Contamination with sanitary microorganisms from Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Staphylococcaceae, Micrococcaceae and Bacillaceae families in flower bee pollen from Bulgaria after one-year vacuum-packed cold storage has been found. Dried flower bee pollens intended for human consumption were with high incidence rate of contamination with Pantoea sp. (P. agglomerans and P. agglomerans bgp6) (100%), Citrobacter freundii (47%), Proteus mirabilis (31.6%), Serratia odorifera (15.8%) and Proteus vulgaris (5.3%). Bee pollens were also positive for the culture of microorganisms from Staphylococcaceae, Micrococcaceae and Bacillaceae families: Staphylococcus hominis subsp hominis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Arthrobacter globiformis, Bacillus pumilis, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. It was concluded that, if consumed directly, the vacuum-packed cold stored dried bee pollen, harvested according hygienic requirements from bee hives in industrial pollution-free areas without intensive crop production, is not problem for healthy human.
Multidrug resistant and methicilin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is involved in severe difficult to treat skin and soft tissue infections in humans. In the present study the antibacterial reduction effect of royal jelly (RJ), rape honey (RH), as well as in combination (RJ:RH, 1:100 w/w) against multidrug resistant MRSA strains was evaluated by means of a microbiological method "in vitro". Royal jelly and rape honey mixture possessed a higher antibacterial activity than rape honey. The concentrations of royal jelly (20 and 30% v/v) had a total inhibitory effect against tested MRSA strains. Royal jelly alone and in rape honey mix (RJ:RH, 1:100 w/w) have a potential as alternative therapeutics against MRSA strains, resistant for antibiotics.
The Royal jelly (RJ), RJ and rape honey (HJ), rape (RH) and oak honeydew honey (HH) at concentrations of 10 to 45% were contaminated with 50 to 100 CFU/ml Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. After plating onto ChromoCult® TBX agar up to 30 min from contamination and after enrichment in Tryptic soy broth (TSB) at 37°C for 24 h, it revealed no visible colonies. These concentrations were defined as real bactericidal concentrations (RBC). Judging by results from spectrophotometric method, percent of inhibition and pH, it was observed, follow succession from drop of antibacterial activity for tested substances that RJ > HH > HJ > RH.
Review ArticleThe Bulgarian dendrofl ora consists of 359 species, including 368 infraspecific taxa (60 subspecies, 200 varieties and 108 forms) (28,39). There are about 770 species of medicinal plants constituting 20% of the Bulgarian flora. Of these, 200 are currently in use and over 250 herbal drugs are derived from them and presently used in the prophylaxis and medicine, cosmetics and the food industry (24). Bulgarian medicinal plants have a broad diversity of species, rich composition of active ingredients and most of them are nectariferous with great importance for bees.The aim of this work was, based on the data from available literature to provide a summary of the scientifi c information related to the main types of bee honey in Bulgaria in the fi rst decade of the 21 st century More than 3600 varieties of higher plants are found in Bulgaria, which is a good predisposition for the production of different types of bee honey. In the country 11 natural and 3 national parks were registered, where many different kinds of plants can be found, some of them unique in the world. Up till now, more than 11 types of bee honey have been harvested and investigated. The aim of this work was, based on the data from available literature to provide a summary of the scientifi c information related to the main types of bee honey in Bulgaria from 2000 to the present. In the study, we present quality parameters from organically produced and commercially processed bee honeys: pollen analysis, proline content, invertase activity, specifi c optical rotation, electrical conductivity, antioxidant and antibacterial activities.
QUALITY PARAMETERS OF BULGARIAN KINDS OF BEE HONEY
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