title: Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of Polish herbhoneys.
abstract: The present study focuses on samples of Polish herbhoneys (HHs), their chemical composition and antimicrobial activity. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was used to analyse eight samples of herbal honeys and three samples of nectar honeys. Their antimicrobial activities were tested on selected Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus schleiferi) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria, as well as on pathogenic fungi Candida albicans. Ether extracts of HHs showed significant differences in composition but the principal groups found in the extracts were phenolics and aliphatic hydroxy acids typical of royal jelly and unsaturated dicarboxylic acids. In spite of the differences in chemical composition, antimicrobial activity of the extracts of HHs against all the tested microorganisms except E. coli was observed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry Department, University of Białystok, 15-399 Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Isidorov
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry Department, University of Białystok, 15-399 Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bagan
authors.affiliation: Department of Forestry, Białystok University of Technology, 17-200 Hajnówka, Poland. Electronic address: s.bakier@pb.edu.pl.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bakier
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology, Microbiology Department, University of Białystok, 15-950 Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Swiecicka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D001407:Bacillus / Q000187:drug effects; D001516:Bees; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006722:Honey / Q000032:analysis*; D006880:Hydroxy Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010636:Phenols; D011044:Poland; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D006880:Hydroxy Acids; D010636:Phenols
keywords: Antimicrobial activity; Chemical composition; Genuine honey; Herbhoney; Royal jelly acids