Traditional medicine has a long history of relieving the ills of human beings and is still a source of inspiration for the provision of medicines.16 Various factors have influenced the inclination of human beings toward traditional medicine, including ease of access; interest in self-treatment; and the belief that such treatment modalities are safer, more reliable, and cheaper than other commonly used drugs and techniques.17 The results of the present study showed that all the 3 materials—honey, royal jelly, and acyclovir—have antiviral effects, with more prominent effects seen in acyclovir and honey. Honey has antimicrobial, antifungal, and antioxidative effects, with a high nutritional value. Al-Waili5 published an article in 2001 on the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis with the use of honey. All patients properly responded to the use of honey, and itching, crusting, and flaking of the skin resolved in a period of 1 week. In 2003, Al-Waili18 published results from another study on the treatment of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis with honey. In that study, honey ointment alone or in combination with a steroid was applied; honey ointment alone was effective and resulted in a 75% decrease in symptoms.18 In 2004, Al-Waili19 used honey in the treatment of skin fungal infections. The results showed that 86% of patients with psoriasis, 75% with fungal infections of groin, and 75% with fungal infections were successfully treated. Some studies have evaluated the therapeutic effects of honey and acyclovir on herpetic lesions.19 In a study by Al-Waili19 in 2004, the topical application of honey in the treatment of recurrent labial and genital herpetic infections was compared with that of acyclovir ointment. Eight patients with labial herpetic and 8 patients with genital herpetic infections used honey for 1 herpetic attack and acyclovir ointment for another herpetic attack. In the labial herpetic infection, the means of the duration of attack, pain severity, incidence of crusting and flaking, and healing period were better with 35%, 39%, 28%, and 43% with honey, respectively, in comparison to treatment with acyclovir ointment. In the case of genital herpetic infections, the means of the duration of attack, pain severity, incidence of crusting and flaking, and healing period were better with 53%, 50%, 49%, and 59% with honey, respectively, in comparison to treatment with acyclovir ointment. None of the patients using acyclovir reported complete recovery during the expected period and 3 patients reported local itching with the use of acyclovir.13 Studies have shown that honey can destroy more than 250 bacterial strains, including resistant genera of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, and Helicobacter pylori.13 The results of the present study showed that honey and royal jelly resulted in the formation of less numerous plaques at dilutions 5, 10, and 50, with better effects in comparison to acyclovir. In addition, royal jelly exhibited less numerous plaques at dilutions 50 and 100 in comparison to honey. Several reasons have been suggested for the success of treatment of herpetic ulcers with honey. Since honey is rich in glucose, its absorption through the ulcers inhibits microorganisms. In addition, glucose oxidase is secreted by honeybees into the honey.13 Royal jelly is produced by honeybees. It has a role in the nutrition of larvae and maturation of the queen. Royal jelly is sold as a food supplement for human use. The general composition of royal jelly is 67% water, 12.5% raw proteins, a small amount of various amino acids, 11% monosaccharides, and relatively high concentrations of fatty acids. In addition, it contains minerals, enzymes, antibacterial components, antibiotics, vitamin C, and vitamin B groups.10 Royal jelly has been introduced as an immune agent in the treatment of Graves’ disease;20 as a stimulator of the growth of glial cells21 and brain stem cells;22 as an agent which decreases cholesterol levels;10 and as an anti-inflammatory agent. It also contributes to the healing and treatment of wounds with antibacterial and antibiotic activity against aerobic Streptomyces and gram-positive bacteria;10 as an agent suppressing allergic reactions; and as an agent preventing cellular destruction in cancer and HIV infections.10,23 Studies have shown the 10-HDA in royal jelly can inhibit angiogenesis of tumors. It is believed the antiaging properties of royal jelly and its high content of amino acids have resulted in its widespread use in esthetic products.23 Some studies have evaluated the antibacterial properties of royal jelly. Eshraghi and Seifollahi10 reported that royal jelly has bactericidal effects on E. Coli, S. aureus, and Streptomyces griseus. Boukraâ et al24 showed that royal jelly has strong bacterial activity at concentrations higher than 200 µg/mL. A study by Suemaru et al25 showed that royal jelly ointment has a better healing effect on mucositis in hamsters compared to honey and propolis ointments, and results in the resolution of mucositis in these animals. Yanagita et al26 showed that royal jelly has anti-inflammatory effects on periodontal ligament cells and can be used in the treatment of such problems. The antiviral activity of royal jelly has been attributed to the effect of 10-HDA. This fatty acid stimulates white cells, resulting in the adhesion of white cells to viruses such as HSV and hepatitis viruses, leading to their destruction.27 The only study on the effect of royal jelly on HSV in the genital area has been carried out by Sankum et al.28 The results showed that the viral load decreased from 104.9 to 103.9; therefore, they reported that royal jelly has an antiviral activity.28