ABSTRACT
Honey is one of the important non-timber forest products. Local people as well as tribals living in the Western Ghats and southwest India acquire honey from the forests for trade, medicinal, and nutritional purposes. Honey is traditionally used to treat or cure many dermal (inflammation, physical injury, allergy, and bleeding), respiratory (cough, throat infections, and asthma), and digestive ailments (loss of appetite, indigestion, diarrhea, vomiting, and obesity). Local people and tribals have their own scheme of preparation of medicine using honey along with many medicinal plants and spices. Other ingredients used to prepare medicine from honey include fruits, jaggery, milk, curds, and ghee. The designation of the medicinal product (liquid, beverage; semi-solid, and paste) depends on the ingredients used. Honey also serves as potent anti-oxidant, anti-diabetes, and anti-microbial 446agent. Owing to nutritional (mainly minerals, sugars, vitamins, and dietary fiber) along with medicinal potential, honey serves as a potent nutraceutical source. The wax derived from the honeycomb also traditionally used for various purposes in cottage industries. In spite of the easy availability of honey, several of its properties and actions are still obscure and needs further insight.
