Physico-chemical Properties and Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activity of Two Varieties of Honey from Algerian Steppe

Abstract

Honey is a natural sweet substance produced by honey bees from the nectars of plant flowers or tree exudates. Natural honey has been valued in traditional medicine having demonstrated many antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The present study aimed to evaluate physicochemical characteristics and the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of two varieties of honey from Algerian steppe. Physicochemical parameters, such as pH, moisture content, electrical conductivity (EC), total acidity, ree acidity,ash and HMF were measured. The antibacterial activity was examined against the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 33862 by using the agar incorporation technique method and the determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC).The antioxidant activity was assessed by using the 2,2 diphenyl 1 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and the fer reduction antixydant power (FRAP). Physico-chemical analysis of honey samples confirmed good quality of honey according to the standards set by European Union Commission and Codex Alimentarius Commission. All samples had ability to scavenge DPPH. radicals and showed reducing potential analyzed by FRAP methods, with the highest performance obtained in Euphorbia cheridenia honey. The result of the antibacterial effect of this study revealed that our honey samples have showed an important antibacterial activity against all the bacterial tested strains, Noeae mucronata honey has the better antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The results of this study may suggest that Algerian honey possess natural compounds with antibacterial and antioxidant properties which can be used as natural agents in new drugs for therapy of diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria and oxidative stress.