronic diseases, creating a growing interest in natural compounds with anti-inflammatory potential. Dammar bee honey is a phytochemical rich natural product that remains largely unexplored for its therapeutic properties. The present study investigated the anti-inflammatory activity of dammar bee honey using a series of in vitro biochemical assays targeting different inflammatory pathways. The study evaluated the ability of the honey to inhibit nitric oxide production, cyclooxygenase (COX), lipoxygenase (LOX), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and protease enzymes, along with its effect on protein denaturation. Dammar bee honey showed significant inhibition of nitric oxide production in stimulated cultures (reducing nitrite levels from 70.62 ± 1.79 µg to 21.99 ± 1.47 µg at 100 µg/mL), indicating immunomodulatory activity. It also effectively inhibited COX (IC50 = 90.05 µL; 54.29% at 100 µg/mL), LOX (IC50 = 96.38 µL; 53.04% at 100 µg/mL), MPO (82.52% at 100 µg/mL), and protease (IC50 = 87.79 µL; 56.57% at 100 µg/mL) activities, suggesting strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential. In addition, the honey reduced protein denaturation (IC50 = 75.72 µL; 64.93% at 100 µg/mL), demonstrating its protective effect against inflammatory protein damage. These multi-pathway inhibitory effects are likely attributable to major bioactive phenolics and flavonoids present in the honey, such as quercetin, kaempferol, apigenin, fisetin, and gallic acid, identified through phytochemical screening. The observed effects were comparable to the standard anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac in selected assays, particularly COX inhibition and protein denaturation. The findings suggest that dammar bee honey can act on multiple inflammatory pathways and may serve as a promising natural agent for the management of inflammatory conditions.