Yamada Bee Farm's Honey Cough Suppressant 'Melpirol' Highlighted at Apimondia 2025

Yamada Bee Farm Presents Cough Suppressant 'Melpirol' at Apimondia 2025

From September 23 to 27, 2025, Copenhagen, Denmark hosted the largest international apiculture conference, Apimondia. Yamada Bee Farm, a prominent Japanese company, participated as a representative of Japan and successfully presented their academic findings on a cough suppressant compound found in honey known as "Melpirol".

Founded in 1895, Apimondia serves as a federation of international beekeeping associations, encompassing beekeepers, researchers, and businesses from around the globe. Its mission includes the advancement of beekeeping techniques, protection of bees, and improvement of honey product quality, with conferences held every two years. This year marked the 49th conference, and since the 36th conference in 1999, Yamada Bee Farm has continuously presented their research, sharing insights into apicultural products with the world.

At this year's conference, researcher Akiko Tani from Yamada Bee Farm's Health Science Research Institute presented the results of a decade-long study focused on cough suppressant properties of honey. The study identified a new compound, "Melpirol," and also confirmed the cough-suppressing effects of an already known substance, "Fragin." Both compounds were successfully standardized during the research.

The tests conducted with honey showed a significant reduction in cough frequency when compared to control groups, indicating that the effects are not merely due to the soothing moisture provided by honey. Furthermore, Melpirol and Fragin exhibited cough suppression capabilities comparable to the over-the-counter cough medicine Dextromethorphan. It was suggested that the mechanism involves the suppression of the cough reflex via nitric oxide.

Following the presentation, a lively question-and-answer session ensued, demonstrating a keen global interest in the development of honey products utilizing these cough-suppressing properties. Yamada Bee Farm aims to commercialize honey containing standardized Melpirol by 2026. The company continues to contribute to the beekeeping industry through research and development of bee products and natural materials, sharing its findings with the world to promote health and well-being, ultimately supporting a long and prosperous society.

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Through these initiatives, Yamada Bee Farm is not just advancing scientific research but is also committed to elevating the quality of life for individuals worldwide by enhancing health through natural remedies.

As Yamada Bee Farm continues to explore the potential of honey and its derivatives, the impact of their findings could potentially revolutionize the approach to natural cough remedies and spark new developments in apiculture globally.