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Fernandes KE, Dong AZ, Levina A, Cokcetin NN, Brooks P, Carter DA. Long-term stability and the physical and chemical factors predictive for antimicrobial activity in Australian honey. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303095. [PMID: 38776281 PMCID: PMC11111008 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The growing burden of expired medicines contributes to environmental contamination and landfill waste accumulation. Medicinal honey, with its non-toxic nature and potentially long shelf-life, represents a promising and underutilised therapeutic that avoids some of these issues. However, limited knowledge on how its antimicrobial properties change over time combined with a lack of reliable processes in the honey industry for measuring antimicrobial potential, hinder its clinical adoption. Using a diverse selection of 30 Australian honey samples collected between 2005 and 2007, we comprehensively evaluated their antibacterial and antifungal activity and pertinent physical and chemical properties with the aims of assessing the effect of long-term storage on activity, pinpointing factors associated with antimicrobial efficacy, and establishing robust assessment methods. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays proved superior to the standard phenol equivalence assay in capturing the full range of antimicrobial activity present in honey. Correlations between activity and a range of physical and chemical properties uncovered significant associations, with hydrogen peroxide, antioxidant content, and water activity emerging as key indicators in non-Leptospermum honey. However, the complex nature and the diverse composition of honey samples precludes the use of high-throughput chemical tests for accurately assessing this activity, and direct assessment using live microorganisms remains the most economical and reliable method. We provide recommendations for different methods of assaying various honey properties, taking into account their accuracy along with technical difficulty and safety considerations. All Leptospermum and fourteen of seventeen non-Leptospermum honey samples retained at least some antimicrobial properties after 15-17 years of storage, suggesting that honey can remain active for extended periods. Overall, the results of this study will help industry meet the growing demand for high-quality, medicinally active honey while ensuring accurate assessment of its antimicrobial potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenya E. Fernandes
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Andrew Z. Dong
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Aviva Levina
- School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nural N. Cokcetin
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter Brooks
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia
| | - Dee A. Carter
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Čeksterytė V, Bliznikas S, Jaškūnė K. The Composition of Fatty Acids in Bee Pollen, Royal Jelly, Buckthorn Oil and Their Mixtures with Pollen Preserved for Storage. Foods 2023; 12:3164. [PMID: 37685097 PMCID: PMC10487168 DOI: 10.3390/foods12173164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Honey produced by A. mellifera contains minor components present in the nectar collected from plants. Various studies of honey components and all other bee products can be informative in assessing their quality. The aim of the present study was to determine the content and composition of fatty acids (FAs) in sea buckthorn oil (SBO), royal jelly (RJ) and bee pollen (BP) and the changes in FAs content in these products during storage. The diversity of FAs and the effect of storage time on FAs content was also evaluated for the prepared-for-preservation mixtures, which included the following samples: pollen mixed with honey at a ratio of 1:2 (w/w); sample BPH, a well; BPH + 1% (w/w) SBO; and BPH + 1% (w/w) SBO + 2% (w/w) RJ. Fresh bee-collected pollen and RJ were stored at -20 °C, whereas the conserved samples were stored at +4 °C in hermetically sealed jars. The data revealed that RJ demonstrated the highest diversity of fatty acids compared to BP and BP prepared for storage with honey along with SBO and RJ. Palmitic and stearic acids were found in the highest amounts out of the eight saturated fatty acids identified in the studied SBO and RJ. The amount of these fatty acids in RJ compared to SBO was 1.27 and 6.14 times higher, respectively. In total, twenty-two unsaturated fatty acids (USFA) were identified in RJ and fourteen were found in SBO. The SBO used in this study was found to be high in linoleic acid, resulting in an increased n-6 fatty acids ratio in the prepared samples. Essential fatty acids eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) were found in RJ, as well as in BP and BP mixed with honey. These FAs were not identified in the samples prepared with SBO even in the sample supplemented with RJ. The highest decrease in docosadienoic fatty acid was found in the BPH sample compared to BP, while arachidonic acid mostly decreased in BPH + 1% SBO compared to the BPH + 1% (w/w) SBO + 2% (w/w) RJ samples stored at +4 °C. Bee-collected pollen had the greatest influence on the number of FAs in its mixture with honey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violeta Čeksterytė
- Institute of Agriculture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Instituto al. 1, 58344 Kėdainiai, Lithuania;
| | - Saulius Bliznikas
- Institute of Animal Science, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, R. Zebenkos 12, 82317 Baisogala, Lithuania;
| | - Kristina Jaškūnė
- Institute of Agriculture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Instituto al. 1, 58344 Kėdainiai, Lithuania;
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Jones ZJM, Huang Y, Green KJ, Hammer KA. Changes in antibacterial activity, colour, and hydrogen peroxide content of Western Australian Jarrah and Marri honeys after storage at different temperatures over time. J Appl Microbiol 2023; 134:lxad164. [PMID: 37505452 DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxad164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
AIMS This study aimed to evaluate the effects of storage and different temperatures on the antibacterial activity and physicochemical characteristics of several types of honey. METHODS AND RESULTS Honeys stored for 16 weeks at 37 and 45°C showed significant declines in antibacterial activity determined by minimum inhibitory concentrations, the loss of hydrogen peroxide, decreases in honey pH, and increases in honey colour, with changes most pronounced at 45°C. In contrast, honeys stored for 16 weeks at ambient (∼22°C) and cold (4, -20, and -80°C) temperatures showed only minor changes. In a second set of 12 honeys stored for 16-32 months at ambient temperature and then 4°C, honeys showed minor changes in antibacterial activity, increases in colour, and decreases in pH. For a third set of 17 honeys stored for five years at ambient temperature, the honeys showed almost complete loss of hydrogen peroxide and were all significantly darker in colour, but showed varied changes in antibacterial activity. CONCLUSIONS Heat was detrimental to the antibacterial activity of honeys, as was long-term storage at ambient temperatures for some honeys but not others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J M Jones
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley WA 6009, Australia
| | - Yina Huang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley WA 6009, Australia
| | - Kathryn J Green
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley WA 6009, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Honey Bee Products Limited (CRC HBP), The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
| | - Katherine A Hammer
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley WA 6009, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Honey Bee Products Limited (CRC HBP), The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
- The Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, Crawley 6009, Australia
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Tarapoulouzi M, Mironescu M, Drouza C, Mironescu ID, Agriopoulou S. Insight into the Recent Application of Chemometrics in Quality Analysis and Characterization of Bee Honey during Processing and Storage. Foods 2023; 12:473. [PMID: 36766000 PMCID: PMC9914568 DOI: 10.3390/foods12030473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The application of chemometrics, a widely used science in food studies (and not only food studies) has begun to increase in importance with chemometrics being a very powerful tool in analyzing large numbers of results. In the case of honey, chemometrics is usually used for assessing honey authenticity and quality control, combined with well-established analytical methods. Research related to investigation of the quality changes in honey due to modifications after processing and storage is rare, with a visibly increasing tendency in the last decade (and concentrated on investigating novel methods to preserve the honey quality, such as ultrasound or high-pressure treatment). This review presents the evolution in the last few years in using chemometrics in analyzing honey quality during processing and storage. The advantages of using chemometrics in assessing honey quality during storage and processing are presented, together with the main characteristics of some well-known chemometric methods. Chemometrics prove to be a successful tool to differentiate honey samples based on changes of characteristics during storage and processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Tarapoulouzi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Pure and Applied Science, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus
| | - Monica Mironescu
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences Food Industry and Environmental Protection, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Bv. Victoriei 10, 550024 Sibiu, Romania
| | - Chryssoula Drouza
- Department of Agricultural Production, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, P.O. Box 50329, Limassol 3036, Cyprus
| | - Ion Dan Mironescu
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences Food Industry and Environmental Protection, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Bv. Victoriei 10, 550024 Sibiu, Romania
| | - Sofia Agriopoulou
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of the Peloponnese, Antikalamos, 24100 Kalamata, Greece
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Guttentag A, Krishnakumar K, Cokcetin N, Hainsworth S, Harry E, Carter D. Inhibition of Dermatophyte Fungi by Australian Jarrah Honey. Pathogens 2021; 10:194. [PMID: 33670403 PMCID: PMC7918412 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10020194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Superficial dermatophyte infections, commonly known as tineas, are the most prevalent fungal ailment and are increasing in incidence, leading to an interest in alternative treatments. Many floral honeys possess antimicrobial activity due to high sugar, low pH, and the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from the activity of the bee-derived enzyme glucose oxidase. Australian jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) honey produces particularly high levels of H2O2 and has been found to be potently antifungal. This study characterized the activity of jarrah honey on fungal dermatophyte species. Jarrah honey inhibited dermatophytes with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 1.5-3.5% (w/v), which increased to ≥25% (w/v) when catalase was added. Microscopic analysis found jarrah honey inhibited the germination of Trichophyton rubrum conidia and scanning electron microscopy of mature T. rubrum hyphae after honey treatment revealed bulging and collapsed regions. When treated hyphae were stained using REDOX fluorophores these did not detect any internal oxidative stress, suggesting jarrah honey acts largely on the hyphal surface. Although H2O2 appears critical for the antifungal activity of jarrah honey and its action on fungal cells, these effects persisted when H2O2 was eliminated and could not be replicated using synthetic honey spiked with H2O2, indicating jarrah honey contains agents that augment antifungal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabel Guttentag
- Marie Bashir Institute, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (A.G.); (K.K.)
| | - Krishothman Krishnakumar
- Marie Bashir Institute, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (A.G.); (K.K.)
| | - Nural Cokcetin
- ithree Institute, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia; (N.C.); (E.H.)
| | | | - Elizabeth Harry
- ithree Institute, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia; (N.C.); (E.H.)
| | - Dee Carter
- Marie Bashir Institute, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (A.G.); (K.K.)
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