Iriondo De Hond, AmaiaMorales Gómez, PalomaSánchez Martín, VanesaFernández Hospital, XavierFernández Álvarez, ManuelaHierro Paredes, EvaHaza Duaso, Ana Isabel2026-04-232026-04-232026Iriondo-DeHond, A., Morales, P., Sánchez-Martín, V. et al. Fortified Chestnut Honey Triggers Apoptosis in Colon Cancer Cells. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 81, 45 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-026-01495-z0921-966810.1007/s11130-026-01495-zhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/135011Justificación de autores: Conceptualization, P.M. and A.I.H.; formal analysis, A.I.-D., X.F.H., M.F., E.H. and V.S.-M.; funding acquisition, M.F., E.H., P.M. and A.I.H.; investigation, A.I.-D., V.S.-M., P.M. and A.I.H.; supervision, P.M. and A.I.H.; writing—original draft, A.I.-D., V.S.-M., P.M. and A.I.H.; writing—review and editing, V.S.-M., A.I.-D., P.M. and A.I.H. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.Honey, traditionally a food, is now also used as a complement in cancer therapy due to its anticancer properties. This study aimed to evaluate in vitro whether thyme and chestnut honey samples fortified with bee products that had previously shown apoptotic effects on the hepatic system, presented cytotoxic and apoptotic properties in colon cancer (Caco-2) and normal (CCD-18) cells. Cytotoxicity was assessed using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, while apoptosis was evaluated through cell cycle analysis, annexin V binding, and the activation of DR5 (Death Receptor 5), BAX (BCL-2-Associated X), and caspases 8, 9, and 3. Chestnut honey mixtures selectively triggered apoptosis in colon cancer cells and not in normal cells, being the greatest effect observed in the sample enriched with 10% propolis and 10% royal jelly. Contrary to the effects previously noted in hepatic cells, the apoptotic properties of thyme honey were not improved when fortified with the same bee products, suggesting that the samples exhibit differential anticancer effects depending on the cellular model studied. In this study, selective induction of apoptosis may be attributed to the combined action of phenolic acids and flavones present in this fortified formulation. Samples that induced apoptosis in colon cancer cells did so through both the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Fortification of chestnut honey with bee products may represent a promising approach for the development of functional food strategies related to colon cancer.engAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/journal article1573-9104https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-026-01495-z41964874https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41964874/open access663/665612.39Apoptosis pathwaysCaco-2 cellsChestnut honeyColon cancerPropolisRoyal jellyDietética y nutrición (Medicina)Tecnología de los alimentos3206 Ciencias de la Nutrición3309 Tecnología de Los Alimentos