Study on Antimicrobial Activity in Different Types of Honey

Abstract

Many times when it is studied the therapeutic effect of honey appears an important question regarded to which type of honey is suitable for medical purpose and which type has the best antibacterial effect. In this study were been analyzed six samples of honey from different botanical origins, including unifloral (Acacia honey, Lime honey, Cole honey), and multifloral types (forest honey from low altitude, from high altitude and field honey) obtained direct from beekeepers localized in unpolluted areas from the Western part of Romania. Was been evaluated the pH from honey samples, microbiological characteristics (standard plate count or SPC) and antibacterial activity (method of growth inhibition) in some pathogen microorganisms cultures from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus. Also it was performed a study for bacterial, fungal or yeast organisms detection in all six honey samples. The count of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, mold and yeast registered low values, being absent from honey samples pathogen bacteria like coliform bacteria, Shigella, Salmonella, Proteus and Clostridium species. After measuring of the size of zone diameter of inhibition (ZDI) for evaluate the honey antibacterial activity, the highest value was obtained in forest honey from high altitude (39 mm) and the lowest value in the case of Cole honey (11 mm) in the case of undiluted samples. All dilutions of honey samples registered lower values of ZDI than those undiluted. All these results, correlated with many others from many studies demonstrate once again that this natural and ancient product is so valuable by medical point of view and anytime can be used like alternative methods of treatments.

Keywords

• unifloral honey
• multifloral honey
• microorganisms
• antibacterial activity
• medical purpose