Antibacterial Activity of Different Blossom Honeys: New Findings

Marcela Bucekova; Lucia Jardekova; Valeria Juricova; Veronika Bugarova; Gabriele Di Marco; Angelo Gismondi; Donatella Leonardi; Jarmila Farkasovska; Jana Godocikova; Maros Laho; Jaroslav Klaudiny; Viktor Majtan; Antonella Canini; Juraj Majtan

doi:10.3390/molecules24081573

Molecules (Apr 2019)

Antibacterial Activity of Different Blossom Honeys: New Findings

Marcela Bucekova,
Lucia Jardekova,
Valeria Juricova,
Veronika Bugarova,
Gabriele Di Marco,
Angelo Gismondi,
Donatella Leonardi,
Jarmila Farkasovska,
Jana Godocikova,
Maros Laho,
Jaroslav Klaudiny,
Viktor Majtan,
Antonella Canini,
Juraj Majtan

Affiliations

Marcela Bucekova: Laboratory of Apidology and Apitherapy, Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia
Lucia Jardekova: Laboratory of Apidology and Apitherapy, Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia
Valeria Juricova: Laboratory of Apidology and Apitherapy, Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia
Veronika Bugarova: Laboratory of Apidology and Apitherapy, Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia
Gabriele Di Marco: Honey Research Center, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
Angelo Gismondi: Honey Research Center, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
Donatella Leonardi: Honey Research Center, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
Jarmila Farkasovska: Laboratory of Apidology and Apitherapy, Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia
Jana Godocikova: Laboratory of Apidology and Apitherapy, Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia
Maros Laho: Laboratory of Apidology and Apitherapy, Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia
Jaroslav Klaudiny: Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 38 Bratislava, Slovakia
Viktor Majtan: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Slovak Medical University, Limbova 12, 833 03 Bratislava, Slovakia
Antonella Canini: Honey Research Center, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
Juraj Majtan: Laboratory of Apidology and Apitherapy, Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24081573
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 24, no. 8
p. 1573

Abstract

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Antibacterial activity is the most investigated biological property of honey. The goal of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of 57 Slovak blossom honeys against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and investigate the role of several bioactive substances in antibacterial action of honeys. Inhibitory and bactericidal activities of honeys were studied to determine the minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations. The contents of glucose oxidase (GOX) enzyme, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and total polyphenols (TP) were determined in honeys. We found that honey samples showed different antibacterial efficacy against the tested bacteria as follows: wildflower honeys > acacia honeys > rapeseed honeys. Overall antibacterial activity of the honeys was statistically-significantly correlated with the contents of H2O2 and TP in honeys. A strong correlation was found between the H2O2 and TP content. On the other hand, no correlation was found between the content of GOX and level of H2O2. Antibacterial activity of 12 selected honeys was markedly reduced by treatment with catalase, but it remained relatively stable after inactivation of GOX with proteinase-K digestion. Obtained results suggest that the antibacterial activity of blossom honeys is mainly mediated by H2O2 levels present in honeys which are affected mainly by polyphenolic substances and not directly by GOX content.

Published in Molecules

ISSN: 1420-3049 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Chemistry: Organic chemistry
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules

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