Effect of Ultrasound on the Physical, Biochemical, Anti-oxidant, and Antimicrobial Properties of Industrial Iranian Honey

Abstract

Honey is a sweet and nutritious product of Apis mellifera bees. It contains glucose, fructose, water, minerals, vitamins, organic acids, phenolic compounds, and enzymes . Honey has various functional properties such as antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, prebiotic, and anticancer, which are essential for human health [4]. Because of its unique properties, honey is known not only as a nutritious spice but also as a medicine with healing properties. Honey is a high-dense sugar solution; it can produce coarse crystals by changing the conditions (such as glucose level, humidity, temperature, impurity, and ecology) and lead to quality loss . This study aimed to determine the effect of ultrasound at two different frequencies of 30 and 42 kHz on the physical, biochemical, anti-oxidant, and antimicrobial properties of industrial Iranian honey. All samples (except control) were treated using ultrasound at 30 or 42 kHz for 1, 5, or 10 minutes at 20 or 45 °C. Then the following parameters were measured: HMF content, pH, acidity, proline, total count of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, diastase, moisture, sucrose, fructose, glucose, the ratio of fructose to glucose, ABTS, osmophiles, phenol, reducing sugars and total sugars on days 1, 30, 90, and 180. In both treatment groups exposed to ultrasound, there were changes in these parameters. The group treated with 42 kHz ultrasound showed a decrease in moisture, pH, acidity, fructose-to-glucose ratio, total sugars, clostridium, total microbial count, mold, osmophiles, HMF, and an increase in diastase, proline, and phenol. The changes were more significant on days 90 and 180. Ultrasound at 42 kHz for 10 minutes at 45 °C could lead to an increase in the quality and shelf life of industrial honey. In conclusion, this technique can be used in the food industry to provide a higher quality product as well as a more successful export.