The antimicrobial activity of honey in relation to the composition of pollen (Bosnia-Herzegovina, W. Balkan)

S Redzic; H Kurtagic; N Prazina; M Tuka; T Avdagic

doi:10.1055/s-0031-1282185

Planta Medica, Inhaltsverzeichnis

The antimicrobial activity of honey in relation to the composition of pollen (Bosnia-Herzegovina, W. Balkan)

S Redzic ¹, H Kurtagic ², N Prazina ¹, M Tuka ³, T Avdagic ¹

¹Department of Biology of the Faculty of Science University, 33–35 Zmaja od Bosne St., 71 000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
²Federal Institute of Agriculture, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
³Private Pharmaceutical institution „Apoteka VITA“, Kiseljak, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Honey has significant antimicrobial activity (AMA)[1, 2]. As the quality of honey depends on the composition of pollen, and it can expect a different AMA. Honey samples were collected from 12 different locations in the continental part of Bosnia. Honey samples were taken at the end of the season (September – October 2006.). Microscopic preparations were made for the standard method of pollen analysis. For every sample 300 pollen grains were counted. Each pollen grain has been determined. Antimicrobial activity was tested by diffusion method at Muller-Hilton agar. For that clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas sp. were used. On the edge of prepared pools from strains of microorganisms placed 200µl prepared honey.

All 12 samples of honey caused high inhibition zone for Staphylococcus aureus (11–21mm), eight samples of honey caused growth inhibition of Escherichia coli (11–13mm) and three samples of honey caused a zone of inhibition at Pseudomonas sp. (12mm).

The highest antimicrobial activity has poly-floral mountain honey dominated by pollen of the following species: Trifolium repens L. (17%), Taraxacum officinale F.H.Wigg. (13%), Filipendula vulgaris Hill (13%), Centaurea jacea L. (11%), Trifolium pratense L. (19%), Plantago lanceolata L. (9.5%), Lotus corniculatus L. (9%), Origanum vulgare L. (5%), Erica carnea L. (5%) and others (total 15 plant species). The greatest effect on Pseudomonas sp. causes honey dominated of Lotus corniculatus (23%). Tested honey shows no effect of the bacterium Salmonella enteritidis and Candida albicans. Most of these plants are honey and medicinal plants and edible plants [3, 4].

Keywords: Honey plants, Biodiversity of plants, pathogenic bacteria, Taraxacum, Trifolium

References: 1. Ulusoy E et al. (2010)J Food Biochem 34 (Suppl.1): 321–335. 2. Bogdanov S et al.(2008)J Am Coll Nutr 27: 677–689. 3. Redzic SS (2007) Coll Antropol 31: 869–890. 4. Redzic SJ (2006) Ecol Food & Nutr 45(3):189–232.