Citrus Honey Research Articles

Eudermic Properties and Chemical-Physical Characterization of Honeys of Different Botanical Origin.

Background: Honey is a natural product that, thanks to its composition, particularly the high sugar content, is highly appreciated as an energy nourishment. In addition to sugars, it contains many other substances (carbohydrates, free amino acids, enzymatic proteins, organic acids, polyphenols) from which the therapeutic properties of honey arise: hydrating and osmotic activity, antimicrobial action, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power. Objectives: The present work aims to deepen our knowledge/understanding of the activity of skin protection exerted by honey, as a synergic result of its multiple therapeutic effects. Moreover, this study wants to find possible correlations between biological properties and the chemical-physical traits of honey. Methods: To carry out this research, five varieties of citrus honey, one of acacia honey, one of chestnut honey, and one of multifloral honey were used. The honeys were first characterized by chemical-physical analysis and then were subjected to qualitative melissopalynological analysis. Tests were also carried out to evaluate both their antioxidant power and the effect on collagenase, an enzyme involved in the degradation of collagen present in the extracellular matrix and, therefore, in the processes of skin aging. Finally, honey samples were then used in in vitro experiments to assess their action in stimulating cell viability and proliferation on human keratinocytes. Results: Chemical-physical analysis demonstrated a good water content (about 17%), an important sugar content (with the monosaccharides glucose and fructose being the most represented in all the honey samples), various amino acids (with proline remarkably being the highest in all honeys), and a high concentration of polyphenols and total flavonoids (the maximum in chestnut honey, 762 mg/kg and 514 mg/kg, respectively). Conclusions The results obtained in this work confirm the ethnopharmacological use of honey in wound care, bring new scientific knowledge on the use of honey in dermatology, and highlight two fields of excellence, particularly incitrus and chestnut honey.

The Total Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity of Nine Monofloral Honey Types

Honey is well known for its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which significantly contribute to its high demand among consumers. While there is plenty of information available about the antioxidant potential of honey, there is still a lack of research specifically focused on monofloral honeys, as most studies have been based on market samples. To address this issue, in the present study we analyzed the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of nine monofloral honey types produced in Greece: fir, chestnut, citrus, erica, cotton, Jerusalem thorn, pine, oak and thyme, in comparison with manuka honey. The samples were collected from beekeepers applying the appropriate beekeeping practices. In total, ninety-six representative monofloral honey samples meeting the microscopic, physicochemical, and sensory characteristics were analyzed. Oak honey stood out as the darkest type (L* = 33.67) with the highest total phenolic content (203.75 mg GAE/100 g) and antioxidant activity (106.2 mg AAE/100 g). Chestnut honey closely followed, having also the highest electrical conductivity (1.679 mS/cm). Although manuka honey had a high total phenolic content, its total antioxidant activity was found to be medium-low compared to fir, pine, and erica honeys. Citrus honey, being the lightest in color (L* = 37.2), exhibited the lowest total antioxidant activity (6.36 mg AAE/100 g). Statistical analysis revealed significant positive correlation between total antioxidant activity and electrical conductivity (ra-e = 0.587, pa-e = 0.000), and negative correlation between total antioxidant activity and L* parameter (ra-L = −0.424, pa-L = 0.000). Similar correlations were also observed regarding total phenolic content (rp-e = 0.457, pp-e = 0.000, rp-L = −0.455, pp-L = 0.000). In conclusion, oak and chestnut honeys seem to have a high antioxidant potential, that should be further explored, to highlight their value and help promote them worldwide.

The Influence of Lactobacillus spp. Secondary Metabolites Isolated from Immature Egyptian Honey on Human Pathogens, Transcription of Virulence Genes and Lung Cancer

This work aimed to isolate, and identify Lactic Acid Bacteria LAB from Egyptian immature citrus honey, and characterize their secondary metabolites, as well as determine the antibacterial activities and transcription of virulence genes (stx1, stx2, and eae) influenced by these bacterial secondary metabolites. From twenty hives, twenty immature citrus bee honey samples were taken. Traditional cultural and biochemical testing were used, followed by molecular confirmation. Further, LAB isolates' antibacterial and cytotoxic properties were investigated. 16S rRNA gene sequencing were assessed and, two lactic acid bacterial isolates were identified as Lactobacillus acidophilus Ch2 and Levilactobacillus brevis Ch1. Both isolates have good antagonistic action against clinical pathogens, with Levilactobacillus brevis Ch1 exhibiting the best antibacterial activity against all indicator pathogens examined. When compared to untreated cancer cells, the isolates demonstrated significant cytotoxic activity. Ch1 and Ch2 cell viability percentages were 39.5% and 18.76%, respectively. Furthermore, when exposed to Levilactobacillus brevis Ch1 metabolites, Shiga-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) virulence gene expression was suppressed. To identify bacterial secondary metabolites, a high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTOF) approach was developed. Twenty-seven metabolites from diverse chemical classes were discovered in the crude extracts with antibacterial and anticancer characteristics. This is the first thorough investigation on the metabolic profile of LAB isolated from immature Egyptian honey and the findings suggested that isolates or their secondary metabolites could be used in the food sector as medicinal alternatives or as a biocontrol agent.

Improving honey identification: Stable isotope ratios variability of mono and polyfloral honeys from the citrus growing area of Salto/Concordia and from Uruguayan coastal areas

Concordia in Argentina and Salto in Uruguay are two neighbouring regions famous for the production of a precious citrus honey, whose valorisation passes through the ability to guarantee its geographical origin. In this study the influence of the different botanical origins (monofloral and polyfloral) within the same region of origin on the different stable isotope ratios was evaluated. Moreover, the effectiveness of the stable isotope ratio parameters δ13Choney, δ13Cprotein, δ15Nprotein, δ34Sprotein, δ2Hprotein and δ18Oprotein to discriminate between honeys produced in the internal border regions between Argentina and Uruguay (namely, Concordia and Salto) and honeys sampled in the two different Uruguayan coastal regions (Canelones and Maldonado) was tested on 82 monofloral and polyfloral honey samples. The results show that the different stable isotope ratios, except that of nitrogen, are not significantly influenced by the botanical origin of the samples. The sulphur isotopic ratio of proteins and carbon of honey are the most significant parameters for discriminating the geographical origin of the honeys considered. Applied a Principal Component Analysis, the first two factors overall explain 63.5% of the total variance, while the Discriminant Analysis provided optimal discrimination between the three origins, reaching a minimum of 96.7% correct reclassification.

Characterization of Antibiofilm and Antimicrobial Effects of Trigona Stingless Bee Honey Compared to Stinging Bee Centaurea hyalolepis and Citrus Honeys.

The antibiofilm and antimicrobial properties of tropical honey types including Malaysian stingless bee honey remain explicitly unexplored when compared with Apies honey. The antibiofilm and antimicrobial activities of the Malaysian Trigona honey were characterized with two stinging bee honey types (Centaurea hyalolepis and Citrus honeys) from Jordan. The antibiofilm and antimicrobial investigations were conducted on a set of seven microbial strains; five bacterial species of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145, Streptococcus pyogenes ATCC 19615, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 13883, and two fungal strains Candida albicans ATCC 10231 and Candida krusei ATCC 14243. The antimicrobial investigations revealed a broad spectrum activity for Trigona honey against Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and fungal strains over the two honey types. One-way ANOVA showed a significant difference (p < 0.001) in the zone of inhibition ranging from 9 to 25 mm and minimum inhibition activity (MIC) ranged from 9.4-29.6% (w/v) against the microbial strains. Moreover, the addition of honey to established biofilms has induced a degradation activity in the biofilm mass. Two-way ANOVA showed a significant biofilm degradation proportion (p < 0.001) ranging from 1.3% to 91.3% following treatment with Trigona honey and the other honey types in relevance to the concentration ranging from 10% to 50% (w/v). Moreover, the antibiofilm activity was highly consistent with MIC affecting bacterial growth inhibition. In conclusion, a robust antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity for Trigona stingless bee honey over the stinging bee Centaurea hyalolepis and Citrus honeys is noticed which endows the usage of Trigona honey in the antimicrobial industry.

Characterization of Italian honeys: integrating volatile and physico-chemical data

This article focuses on the comprehensive characterization of Italian honeys using various physico-chemical analyses and their volatile organic compounds (VOCs) fingerprint obtained through the PTR-ToF-MS technology. Honey characteristics, including pH, electrical conductivity, moisture content, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), and sugar content, were analyzed to assess their quality and origin. Honey samples from different flowers, including acacia, chestnut, citrus, linden, and multifloral, were collected and investigated. Furthermore, a few aged honeys were collected and analyzed and compared with the fresh ones. Physico-chemical analysis revealed that chestnut honey is characterized by high pH and EC values. Acacia honey has a higher fructose content, while aging appears to influence HMF levels, a vital indicator of honey quality, with aged samples exhibiting significant increases in HMF content. The VOC profiles have been found to vary among different honey types, suggesting that VOCs could be used as indicators of honey origin. Multivariate statistical analyses, such as partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), have been applied to the VOCs data to differentiate honey types based on their volatile profiles. Acacia honey exhibited different physicochemical parameters but on the contrary, in the VOCs analysis, it displayed similarities with the linden honey due to their shared low emissions of volatile compounds. Citrus honey had similar chemical parameters to linden and multifloral honeys, but its distinctive VOCs emission allowed for a more accurate identification. In conclusion, the analysis performed with the PTR-ToF-MS was successful in obtaining specific volatile fingerprints of those samples and was effective for improving the characterization of honeys.

A proof-of-concept study on the versatility of liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry to screen for various contaminants and highlight markers of floral and geographical origin for different honeys

The high-resolution mass spectrometry is a powerful analytical tool for improving food safety and authenticity, but still underused in official control laboratories. The present work is a proof-of-concept study overviewing how liquid-chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry could be used simultaneously for large-scale screening of contaminants and differentiation of honey samples. Within this study, the samples were extracted using all-in-one QuEChERS-based protocol that allowed for analysis of various anthropogenic contaminants and endogenous compounds. First, targeted-analysis of 52 honey samples led to unequivocal identification of 23 chemicals, including neonicotinoids, triazole fungicides and synergist. Then, suspect-screening using MSDial software allowed for tentative identification of 30 chemicals including plasticizers, flame-retardants and additives. Suspect-screening also made it possible to highlight tentative markers of chestnut honey (deoxyvasicinone, 2-quinolone, indoleacrylic acid and kynurenic acid) and citrus honey (caffeine, 2-oxindole and indole-3-carbinol). Lastly, non-targeted analysis enabled to separate honeys by their type, floral and geographical origins.

Citrus Honeys from Three Different Regions of Turkey: HPLC-DAD Profiling and in Vitro Enzyme Inhibition, Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Properties with Chemometric Study.

The objectives of the present study are to compare the phenolic profiles and biological activities of 15 citrus honey samples from three different locations in Turkey using a chemometric approach. The HPLC-DAD analysis was used to determine phenolic profiles. Nineteen phenolic compounds were identified. Gallic acid (107.14-717.04 μg/g) was recorded as the predominant compound. AF (Antalya-Finike) had the highest antioxidant activity in ABTS⋅+ (IC50 : 18.01±0.69 mg/mL), metal chelating (IC50 : 6.20±0.19 mg/mL) and CUPRAC (A0.50 : 12.05±0.68 mg/mL) assays, while it revealed the best anti-inflammatory activity against COX-2 (17.28±0.22 %) and COX-1 (43.28±0.91 %). AM (Antalya-Manavgat) was the most active in β-carotene-linoleic acid (IC50 : 10.05±0.19 mg/mL), anti-urease (38.90±0.69 %), anti-quorum sensing and antimicrobial activities. AKO1 (Adana-Kozan-1) in DPPH⋅ (IC50 : 34.25±0.81 mg/mL) assay, AKU1 (Antalya-Kumluca-1) in tyrosinase inhibition activity (37.73±0.38 %) assay, AKU2 (Antalya-Kumluca-2) in AChE (10.55±0.63 %) and BChE (9.18±0.45 %) inhibition activity assays showed the best activity. Chemometric tools were applied to the phenolic compositions and biological properties. PCA and HCA ensured that 15 citrus honey samples were grouped into 3 clusters. The results showed that myricetin, kaempferol, vanillin, protocatechuic acid, rosmarinic acid, rutin, vanillic acid, gallic acid, catechin and p-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid are phenolic compounds that can be used in the classification of citrus honeys.

GC-MS analysis of honeybee products derived from medicinal plants

BackgroundHoneybees provide a wealth of valuable natural products containing health-promoting bioactive compounds, including honey, bee bread, bee venom, bee pollen, propolis, and royal jelly. In the present study, we investigated the chemical composition of four honeybee products (bees, honey, royal jelly, and bee bread) derived from three medicinal plants (marjoram, trifolium, and citrus) using headspace GC-MS.ResultsGC-MS analysis coupled with the headspace method resulted in identification of 24 volatile compounds in marjoram honey, 14 volatile compounds in trifolium honey, and 25 volatile compounds in citrus honey, e.g., some of these compounds appeared in all three types of honey aroma, which are 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one, 2-furancarboxaldehyde, 5-(hydroxymethyl) and other unique compounds specific for each type where 23 compounds were from marjoram bees, 38 compounds from trifolium bees, and about 37 compounds were identified in citrus bees where 2,4-decadienal, (E, E) and methyl N-methyl anthranilate were common in all. Furthermore, the volatile compounds of all three types of royal jelly aroma were acetic acid, 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one, 8-nonen-2-one and furfural where one compound appeared in both marjoram and trifolium royal jelly that is 2-furancarboxaldehyde,5-(Hydroxymethyl) and the volatile compounds in marjoram and citrus are 2,3-butanediol and 5-methylfurfural also only one volatile compound appear in both trifolium and citrus royal jelly that is furfur alcohol, Finally, 3 compounds from marjoram bee bread, 30 volatile compounds from trifolium bee bread, and 3 volatile compounds in citrus bee bread were identified.ConclusionsA detailed metabolomic analysis of the four honey product groups revealed an intriguing chemical diversity, with each sample exhibiting its own chemical fingerprint.

Fingerprinting Chemical Markers in the Mediterranean Orange Blossom Honey: UHPLC-HRMS Metabolomics Study Integrating Melissopalynological Analysis, GC-MS and HPLC-PDA-ESI/MS.

(1) Background: Citrus honey constitutes a unique monofloral honey characterized by a distinctive aroma and unique taste. The non-targeted chemical analysis can provide pivotal information on chemical markers that differentiate honey based on its geographical and botanical origin. (2) Methods: Within the PRIMA project "PLANT-B", a metabolomics workflow was established to unveil potential chemical markers of orange blossom honey produced in case study areas of Egypt, Italy, and Greece. In some of these areas, aromatic medicinal plants were cultivated to enhance biodiversity and attract pollinators. The non-targeted chemical analysis and metabolomics were conducted using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). (3) Results: Forty compounds were disclosed as potential chemical markers, enabling the differentiation of the three orange blossom honeys according to geographical origin. Italian honey showed a preponderance of flavonoids, while in Greek honey, terpenoids and iridoids were more abundant than flavonoids, except for hesperidin. In Egyptian honey, suberic acid and a fatty acid ester derivative emerged as chemical markers. New, for honey, furan derivatives were identified using GC-MS in Greek samples. (4) Conclusions: The application of UHPLC-HRMS metabolomics combined with an elaborate melissopalynological analysis managed to unveil several potential markers of Mediterranean citrus honey potentially associated with citrus crop varieties and the local indigenous flora.

Volatile markers as a reliable alternative for the correct classification of citrus monofloral honey

The pollen analysis to classify monofloral honey is an unresolved challenge specially when the pollen is under-represented as the case of citrus honey. Thus, this study assesses the validity of the volatile fraction to differentiate types of honey, with special attention to markers compounds of citrus honey that could permit their distinction. Unsupervised analysis (PCA and HCA) showed that the volatile fraction of honey containing Citrus sp. pollen, undoubtedly differentiates it from other types of honey. An OPLS model focused on citrus honey selected 5 volatile compounds (of the 123 found in all samples by GC–MS) as significant predictors of the currently used value of methyl anthranilate obtained by HPLC. The joint detection of 4 lilac-aldehydes and the volatile methyl-anthranilate has the advantage of providing more precise information. Therefore, it could be proposed as a consistent marker to ensure the correct classification of citrus honey, fostering its labelling reliability.

Citrus Honey Ameliorates Liver Disease and Restores Gut Microbiota in Alcohol-Feeding Mice.

Citrus honey (CH) is rich in nutrients that have a wide variety of biological functions, such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities, and which demonstrate therapeutic properties, such as anti-cancer and wound-healing abilities. However, the effects of CH on alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) and the intestinal microbiota remain unknown. This study aimed to determine the alleviating effects of CH on ALD and its regulatory effects on the gut microbiota in mice. In total, 26 metabolites were identified and quantified in CH, and the results suggested that the primary metabolites were abscisic acid, 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid, rutin, and two markers of CH, hesperetin and hesperidin. CH lowered the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, glutamate aminotransferase, and alcohol-induced hepatic edema. CH could promote the proliferation of Bacteroidetes while reducing the abundance of Firmicutes. Additionally, CH also showed some inhibitory effects on the growth of Campylobacterota and Turicibacter. CH enhanced the secretion of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and valeric acid. Given its alleviating functions in liver tissue damage and its regulatory effects on the gut microbiota and SCFAs, CH could be a promising candidate for the therapeutic treatment of ALD.

Machine Learning Algorithms Applied to Semi-Quantitative Data of the Volatilome of Citrus and Other Nectar Honeys with the Use of HS-SPME/GC-MS Analysis, Lead to a New Index of Geographical Origin Authentication.

The scope of the current study was to monitor if semi-quantitative data of volatile compounds (volatilome) of citrus honey (ch) produced in different countries could potentially lead to a new index of citrus honey authentication using specific ratios of the identified volatile compounds in combination with machine learning algorithms. In this context, the semi-quantitative data of the volatilome of 38 citrus honey samples from Egypt, Morocco, Greece, and Spain (determined by headspace solid phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS)) was subjected to supervised and unsupervised chemometrics. Results showed that honey samples could be classified according to the geographical origin based on specific volatile compounds. Data were further evaluated with additional nectar honey samples introduced in the multivariate statistical analysis model and the classification results were not affected. Specific volatile compounds contributed to the discrimination of citrus honey in different amounts according to geographical origin. These were lilac aldehyde D, dill ether, 2-methylbutanal, heptane, benzaldehyde, α,4-dimethyl-3-cyclohexene-1-acetaldehyde, and herboxide (isomer II). The numerical data of these volatile compounds was summed up and divided by the total semi-quantitative volatile content (Rch, Karabagias-Nayik index) of citrus honey, according to geographical origin. Egyptian citrus honey had a value of Rch = 0.35, Moroccan citrus honey had a value of Rch = 0.29, Greek citrus honey had a value of Rch = 0.04, and Spanish citrus honey had a value of Rch = 0.27, leading to a new hypothesis and a complementary index for the control of citrus honey authentication.

In vitro prospective healthy and nutritional benefits of different Citrus monofloral honeys

We studied the total polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamin C, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of six Citrus monofloral honey, and the in vitro inhibitory effect against cholinesterases and tyrosinase. Finally, we assessed their effect against the biofilm of some pathogenic bacteria. Lime honey showed the best antioxidant activity and the highest content of polyphenols and vitamin C. Lemon and tangerine honey contained almost exclusively flavonoids. Lemon honey better preserved the bovine serum albumin against denaturation (IC50 = 48.47 mg). Honeys inhibited acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, and tyrosinase up to 12.04% (tangerine), 19.11% (bergamot), and 94.1% (lemon), respectively. Lime and clementine honey better inhibited the Listeria monocytogenes biofilm. Bergamot honey acted mainly against the Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii biofilm; bergamot and tangerine honey inhibited the Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm particularly. Bergamot, clementine, and tangerine honey acted against Escherichia coli sessile cell metabolism. This Citrus honey exhibited in vitro prospective health benefits and is applicable for future in vivo studies.

Colour and vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity of honey from different origins in Turkey

The nutritional content, antioxidant capacity and sensory characteristic such as colour vary related to botanical and geographical origins. The study was aim to investigate the spectrophotometric classification of honey colour by Pfund scale and the vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity (VCEAC) expressed as l-ascorbic acid equivalent by MTT assay. Eight honey samples originating from different geographical areas of Turkey were supplied and coded. The colour of the samples was determined as extra white (blossom-multifloral and citrus), white (blossom-multifloral and lavender), amber (thyme-Astragalus and honeydews) and dark amber (chestnut). The highest VCEAC was statistically measured in the honeydews and citrus honey, as the lowest was in the blossom and chestnut honey. And, there was no significant interaction between the colour score and the VCEAC of the honey. In conclusion, the honey from different botanical and geographical origins in Turkey showed the antioxidant capacity independently of their colour. The results needed further studies to investigate the floral diversity and phytochemical contents which influence the colour and antioxidant capacity of honey.

Static Water Vapor Sorption Properties of Honey

Abstract Static sorption properties of pine honey (PH) and citrus honey (CH) were studied at 20, 30 and 40°C. Yeast formation was observed on the surface of honeys at water activity (aw)&gt;0.7 at all temperatures. Visible yeast formation (YF) took place earlier in PH than in CH under the same conditions due to its characteristic higher pH and lower monosacchride content. The temperature was insignificantly effective on YF (p&gt;0.05). The honeys exhibited a sorption isotherm (SI) in the shape of a “J”. Their SIs exhibited desorption and adsorption at aw&lt;0.7 and aw&gt;0.7, respectively and the desorption part was almost linear. Aw=0.7 emerged as a border between the absence and presence of YF and between the desorption and adsorption. The SIs of honeys were insignificantly affected by temperature (p&gt;0.05). PH had a significantly lower SI than that of CH (p≤0.05) due to its characteristic lower monosacchride content. GAB equation exhibited a good fit to the honeys' SIs. Sorption heat vs equilibrium moisture content (EMC) revealed monolayer, multilayer and loosely bound free water regions in the SIs of PH and CH.

Design and manufacturing a microcontroller based measurement device for honey adulteration detection

The aim of this study is the detection of adulteration in honey by a microcontroller measurement device. For this purpose, 18 pure honey samples from Sidr, Locoweed and Citrus honey were prepared, whose physicochemical characteristics, including moisture content and ⁰Brix, pH, color and ash content were measured. To detect impurities in honey, electrical conductivity and light refraction were used as inputs of an artificial neural network (ANN) classifier. This allowed fraud detection in honey by a portable instrument developed by enclosing the electrical conductivity and light sensors connected to a smartphone application. The results revealed that increasing impurities caused a decrease in ⁰Brix and an increase in the pH of honey. The highest value of moisture was 17.5% (for Locoweed) and the highest value of pH was 4.69 (for Sidr) at 75% impurity concentration. Citrus showed the highest value of ash and electrical conductivity of 0.36 and 415 ppm, respectively. The lowest error of training the ANN classifier of 13% was obtained with 14 neurons as the optimal number of neurons in the hidden layer. The honey samples with fructose concentrations of 0% (pure honey), 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% (pure fructose) were successfully classified, with correct classification rates of 100%, 83.3%, 80%, 87.5%, 100% and 100%, respectively. This reveals the acceptable performance of the designed device in detecting honey adulteration.

¹H-NMR Metabolic Profiling, Antioxidant Activity, and Docking Study of Common Medicinal Plant-Derived Honey.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine ¹H-NMR profiling and antioxidant activity of the most common types of honey, namely, citrus honey (HC1) (Morcott tangerine L. and Jaffa orange L.), marjoram honey (HM1) (Origanum majorana L.), and clover honey (HT1) (Trifolium alexandrinum L.), compared to their secondary metabolites (HC2, HM2, HT2, respectively). By using a ¹H-NMR-based metabolomic technique, PCA, and PLS-DA multivariate analysis, we found that HC2, HM2, HC1, and HM1 were clustered together. However, HT1 and HT2 were quite far from these and each other. This indicated that HC1, HM1, HC2, and HM2 have similar chemical compositions, while HT1 and HT2 were unique in their chemical profiles. Antioxidation potentials were determined colorimetrically for scavenging activities against DPPH, ABTS, ORAC, 5-LOX, and metal chelating activity in all honey extract samples and their secondary metabolites. Our results revealed that HC2 and HM2 possessed more antioxidant activities than HT2 in vitro. HC2 demonstrated the highest antioxidant effect in all assays, followed by HM2 (DPPH assay: IC50 2.91, 10.7 μg/mL; ABTS assay: 431.2, 210.24 at 50 ug/mL Trolox equivalent; ORAC assay: 259.5, 234.8 at 50 ug/mL Trolox equivalent; 5-LOX screening assay/IC50: 2.293, 6.136 ug/mL; and metal chelating activity at 50 ug/mL: 73.34526%, 63.75881% inhibition). We suggest that the presence of some secondary metabolites in HC and HM, such as hesperetin, linalool, and caffeic acid, increased the antioxidant activity in citrus and marjoram compared to clover honey.

Assessment of Physicochemical, Antimicrobial and Antiradical Characteristics of Some Algerian Honeys from Different Floral and Geographical Origins

The aim of this study was the characterization and evaluation within vitrotest of some biological activities of honey samples belonging to the Algerian flora. Physicochemical analyses were performed to evaluate the quality of the honey samples. Total phenols, flavonoid content, and free radical scavenging activity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) were measured as antioxidant determinants. Finally,in vitroantimicrobial tests were carried out to evaluate the inhibitory capacity against certain micro-organisms (Gram+ and Gram− bacteria and a yeast species). According to the results, the majority of the samples met the appropriate standards for good quality. Their total phenolic content was average, while the flavonoid content was considerable. The DPPH antiradical test gave positive and strong results, with the darker colored honey and even citrus honey showing the best activity. The antimicrobial results showed significant capabilities against all bacteria studied. Only a honey sample labeled as “Sulla honey” was able to inhibit the spread of the yeastCandida albicans. Statistical analyses revealed that the differences in all results were significant between samples, confirming the influence of botanical and geographical origin.

INFLUENCE OF PARAMETERS OF MARINATING MEAT SEMI-FINISHED PRODUCTS ON THE QUALITY OF THE FINISHED PRODUCT

Improvement and introduction of modern technologies in the creation of new types of meat semi-finished products, the study of promising components and the development of new recipes for marinades, improving the organoleptic and taste properties of the final product is a relevant and promising area of research. Therefore, this study is focused on the influence of marinating parameters in the technology of meat semi-finished products, namely on the organoleptic, physicochemical, and functional-technological properties of the finished product. To solve the tasks, generalisation, comparison and the following research methods were used: organoleptic evaluation of appearance, cut section, taste, smell, colour, consistency, and juiciness; moisture content – by drying samples in a drying oven at a temperature of 103 ± 2 °C to a constant mass; fat content – by the Soxhlet method; ash content – by the conventional weighing method; determination of protein content – by the Kjeldahl method; the yield of the finished product was determined by weighing before and after heat treatment; moisture binding and moisture retention capacity was determined by pressing. The studies found that the effect of the duration of marinating significantly affects the organoleptic characteristics. Thus, the organoleptic characteristics and taste and aroma properties of the finished product when using honey in marinades improve, and the appearance becomes more attractive. According to the results of the organoleptic evaluation, the finished product, after 24 hours of marinating, received a score of 4.9 points. Also, in these samples were observed greater water retention and water binding capacity, which contributes to increased hydration and solubility of muscle tissue proteins. The influence of marinating parameters on the consumptive properties of the product has been established. Thus, the yield of finished baked beef after 24 hours of ageing in the marinade was the highest in sample No. 1 (marinade based on citrus honey – 10 g) and amounted to 84.96%, while the average weight yield of other samples was in the range of 73.18-77.5%. The obtained research results make it possible to expand the range of semi-finished products, correct organoleptic properties and enrich the finished product with biologically active substances