Abdulkadir Gunduz

Background: Honey derived from the nectar of Rhododendron species, known as “mad honey,” possesses unique pharmacological and toxicological properties due to its grayanotoxin content. Prior investigations have largely comprised case reports and experimental studies, lacking a comprehensive overview of broader scientific trends. The present study addresses this gap by providing the first bibliometric analysis of the historical development, thematic directions, and scientific structure of the “mad honey” literature published between 1954 and 2025. Methods: Data for this retrospective bibliometric analysis were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection database in January 2026. The search strategy used the keywords “mad honey,” “grayanotoxin,” “andromedotoxin,” “rhodotoxin,” and “asebotoxin,” encompassing publications from 1954 to 2025, with no language restrictions. Results: During the study period, 388 publications were identified across 214 journals, reflecting an annual growth rate of 1.65%. A total of 1253 authors contributed, with an average of 18.57 citations per publication. Country-level analysis revealed that Türkiye leads globally in both publication volume and citation impact, followed by the United States, China, and Japan. Conclusions: This analysis demonstrates that the mad honey literature has evolved from local case reports toward global clinical research and potential therapeutic applications. Research on mad honey has expanded globally since 2010, with Türkiye leading clinical data and diagnostic protocols. Future studies should shift focus from poisoning cases toward therapeutic potential, product standardization, and safe dosage parameters.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of signal peptide-CUB-EGF domain-containing protein 1 (SCUBE1) in the diagnosis of angina pectoris in patients presenting to the emergency department.Material and Methods: This prospective research was planned as a cross-sectional, single-center clinical study. Patients presenting to the emergency department with angina pectoris symptoms over a period of five months from receipt of ethical committee approval were included. Patients presenting with ischemic chest pain were divided on the basis of etiology into stable angina pectoris (SAP), unstable angina pectoris (UAP), non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) groups. Clinical, laboratory and demographic characteristics were recorded. SCUBE1 levels from each group were compared with a healthy control group.Results: 118 individuals were enrolled in the study, 78 patients meeting the inclusion criteria and 40 healthy controls. Patients’ mean age was 54.36 ± 14.03 years, and 88.5% (n=69) were male. Hypertension (59%) and smoking (62%) predomination over other risk factors. NSTEMI was the most common factor (46.1%) in patients enrolled due to ischemic chest pain. No statistically significant difference was determined between patients’ serum SCUBE1 levels at time of presentation and at 6 h and 12 h and the control group (p>0.05).Conclusion: On the basis of our study findings, SCUBE1 is of no value in the diagnosis of ischemic chest pain etiologies.

This study investigated the diagnostic value of signal peptide-CUB-EGF domain-containing protein 1 (SCUBE-1) and other oxidative stress parameters in the early diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia, which has high mortality and morbidity if not identified and treated in the early period. Thirty-six female Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this randomized, controlled study. Rats were divided into six groups: three control groups (Groups I, III, and V) and three ischemia groups (Groups II, IV, and VI). In the control groups, blood and tissue specimens were sampled at 30 minutes (Group I), 2 hours (Group III), and 6 hours (Group V), following a simple laparotomy. In the ischemia groups, the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was ligated following laparotomy, and blood and tissue samples were sampled at 30 minutes (Group II), 2 hours (Group IV), and 6 hours (Group VI). When comparing the ischemia and control groups, the differences in SCUBE-1, malondialdehyde (MDA), and total antioxidant status (TAS) levels in the 30-minute period were not significant (p > 0.05); at 2 hours, SCUBE-1 levels rose rapidly, and although the desired level of significance could not be obtained with Bonferroni correction, the level was significantly higher compared to the control group at the same time interval (for SCUBE-1, Group III vs. Group IV, p = 0.006). In these periods (30 minutes and 2 hours), only total oxidative status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) values were significantly higher in the ischemia group compared to the control group (for both, p = 0.004). A pronounced rise in SCUBE-1 levels was determined with 6-hour ischemia (for SCUBE-1, Group V vs. Group VI, p = 0.004). The changes in MDA, TAS, TOS, and OSI levels were not significant (p = 0.025, p = 0.321, p = 0.006, and p = 0.037, respectively). SCUBE-1 levels have the potential to be used as a marker of early period injury in acute mesenteric ischemia, although it is impossible to state explicitly that they can be used for early diagnosis. The same can be said for plasma MDA and TAS levels. The authors believe that TOS and OSI levels, however, can be used in early diagnosis and as an injury marker. Moreover, OSI also exhibits a medium-strong correlation with histopathologic injury.