title: Floral markers of cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) honey and its peroxide antibacterial activity for an alternative treatment of digital dermatitis.
abstract: Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) honey can be characterized by a greenish yellow color and an intense flavor with a bitter aftertaste. Because cornflower honey contains only a limited amount of pollen for the verification of its floral origin, one objective was the characterization of its polyphenol and norisoprenoid contents to assign floral markers. Here, lumichrome (18.8-43.5 mg/kg), 7-carboxylumichrome, (Z/E)-3-oxo-retro-α-ionol, and 3-oxo-α-ionol appeared to be quite suitable for distinguishing cornflower honey from other unifloral honeys. Additionally, due to its comparably high hydrogen peroxide content (0.5-0.9 mM/h) and the associated antibacterial activity, cornflower honey was used as an alternative treatment of digital dermatitis on an organic dairy farm. Cows affected by this hoof disease often show severe lameness and a subsequent decline in milk yield and loss of body condition. The cows' hooves treated with cornflower honey showed significantly faster healing than the control group without any treatment.
authors.affiliation: Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Bergstrasse 66, 01069 Dresden, Germany. Stefanie.Oelschlaegel@chemie.tu-dresden.de
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oelschlaegel
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pieper
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Staufenbiel
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gruner
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zeippert
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pieper
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Koelling-Speer
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Speer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D031179:Centaurea; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000662:veterinary; D058066:Digital Dermatitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry; D006722:Honey / Q000032:analysis* / Q000145:classification; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000032:analysis / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D045792:Norisoprenoids / Q000032:analysis; D011058:Pollen / Q000737:chemistry; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D045792:Norisoprenoids; D059808:Polyphenols; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide