Aktywność biologiczna roślinnych produktów pszczelich pochodzących z Gór Sowich

Abstract

Introduction. Herbal bee products, including honey, propolis and pollen, are wide applied in various branches of industry due to their natural origin and biological activities. Bee products exhibit e.g. antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activity. In addition, honey, propolis and pollen characterize diverse and complex chemical composition. Aim. The aim of the study was to determine antioxidant and antibacterial activity of honey, propolis and pollen from the Sowie Mountains. Material and methods. In the study, honey, propolis and pollen collected from an apiary located in the Sowie Mountains were used. The tested bee products were extracted with ethanol, and the obtained extracts from bee products were used to determine their antioxidant and antibacterial activity. The antioxidant potential of bee products were evaluated applying DPPH· free radical scavenging activity assay. The antimicrobial activity of the tested bee products was determined by the point-diffusion method against 13 strains of pathogenic and potentially pathogenic bacteria. In addition, the total content of phenolic compounds in the tested bee products was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Results. Among the tested bee products, propolis exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. The antiradical activity of propolis was equal to 96% approx. activity of Trolox, the standard antioxidant used in this study. Propolis had the highest total phenol content. All bee products showed antagonistic activity against all tested bacterial strains, however, propolis was characterized by the highest antibacterial activity. Conclusions. The obtained results indicate that among the tested bee products (honey, propolis and pollen), the highest antioxidant and antibacterial activity showed propolis. The high biological activity of propolis is associated with the high content of phenolic compounds.