Fluorescence fingerprints of Sidr honey in comparison with uni/polyfloral honey samples

Regulation of Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats by Egyptian Sidr Honey

Diabetes mellitus is a global health issue characterized by hyperglycemia which leads over time to severe damage to numerous tissues. The present study aimed to estimate the effect of Egyptian Sidr honey against streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in rats. Diabetic rats were treated with Sidr honey daily for 4 consecutive weeks. The biochemical profile of blood samples was measured. Furthermore, the activity of antioxidant enzymes, nitric oxide (NO), and malonaldehyde (MDA) were examined in hepatic and pancreatic tissues. Moreover, the expression of Bax, Caspase-3, and Bcl2 proteins were measured. Results revealed that the capability of Sidr honey to decline the elevated blood glucose and fructosamine levels. Also, the honey decreased the levels of NO and MDA. Furthermore, it regulated the antioxidant enzymes activity. Moreover, it reduced the expression levels of Caspase-3 and Bax while increased the Bcl2 level. In conclusion, Sidr honey can regulate hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and antioxidant enzymes in STZ-induced diabetic rats.

Assessment of the botanical origin of Saudi Arabian honey samples to identify pollen with chromatographic tools and packing and storage

The increasing demand for honey purification and authentication necessitates the global utilization of advanced processing tools. Common honey processing techniques, such as chromatography, are commonly used to assess the quality and quantity of valuable honey. In this study, 15 honey samples were authenticated using HPLC and GC-MS chromatographic methods to analyze their pollen spectrum. Various monofloral honey samples were collected, including Acacia, Hypoestes, Lavandula, Tamarix, Trifolium, and Ziziphus species, based on accurate identification by apiarists in 2023 from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Honey analysis revealed the extraction of pollen from 20 different honeybee floral species. Pollen identified from honey samples using advanced chromatographic tools revealed dominant vegetation resources: Ziziphus species (23%), Acacia species (25%), Tamarix species (34%), Lavandula species (26%), Hypoestes species (34%), and Trifolium species (31%). This study uses HPLC to extract phenolic compounds, revealing dominant protocatechuic acid (4.71 mg g-1), and GC-MS to analyze organic compounds in honey pollen. Specifically, 2-dodecanone was detected with a retention time of 7.34 min. The utilization of chromatographic tools in assessing honey samples for pollen identification provides a reliable and efficient method for determining their botanical origins, thereby contributing to the quality control and authentication of honey products.

Combined Application of Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Principal Component Analysis in Characterisation of Selected Herbhoneys

This study reports the use of front-face fluorescence spectroscopy with principal component analysis (PCA) as a tool for the characterisation of selected Polish herbhoneys (raspberry, lemon balm, rose, mint, black current, instant coffee, pine, hawthorn, and nettle). Fluorimetric spectra registered in the ranges ascribed to fluorescence of amino acids, polyphenols, vitamins, and products of Maillard's reaction enabled the comparison of herbhoney compositions. Obtained synchronous spectra combined with PCA were used to investigate potential differences between analysed samples and interactions between compounds present in them. The most substantial influence on the total variance had the intensities of polyphenols fluorescence. These intensities were the main factor differentiated by the analysed products.

GC-MS screening of the phytochemical composition of Ziziphus honey: ADME properties and in vitro/in silico study of its antimicrobial activity

A revival interest has been given to natural products as sources of phytocompounds to be used as alternative treatment against infectious diseases. In this context, we aimed to investigate the antimicrobial potential of Ziziphus honey (ZH) against twelve clinical bacterial strains and several yeasts and molds using in vitro and computational approaches. The well-diffusion assay revealed that ZH was able to induce growth inhibition of most Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The high mean growth inhibition zone (mGIZ) was recorded in E. coli (Clinical strain, 217), S. aureus followed by E. coli ATCC 10536 (mGIZ values: 41.00 ± 1 mm, 40.67 ± 0.57 mm, and 34.67 ± 0.57 mm, respectively). The minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) and minimal fungicidal concentration values (MFCs) from approximately 266.33 mg/mL to over 532.65 mg/mL. Molecular docking results revealed that the identified compounds maltose, 2-furoic acid, isopropyl ester, 2,4-imidazolidinedione, 5-(2-methylpropyl)-(S)- and 3,4,5-trihydroxytoluene, S-Methyl-L-Cysteine, 2-Furancarboxylic acid, L-Valine-N-ethoxycarbonyl, Hexanoic acid, 3,5,5-trimethyl-, Methyl-beta-D-thiogalactoside, gamma-Sitosterol, d-Mannose, 4-O-Methylmannose, 2,4-Imidazolidinedione, 5-(2-methylpropyl)- (S) were found to have good affinity for targeted receptor, respectively. Through a 100-ns dynamic simulation research, binding interactions and stability between promising phytochemicals and the active residues of the studied enzymes were confirmed. The ADMET profiling of all identified compounds revealed that most of them could be qualified as biologically active with good absorption and permeation. Overall, the results highlighted the efficiency of ZH against the tested clinical pathogenic strains. The antimicrobial potential and the potency displayed by the identified compounds could imply their further pharmacological applications.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

The potential protectivity of honey and olive oil in methotrexate induced renal damage in rats

Methotrexate (MTX) is an antimetabolite used to treat inflammatory diseases, autoimmune disorders and some malignancies. However, it has some life-threatening side effects such as nephrotoxicity which limit its clinical applications. That motivated the attention to seek for a defensive material to improve the outcomes of methotrexate while minimizing both renal and non-renal toxicity. Both honey (H) and olive oil (OO) are bioactive substances widely used as nutraceuticals that exhibited a potent therapeutic and antioxidant properties. This study aimed to assess the possible protective effect of H and OO intake either singly or together against the biochemical and structural Methotrexate-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. The study was conducted on 56 adult albino rats, they were divided into seven groups (n = 8): group 1 received only distelled water (negative control), group 2 received H (1.2 g/kg/day), group 3 received OO (1.25 ml/kg/day), group 4 received a single intraperitoneal injection of MTX (20 mg/kg), group 5 received MTX and H, group 6 received MTX and OO, group 7 received MTX, H and OO together. At the end of the experiment (2 weeks), all rats were sacrificed, and blood samples were assessed for kidney function tests. Kidney tissues were evaluated for several antioxidant parameters including Malondialdehyde (MDA), Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities. Tissues were also processed for histological and immunohistochemical assessments. Results revealed that both H and OO improved the kidney function markers, histopathological and immunohistological changes due to Methotrexate-induced renal damage. Additionally, both substances also redeemed the oxidative damage of the kidney by decreasing MDA and increasing anti-oxidant enzymatic activities. Such effects were more apparent when the two substances were given together. Ultimately, our results proof that H and OO amiolerate the Methotrexate-induced nephrotoxicity in rats, thus they can be used as an adjuvant supplements for patients requiring methotrexate therapy.

Non-Targeted Detection and Quantification of Food Adulteration of High-Quality Stingless Bee Honey (SBH) via a Portable LED-Based Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Stingless bee honey (SBH) is rich in phenolic compounds and available in limited quantities. Authentication of SBH is important to protect SBH from adulteration and retain the reputation and sustainability of SBH production. In this research, we use portable LED-based fluorescence spectroscopy to generate and measure the fluorescence intensity of pure SBH and adulterated samples. The spectrometer is equipped with four UV-LED lamps (peaking at 365 nm) as an excitation source. Heterotrigona itama, a popular SBH, was used as a sample. 100 samples of pure SBH and 240 samples of adulterated SBH (levels of adulteration ranging from 10 to 60%) were prepared. Fluorescence spectral acquisition was measured for both the pure and adulterated SBH samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated that a clear separation between the pure and adulterated SBH samples could be established from the first two principal components (PCs). A supervised classification based on soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) achieved an excellent classification result with 100% accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and precision. Principal component regression (PCR) was superior to partial least squares regression (PLSR) and multiple linear regression (MLR) methods, with a coefficient of determination in prediction (R2p) = 0.9627, root mean squared error of prediction (RMSEP) = 4.1579%, ratio prediction to deviation (RPD) = 5.36, and range error ratio (RER) = 14.81. The LOD and LOQ obtained were higher compared to several previous studies. However, most predicted samples were very close to the regression line, which indicates that the developed PLSR, PCR, and MLR models could be used to detect HFCS adulteration of pure SBH samples. These results showed the proposed portable LED-based fluorescence spectroscopy has a high potential to detect and quantify food adulteration in SBH, with the additional advantages of being an accurate, affordable, and fast measurement with minimum sample preparation.

Honey Origin Authentication via Mineral Profiling Combined with Chemometric Approaches

In the present study, the potential of elemental analysis combined with statistical tools to identify honey origin was evaluated by mineral characterization of 173 honeys of 13 floral types (acacia, fir, spruce, linden, chestnut, lavender, coriander, thistle, honeydew, rosemary, sage, euphorbia and ziziphus plant species) collected from five geographical regions (Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Morocco). The objective of the study was to accurately and reliably differentiate the mineral composition among honey varieties. The aim was to establish traceability, to ensure product authenticity and to improve quality control measures within the honey industry. For this purpose, 18 major, minor and trace elements were quantified using microwave digestion, followed by ICP-MS measurement. Statistical evaluation of elemental concentration was undertaken using principal component analysis (PCA) to distinguish honey floral types. The research give light on the specific elements that can serve as indicators for determining the geographical and botanical source of honey. Our findings indicate that certain elements, such as Mn, K, and Ca, are primarily influenced by the type of pollen present in the honey, making them indicative of the floral source. On the other hand, levels of Na, Mg, and Fe were found to be more strongly influenced by environmental factors and can be considered as markers of geographical origin. One novel aspect of this research is the exploration of the relationship between honey minerals and honey botanical source. This was achieved through the analysis of chestnut tree samples and a subsequent comparison with the composition of chestnut honey.

Membrane-processed honey samples for pollen characterization with health benefits

Better processing techniques must be utilized widely due to the rising demand for honey. The most common honey processing techniques are applied to melissopalynomorphs to check the quality and quantity of valuable honey using microporous ultrafiltration membranes. It is essential to have the ability to selectively filter out sugars from honey using ultrafiltration. This study authenticated 24 honey samples using membrane reactors ultrafiltration protocol to describe the pollen spectrum of dominant vegetation. The purpose of this study was also to explore nutritional benefits as well as the active phytochemical constituents of honey samples. Honey samples were collected and labeled Acacia, Eucalyptus, and Ziziphus species based on plant resources provided by local beekeepers. A variety of honeybee flora was collected around the apiaries between 2020 and 2021. Honey analysis revealed that the pollen extraction of 24 bee foraging species belonging to 14 families. The honey membrane technology verified the identities of honey and nectar sources. Also, pollen identified using honey ultrafiltration membranes revealed dominant resources: Acacia spp. (69%), Eucalyptus spp. (52%) and Ziziphus spp. Honey filtration using a membrane technology classified 14 samples as unifloral, represented by six dominant pollen types. The absolute pollen count in the honey sample revealed that 58.33% (n = 14) belong to Maurizio's class I. Scanning ultrasculpturing showed diverse exine patterns: reticulate, psilate, scabrate-verrucate, scabrate-gemmate, granulate, perforate, microechinate, microreticulate, and regulate to fossulate for correct identification of honey pollen types. Honey ultrafiltration should be utilized to validate the botanical sources of honey and trace their biogeographic authenticity. Thus, it is imperative to look at the alternative useful method to identify the botanical origin of filtered honey. It is critical to separate honey from adulteration by a standardized protocol. Membrane technology has yielded significant outcomes in the purification of honey.

Phytochemical Composition, Antioxidant, and Anticancer Activities of Sidr Honey: In Vitro and In Silico Computational Investigation

Cancer is one of the major causes of death worldwide. The repercussions of conventional therapeutic approaches present a challenge in the delivery of new effective treatments. Thus, more attention is being awarded to natural products, mainly honey. Honey could be the basis for the development of new therapies for cancer patients. The aim of this study is to assess the phytochemical profiling, antioxidant, drug-likeness properties, and anticancer activity of Ziziphus honey (ZH) derived from the Hail region of Saudi Arabia. The phytochemical profiling using high resolution-liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HR-LCMS) revealed 10 compounds belonging to several familial classes and one tripeptide. Potential antioxidant activity was noted as assessed by DPPH (IC50 0.670 mg/mL), ABTS (IC50 3.554 mg/mL), and β-carotene (IC50 > 5 mg/mL). The ZH exerted a notable cytotoxic effect in a dose-dependent manner against three cancer cell lines: lung (A549), breast (MCF-7), and colon (HCT-116), with respective IC50 values of 5.203%, 6.02%, and 7.257%. The drug-likeness investigation unveiled that most of the identified compounds meet Lipinski’s rule. The molecular docking analysis revealed interesting antioxidant and anticancer activities for most targeted proteins and supported the in vitro findings. The Miraxanthin-III compound exhibited the most stabilized interaction. This study provides deeper insights on ZH as prominent source of bioactive compounds with potent antioxidant and anticancer effects.

LC-HRMS-Based Non-Targeted Metabolomics for the Assessment of Honey Adulteration with Sugar Syrups: A Preliminary Study

Honey is a natural product that is in great demand and has a relatively high price, thus making it one of the most common targets of economically motivated adulteration. Its adulteration can be obtained by adding cheaper honey or sugar syrups or by overfeeding honeybees with sugar syrups. Adulteration techniques are constantly evolving and advanced techniques and instruments are required for its detection. We used non-targeted metabolomics to underscore potential markers of honey adulteration with sugar syrups. The metabolomic profiles of unadulterated honeys and sugar beet, corn and wheat syrups were obtained using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). The potential markers have been selected after data processing. Fortified honey (5%, 10% and 20%), honey obtained from overfeeding, and 58 commercial honeys were analyzed. One potential marker appeared with a specific signal for syrups and not for honey. This targeted analysis showed a linear trend in fortified honeys with a calculated limit of quantification around 5% of fortification.

Classification of Sidr honey and detection of sugar adulteration using right angle fluorescence spectroscopy and chemometrics

Sidr honey is vulnerable to adulteration with low-grade honey and sugar syrups, which compromises its nutritional and medicinal value, demanding fast and reliable analytical tools for quality assessment. In this study, fluorescence spectroscopy was employed to assess the quality of a honey samples, specifically, Sidr, unifloral (Acacia) and multifloral (Acacia, Carisa and Justicia) honey. Fluorescence spectroscopy revealed characteristic spectral signatures of Sidr honey, compared to Acacia and multifloral honey. In addition, cane sugar syrup was artificially added to Sidr honey at different concentrations. These spectral signatures were exploited for the machine-assisted classification of Sidr, sugar syrup and different concentrations of Sidr–sugar mixture. The bagging classification algorithm generated values of sensitivity and specificity close to unity, indicating its ability for efficient discrimination of the samples. Fluorescence spectroscopy in tandem with chemometrics could potentially be used as a rapid analytical tool to identify Sidr honey and its sugar adulteration.

The Use of Right Angle Fluorescence Spectroscopy to Distinguish the Botanical Origin of Greek Common Honey Varieties

The standardization of the botanical origin of honey reflects the commercial value and quality of honey. Nowadays, most consumers are looking for a unifloral honey. The aim of the present study was to develop a novel method for honey classification using chemometric models based on phenolic compounds analyzed with right angle fluorescence spectroscopy, coupled with stepwise linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The deconstructed spectrum from three-dimensional-emission excitation matrix (3D-EEM) spectra provided a correct classification score of 94.9% calibration and cross-validation at an excitation wavelength (λex) of 330 nm. Subsequently, a score of 81.4% and 79.7%, respectively, at an excitation wavelength (λex) of 360 nm was achieved. Each chemometric model confirmed its power through the external validation with a score of 82.1% for both. Differentiation could be correlated with hydroxycinnamic and hydroxybenzoic acids, which absorb in this region of the spectrum. Fluorescence spectroscopy constitutes a rapid and sensitive technique, which, when combined with the stepwise algorithm and LDA method, can be used as a reliable and predictive authentication tool for honey. This study indicates that the developed methodology is a promising technique for determination of the botanical origin of common Greek honey varieties. Our long-term ambition is to support producers and suppliers to remain in a competitive national and international market.

Quality, composition and health-protective properties of citrus honey: A review

Citrus honey is one of the most important monofloral honeys produced and consumed worldwide. This honey has pleasant sensorial characteristics, which include light color and typical aroma and flavor. Besides that, several constituents such as minerals, phenolic and volatile compounds, amino acids, sugars, enzymes, vitamins, methylglyoxal and organic acids are found in citrus honey. Moreover, potential biological properties have been associated with citrus honey. All these factors make it highly desired by consumers, increasing its market value, which can stimulates the practice of fraud. Also, citrus honey is susceptible to contamination and to inadequate processing. All these factors can compromise the quality, safety and authenticity of citrus honey. In this sense, this review aims to update and to discuss, for the first time, the data available in the literature about the physicochemical and the sensorial characteristics, composition, health properties, contamination, authenticity and adulteration of citrus honey. With this background, we aim to provide data that can guide future researches related to this honey.

Evaluation of Discrimination Performance in Case for Multiple Non-Discriminated Samples: Classification of Honeys by Fluorescent Fingerprinting

In this study we develop a variant of fluorescent sensor array technique based on addition of fluorophores to samples. A correct choice of fluorophores is critical for the successful application of the technique, which calls for the necessity of comparing different discrimination protocols. We used 36 honey samples from different sources to which various fluorophores were added (tris-(2,2'-bipyridyl) dichlororuthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)₃²⁺), zinc(II) 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonate (8-Ox-Zn), and thiazole orange in the presence of two types of deoxyribonucleic acid). The fluorescence spectra were obtained within 400-600 nm and treated by principal component analysis (PCA). No fluorophore allowed for the discrimination of all samples. To evaluate the discrimination performance of fluorophores, we introduced crossing number (CrN) calculated as the number of mutual intersections of confidence ellipses in the PCA scores plots, and relative position (RP) characterized by the pairwise mutual location of group centers and their most distant points. CrN and RP parameters correlated with each other, with total sensitivity (TS) calculated by Mahalanobis distances, and with the overall rating based on all metrics, with coefficients of correlation over 0.7. Most of the considered parameters gave the first place in the discrimination performance to Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ fluorophore.