When manuka honey was applied to skin cells in the lab, it activated a receptor (AHR) that helps control inflammation and skin barrier health. Specifically, it reduced inflammatory signals linked to allergic skin conditions and boosted production of filaggrin, a protein essential for skin barrier function. These effects were confirmed both in cell cultures and in mouse skin.

Researchers tested manuka honey on different types of skin cells (both lab-grown and primary human cells) and on mouse skin to see how it affected inflammation markers and skin barrier genes. They also used blocking agents to confirm that the honey's effects were specifically due to activating the AHR pathway.

Funding not disclosed in abstract