George Emey M, Gannabathula Swapna, Lakshitha Rushan, Liu Ye, Kantono Kevin, Hamid Nazimah
Department of Food Science, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
Antioxidants (Basel). 2025 Mar 21;14(4):375. doi: 10.3390/antiox14040375.
Honey has been used for centuries for its antibacterial and healing properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial properties, arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs), antioxidant activities, and polyphenolic content of eight different types of New Zealand honey (clover, mānuka, beech honeydew, pōhutukawa, kānuka, rewarewa, kāmahi and thyme honey). The results showed varying antibacterial activities across the honey types, with mānuka, pōhutukawa, and kāmahi honey exhibiting significant inhibitory effects. Interestingly, all honey samples demonstrated inhibitory effects on bacterial growth at 25% concentration. Furthermore, AGPs were found in all eight honey samples, with higher amounts in kānuka, kāmahi, pōhutukawa, mānuka, and rewarewa honey. Thyme had the highest antioxidant values in terms of CUPRAC, FRAP and DPPH, while kāmahi honey had the lowest antioxidant value. Beech honeydew honey had the highest Total Flavonoid Content (TFC) values, while thyme and clover honey had the lowest TFC values. Similarly, thyme honey exhibited the highest Total Phenolic Content (TPC) value, with kāmahi and clover honey having the lowest TPC values. Furthermore, only thyme and beech honeydew New Zealand honeys contained vitamin C. The different honeys contained varying concentrations of polyphenols, with mānuka, kānuka, and pōhutukawa honeys having high amounts of quercetin, luteolin, and gallic acid, respectively. In contrast, clover honey had notable levels of chrysin, pinocembrin, caffeic acid, and pinobanksin. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the antibacterial properties and bioactivities of native New Zealand honeys, contributing to our understanding of the potential health benefits associated with these honeys and their potential use as natural alternatives to improve human health.
几个世纪以来，蜂蜜因其抗菌和愈合特性而被使用。本研究的目的是调查八种不同类型的新西兰蜂蜜（三叶草蜂蜜、麦卢卡蜂蜜、山毛榉蜜露蜂蜜、波胡图卡瓦蜂蜜、卡努卡蜂蜜、瑞瓦雷瓦蜂蜜、卡马哈蜂蜜和百里香蜂蜜）的抗菌特性、阿拉伯半乳聚糖蛋白（AGP）、抗氧化活性和多酚含量。结果表明，不同类型的蜂蜜具有不同的抗菌活性，麦卢卡蜂蜜、波胡图卡瓦蜂蜜和卡马哈蜂蜜表现出显著的抑制作用。有趣的是，所有蜂蜜样品在25%浓度下均对细菌生长有抑制作用。此外，在所有八个蜂蜜样品中都发现了AGP，卡努卡蜂蜜、卡马哈蜂蜜、波胡图卡瓦蜂蜜、麦卢卡蜂蜜和瑞瓦雷瓦蜂蜜中的含量较高。就CUPRAC、FRAP和DPPH而言，百里香蜂蜜的抗氧化值最高，而卡马哈蜂蜜的抗氧化值最低。山毛榉蜜露蜂蜜的总黄酮含量（TFC）值最高，而百里香蜂蜜和三叶草蜂蜜的TFC值最低。同样，百里香蜂蜜的总酚含量（TPC）值最高，卡马哈蜂蜜和三叶草蜂蜜的TPC值最低。此外，只有百里香蜂蜜和山毛榉蜜露新西兰蜂蜜含有维生素C。不同的蜂蜜含有不同浓度的多酚，麦卢卡蜂蜜、卡努卡蜂蜜和波胡图卡瓦蜂蜜分别含有大量的槲皮素、木犀草素和没食子酸。相比之下，三叶草蜂蜜含有显著水平的白杨素、松属素、咖啡酸和松属二氢黄酮醇。总体而言，本研究为新西兰本土蜂蜜的抗菌特性和生物活性提供了有价值的见解，有助于我们了解与这些蜂蜜相关的潜在健康益处以及它们作为改善人类健康的天然替代品的潜在用途。
