Different honey varieties trigger different immune responses
Analysing carbohydrate molecules in honey Prior to this research, Dr Schlothauer says other published research had shown there were big carbohydrate molecules in honey that stimulated immune cells but their structure had not been analysed. “We started separating the molecule but were puzzled about what it was. Initially we thought it was a glycan and sought appropriate analysis, but they put us on to Dr Ian Sims in the Carbohydrate Chemistry group at IRL, who is a leading expert in analysing complex molecules that play an important role in biological systems,” says Dr Schlothauer. IRL has one of only three laboratories worldwide with the capability and expertise required to carry out complex research into the extraction, purification and analysis of oligo- and poly-saccharides and glycoconjugates. The IRL team started with small-scale analyses on mānuka , kānuka and clover honeys. Starting with 5 grams of honey, separation of high molecular weight polymers from small sug