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The antimicrobial activity of honey, bee pollen loads and beeswax from Slovakia
Abstract and Figures
The aim of this study was to test the antimicrobial activity of propolis, bee pollen loads and beeswax samples collected in the year 2009 from two locations in Slovakia to pathogenic bacteria, microscopic fungi and yeasts. The antimi-crobial effect of the bee product samples were tested using the agar well diffusion method. For extraction, 99.9% and 70% methanol (aqueous, v/v) and 96% and 70% ethanol (aqueous, v/v) were used. Five different strains of bacteria, i.e. Listeria monocytogenes ccM 4699, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ccM 1960; Staphylococcus aureus ccM 3953; Salmonella enterica ccM 4420, Escherichia coli ccM 3988, three different strains of microscopic fungi, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, and seven different strains of yeasts Candida krusei, Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, Geotrichum candidum, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, were tested. After 48 hours S. aureus was the bacterium most sensitive to the 70% ethanol extract of pollen, A. fumigatus was the most sensitive microscopic fungus (70% ethanol) and C. glabrata the most sensitive yeast (70% methanol). Microorganisms most sensitive to propolis extracts were L. monocytogenes, A. fumigatus (70% ethanol) and G. candidum (70% methanol). Most sensitive to beeswax extracts were E. coli, A. niger and C. tropicalis.
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... Although the detailed composition of the beeswax used in the present study was not analyzed, the results found might be attributed, at least partly, to the presence of bioactive compounds such as remains of pollen, metamorphosis wastes, and other compounds with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and other protective effects that possibly can promote animal health and performance [7]. Indeed, the antimicrobial activity of beeswax has been extensively documented in European and Asian holistic remedies for centuries, having been shown to be effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger [29,30]. ...
The aim of this work was to assess the effects of beeswax supplementation on growth rate, feed intake, nutrient digestion, rumen fermentation, blood parameters, and economic sustainability in Assaf lambs. Eighteen growing Assaf (5 months old) lambs were separated into three experimental groups (n = 6 lambs/group). The lambs were fed a basal diet without supplementation (G1) or supplemented with 2 and 4 g beeswax/head/day in G2 and G3 groups, respectively. Zootechnical performance was evaluated over a 90 day period. Feed digestibility was assessed in faeces through the acid insoluble-ash method, and rumen liquor was collected to measure ammonia (NH3-N) and total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) levels. Blood samples were obtained for the titration serum metabolites by colorimetric tests. The findings showed that G3 had an improved performance compared to the other groups (p < 0.01). The lambs in G3 revealed the highest nutrient digestibility and feed use, followed by G2, and G1. G3 recorded the highest economic efficiency followed by G2 and G1 (p < 0.01). The TVFA, acetate, and propionate concentrations were higher and the pH values, NH3-N, and butyrate concentrations were lower in G3 compared to G2 and particularly to G1 (p < 0.01). The concentrations of total protein, globulin, and glucose were significantly higher with 4 g beeswax (p < 0.05). However, albumin, cholesterol, total lipids, urea, creatinine, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) concentrations as well as the albumin to globulin ratio decreased significantly with both levels of beeswax (p < 0.05). The addition of beeswax at the level of 4 g/head/day for growing Assaf lambs significantly improved the growth performance, digestibility, rumen fermentation, and blood serum parameters in addition to the economic efficiency.
... R. . Beekeeping provides various products such as honey, wax, pollen, royal jelly, bee venom, etc. which are used in foods food and for therapeutic use (Kacaniova, 2012). The diverse uses of these products by humans provide a market with huge potential and represent an important source of income for beekeepers and traders, as well as for their households. ...
Agro Value 2022; Value Chain Analysis of different crops which included Banana, Casava, Chili, Cowpea, Green gram, Jackfruit, Mango, Soursop, Sweet orange, Avacado, Bee Honey, Cut Flower, Hybrid maize, Big onion, Passion and Tomato.
... R. . Beekeeping provides various products such as honey, wax, pollen, royal jelly, bee venom, etc. which are used in foods food and for therapeutic use (Kacaniova, 2012). The diverse uses of these products by humans provide a market with huge potential and represent an important source of income for beekeepers and traders, as well as for their households. ...
... Based on these data, it was found that the activity of the chitosan film detected in this work was the result of the activity of the propolis additive. Moreover, the propolis extracts showed activities against A. niger and A. flavus, but the fungi were less sensitive or even insensitive to the propolis extracts at lower concentrations compared to the effect of the extracts on bacteria [79][80][81]. In this study, no antifungal activities of any of the chitosan films on A. niger were found. ...
Chitosan is a natural and biodegradable polymer with promising potential for biomedical applications. This study concerns the production of chitosan-based materials for future use in the medical industry. Bioactive substances—caffeine and ethanolic propolis extract (EEP)—were incorporated into a chitosan matrix to increase the bioactivity of the obtained films and improve their mechanical properties. Acetic and citric acids were used as solvents in the production of the chitosan-based films. The obtained materials were characterized in terms of their antibacterial and antifungal activities, as well as their mechanical properties, including tensile strength and elongation at break. Moreover, the chemical structures and surface morphologies of the films were assessed. The results showed that the solution consisting of chitosan, citric acid, caffeine, and EEP exhibited an excellent antiradical effect. The activity of this solution (99.13%) was comparable to that of the standard antioxidant Trolox (92.82%). In addition, the film obtained from this solution showed good antibacterial activity, mainly against Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis. The results also revealed that the films produced with citric acid exhibited higher activity levels against pathogenic bacteria than the films obtained with acetic acid. The antimicrobial effect of the chitosan-based films could be further enhanced by adding bioactive additives such as caffeine and propolis extract. The mechanical tests showed that the solvents and additives used affected the mechanical properties of the films obtained. The film produced from chitosan and acetic acid was characterized by the highest tensile strength value (46.95 MPa) while the chitosan-based film with citric acid showed the lowest value (2.28 MPa). The addition of caffeine and propolis to the film based on chitosan with acetic acid decreased its tensile strength while in the case of the chitosan-based film with citric acid, an increase in strength was observed. The obtained results suggested that chitosan films with natural bioactive substances can be a promising alternative to the traditional materials used in the medical industry, for example, as including biodegradable wound dressings or probiotic encapsulation materials.
... Salmonella enteriica (Kacániová et al., 2012). It also affects the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Fatrcová-Šramková et al., 2013;Kahraman et al., 2022), which is also a safety indicator in the risk assessment of water fit for human consumption. ...
Nowadays, natural foods that can provide positive health effects are gaining more and more popularity. Bees and the products they produce are our common natural heritage that should be developed. In the article, we presented the characteristics of bee products and their use in industry. We described the development and importance of beekeeping in the modern world. Due to their high nutritional value and therapeutic properties, bee products are of great interest and their consumption is constantly growing. The basis for the use of bee products in human nutrition is their properties and unique chemical composition. The conducted research and opinions confirm the beneficial effect of bee products on health. The current consumer awareness of the positive impact of food having a pro-health effect on health and well-being affects the increase in interest and demand for this type of food among various social groups. Enriching the daily diet with bee products may support the functioning of the organism. New technologies have appeared on the market to improve the process of obtaining bee products. The use of bee products plays a large role in many industries; moreover, the consumption of bee products and promotion of their medicinal properties are very important in shaping proper eating habits.
... Previous researches have shown that the solvent used for extraction and the extraction method can significantly influence its biological processes and inclusive antimicrobial activity [38,39]. Since the amount and number of solutes of the extracts vary depending on the solvent used, we thought that the inhibition against the same bacterial strain might be variable. ...
Bee bread (BB) and bee pollen (BP) are accepted as functional food and considered in medical properties due to its important bioactive components. These bee products show different biological properties, but researches on these aspects have not been clear yet. In present study, Anatolian BB and BP extracts were analyzed for the first time for their pollen type, total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid content (TFC), and antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Samples were analyzed for their antimicrobial efficacy by the agar well diffusion and MIC methods. HPLC analysis was used to identify the compounds in the BB and BP samples. Antioxidant activity was measured by the FRAP and DPPH methods. As a result of microscopy for pollen identification, Fagaceae family was dominant. Phenolic compound analysis showed that the amounts of p-coumaric acid and rutin were found to be the highest in BB and BP, respectively. Stronger antioxidant activity was obtained from BP. MIC values of BB were range from 250 to 12.5 μg/mL. The most susceptible bacterium was Mycobacterium smegmatis. The extract of BP was effective on all gram-negative bacteria with doses range from 250 μg/mL to 500 μg/mL. The lowest MIC value was detected with the concentration of 12.5 μg/mL against M. smegmatis. Anatolian BB and BP could be considered as a functional foods due to antioxidant activity and may be beneficial in the management and treatment of pathogenic bacteria because of high antimicrobial activity.
... Propolis is made up of phenolic acids, esters, flavonoids, and aromatic compounds. Beeswax containing high levels of propolis helps to provide antioxidant, 2,3 antimicrobial, 1,4 and anti-inflammatory 5,6 properties. ...
Background:
Beeswax is a naturally occurring product secreted from worker bees that has varied uses in modern day. In skincare, its function ranges from its role as an occlusive, helping to create a semi-occlusive skin barrier that minimizes transepidermal water loss; as a humectant, locking in hydration; and an emollient to soften and soothe the skin. As a natural substance, its use has been shown to help alleviate symptoms associated with common cutaneous conditions like dermatitis, psoriasis, and overgrowth of normal skin flora.
Aims:
In this narrative review, we aim to describe current uses of beeswax in skincare that has been published in the literature.
Materials and methods:
A review of beeswax related publications was performed by searching the PubMed database studies.
Results:
A total of five clinical studies were included with three studies on animals and two studies in humans.
Discussion:
Several studies show the benefits of topical beeswax in supporting the skin barrier.
Conclusion:
Beeswax can be a low-cost, natural ingredient for use in products. Further studies with topical beeswax are warranted.
... Therefore, our study is just one of two (see Invernizzi et al., 2011) finding a dietary control of Nosema infection. As pollen feeding is known to reduce virus concentration in bees (DeGrandi-Hoffman et al., 2010) and different extracts of pollen and bee bread inhibit bacterial (Lavie, 1960;Crailsheim & Riessberger-Gallé, 2001) and fungal (Kacániová et al., 2012) growth, the ability of bee bread to control disease spread could be widespread. ...
Floral diversity allows honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (including its hybrids between subspecies) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), to meet their nutritional requirements. However, infection by Nosema spp. (Microsporidia: Nosematidae) destroys a bee's digestive epithelium, hindering the ability to absorb nutrients. In some subtropical regions, such as the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, nosemosis is one of the most widespread diseases in commercial apiaries. To date, there have been no reports of colony deaths attributable to the disease. It is possible that the naturally occurring diet in the Yucatan Peninsula sustains honey bee health. We tested this hypothesis by evaluating the effect of four diets –bee bread collected in the Yucatan's rainy and dry seasons, sucrose syrup, and a pollen substitute –on the response of caged Africanized honey bees (A. m. scutellata × A. m. adansonii × A. mellifera) to nosemosis infection (treatment with spores of Nosema apis Zander and Nosema ceranae Fries). We found that infected and uninfected bees consumed food in similar amounts regardless of the diet, although, overall, they fed at significantly lower rates when provided the pollen-substitute diet. Bees fed either of the bee bread diets had relatively low fat-body weight and expression of Vg, proPO, and GOx genes, three genes related to immune function. Bees fed sucrose syrup had low fat-body weight but relatively high gene expression. Infection from Nosema spores only reduced the individual survival probability for bees fed the bee bread collected in the dry season, yet bees fed the dry-season bee bread had the lowest infection rates. Our results indicate that natural stored bee bread in honey bee colonies from the Yucatan Peninsula could be one of the main factors influencing their survival and reducing Nosema spp. spore load.
... A crude extract of beeswax inhibited S. aureus, S. enterica, C. albicans, and Aspergillus niger [23]. Whereas methanol and ethanol extracts inhibited pathogenic bacteria and microscopic fungus [25]. This type of impact might be due, at least in part, to plant-derived beeswax components [26]. ...
Bees produce beeswax, which is used to make honeycombs is biodegradable, sustainable, compostable, eco-friendly. In addition to honey and pollen, honey bees use comb to store nectar and rear their young. More than 300 things are made with beeswax, such as candles, shoe polish and vehicle and floor polishes. Beeswax can also be used in the food processing and packaging, wax crayons, metal casting and modelling, food processing, and cosmetics industries. In addition to these, embalming, papyrus preservation, and artwork conservation are all possible uses for honey beeswax. Beeswax has numerous industrial, pharmacological, and medical uses that demand an understanding of its chemical makeup. Similar to honey, beeswax is considered effective in the treatment of bruising, inflammation and burns. Beeswax’s antibacterial properties have recently been the subject of inquiry, despite the fact that there are currently few studies on the subject. For example, beeswax has been proven to significantly reduce affectivity of disease casing bacteria like: Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Salmonella enterica . This study discusses the characteristics, composition, and adulteration of beeswax, as well as its medicinal effects as an antibiotic and in skin therapy.
Objective:
Beeswax is a natural ingredient used effectively for wound healing. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of beeswax and breast milk in preventing nipple pain and cracks in the early postpartum period.
Materials and methods:
This non-blinded, randomized controlled trial was carried out between November 15, 2019, and April 1, 2020, in the postpartum clinic of a state university hospital and at mothers' homes. Ninety primiparous mothers meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into beeswax (n=30), breast milk (n=30), and control (n=30) groups using simple randomization. Mothers in the beeswax, breast milk, and control groups were assessed for nipple pain and cracks on postpartum days 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 10th.
Results:
On postpartum day 10, nipple pain and cracks occurred highest in the control group (%53.3), whereas nipple pain and cracks were encountered least in the beeswax group (%20,0) on postpartum observation days. The differences between the groups in terms of nipple cracks and pain severity were statistically significant (p < 0.05, p=0.004, and p=0.000, respectively).
Conclusion:
Beeswax is more effective than breast milk in preventing nipple pain and crack formation. A beeswax barrier can be used to prevent nipple pain and cracks.
In Central Europe and other temperate regions the lipophilic bee hive product propolis normally originates from the bud exudate of poplar trees that is collected by the bees. Based on bee observations, various other sources have been discussed in particular for tropical regions, but in only few cases the origin has been proved by analytical methods. We have analyzed propolis samples from managed honey-bees as well as from feral bee colonies in the Sonoran Desert. Propolis collected in hives out of flight reach of poplars contained flavonoid aglycones and other phenolics that point to specific plants as the source of propolis in this area, namely Ambrosia deltoidea and Encelia farinosa.
During ancient times, people throughout the world commonly used pollen, praising it for its goodness and medicinal properties. Some of the reasons the ancients used bee-pollen are why we use it today. To date no scientific evidence has been cited to disprove the claimed properties of bee-pollen.
The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant activity, phenolic content and antibacterial activity of pollen extracts obtained with different concentrations of ethanol. Each extraction condition (ethanol solutions from 40 to 90%) had a different effect in the phenolic compounds content. Although, the pollen extract obtained at 60, 70 and 80% of ethanol showed relatively higher levels of phenolic compounds (>10 mg/g) and did not present statistical significant difference between the extraction conditions. The amount of total phenolics ranged from 3.6 to 8.1 and 6.6 to 10.9 mg GAE/g for Alagoas state and Parana state pollen, respectively. The higher value for antioxidant activity index was 83.30% for the pollen from Alagoas state and 81.15 % for Parana state pollen. The highest degree of antioxidant activity was found in the extraction at 60% of ethanol solution for Parana state pollen, which also showed the highest concentration of polyphenol compounds. Staphylococcus aureus was inhibited by the ethanolic extract of Alagoas state pollen in all the concentrations of solvent, except the ethanolic extract of pollen at 90%. The extract at 60% of ethanol solution (Parana sample) inhibited Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella sp.
Ten samples of different colors of dried bee pollen pellets were collected in the south region of Brazil and analyzed for: moisture, ash, lipids, proteins, total carotenoids, beta-carotene, vitamin C and botanical evaluation. The botanical origin of the pollen pellets was obtained using microscopic pollen identification of color-dependent subsamples. The results obtained had an average of 7.4% moisture, 20% proteins, 6% lipids, 2.2% ash, absence of vitamin C and beta-carotene and presence of total carotenoids. The color of the pollen pellets was not determinant for taxa identification due to the fact that most of the pellets named as monofloral samples presented two or more botanical taxa. The most frequent plant families from a total of 17 taxa identified were Arecaceae, Asteraceae and Myrtaceae. In conclusion, due to the intraspecific differences in compounds from the taxa collected, the data obtained using chemical and microscopic analysis can play an important role in the quality control of dry bee pollen pellets if the samples are mostly monofloral.
The antioxidant activities of methanol extracts of propolis were tested in natural olive oil stored at 60 degreesC. The concentration of extracts in olive oil varied from 0.02 to 0.08%. Extracts at 0.06 and 0.08% concentrations had better antioxidant activity as compared to butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) at 0.01% levels. The greatest antioxidant activities were exhibited by propolis balsam extract at 0.08% levels. It can be said that the antioxidant activity of propolis increases with concentration. This product is considered as a new source of natural antioxidants.
Biological activities of different propolis extracts in Korea were examined for the evaluation of quality comparison with that from Brazil (BZ). Total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of propolis extracts from Yeosu (YS) and Cheorwon (CW), whose E1cm1% values were higher than BZ, were also shown to be more aboudant. The extracts of YS and CW also showed strong antioxidant activities, using the linoleic acid peroxidation and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical-scavenging activity. However, the extract from BZ had less active antioxidant activity on linoleic acid peroxidation and DPPH free radical-scavenging activity of less than 70% than other extracts. The DPPH free radical-scavenging activity seems to relate with the antioxidant activity of linoleic acid peroxidation. The propolis with antioxidant activity also had DPPH free radical-scavenging activity. The extracts of YS and CW had effective antimicrobial activities on Staphilococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhimurium and Candida albicans. Strong antioxidant, radical-scavenging and antimicrobial activities of YS and CW seemed to relate with high E1cm1%values, total polyphenol, and flavonoid contents.
Propolis is a resinous hive product collected by honeybees from various plant sources. It is a popular folk medicine possessing a broad spectrum of biological activities. It has also been used as a health drink in various Asian, European and American countries. Several groups of researchers have focused their attention on the biological activity of propolis and its active principles. Many scientific articles are published every year in different international journals related to the pharmacological properties of propolis. This review article compiles recent findings (since 1995) on the pharmacological properties of propolis focusing on its antihepatotoxic, antitumour, antioxidative, antimicrobial and antiinflammatory properties. The possible mechanism of action of propolis as well as the active compounds are discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.