Physicochemical and Antioxidant Properties of Four Bee Honey Types and Their Anticancer Effects on Hep-2 Human Laryngeal Cancer Cells

This study investigates the physicochemical, antioxidant, and anticancer properties of four Egyptian honey types: clover, fennel, sidr, and multiflower. These honeys exhibited significant variability in color, pH, acidity, sugars, and enzymatic activity. The fennel honey demonstrated the highest content of total phenolic (TPC) of 238.76 mg GAE/100 g, and the total flavonoid (TFC) was 94.06 mg QE/100 g. In addition, the antioxidant activity as measured by DPPH radical scavenging correlated strongly with bioactive compound concentrations, with fennel honey showing the highest inhibition (60.14%). In vitro cytotoxicity assays against Hep-2 human laryngeal cancer cells revealed fennel honey to have the lowest IC50 value (70 μg/mL), followed by multiflower honey (IC50 = 87 μg/mL), confirming a significant relationship between the TPC, TFC, and the anticancer effects. This highlights the role of bioactive compounds in honey as potential natural anticancer agents. Clover honey exhibited the weakest cytotoxicity (IC50 = 130 μg/mL) with the lowest TPC and TFC. These findings underscore the potential of Egyptian honey varieties, particularly fennel and multiflower honeys, as promising natural sources of antioxidants and anticancer agents, suggesting a beneficial therapeutic role in cancer prevention. Further studies are needed to elucidate the detailed mechanisms by which honey compounds exert these anticancer effects.