Bioactive compounds in Apis mellifera monofloral honeys

Abstract

Honey is a natural product with a sweet flavor. Honey is made by the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) from the nectar of flowers or other plant secretions that are collected near the hive. These products are mixed with bee saliva and stored. Several studies have demonstrated that honey exhibits antioxidant, antimicrobial, nematicidal, antifungal, anticancer, and anti‐inflammatory activities. These properties are influenced by the plants from which the secretions are harvested, from the naturally occurring compounds present in the nectar. Studies of the properties and applications of honey have distinguished honey from other natural products due to the presence of certain compounds and due its bioactive properties. The focus of this review is to discuss the identified and isolated compounds from monofloral honey produced by A. mellifera, with specific emphasis on antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of honey and its therapeutic health benefits.

Honey compositional convergence and the parallel domestication of social bees

“…Investigating ecological and evolutionary drivers affecting the properties of honeys produced by social bees remain a challenge due to the many potential sources of variation. While current research is mainly focusing on the identification of chemical markers specific to a floral origin or on the establishment of standards in the case of stingless bee honey [45][46][47] , investigations into stingless bee ecology should be encouraged throughout Africa and Asia, where their ecology and patterns of evolution are more poorly understood. There is a major gap between our knowledge of honey bees and stingless bees, especially in Asia and Africa 6,46,48 www.nature.com/scientificreports/ shared evolutionary history and environmental conditions on honey properties is also still hindered by the fact that phylogenetic relationships among stingless bees still remain unresolved for most genera 40,49 .…”

Antimicrobial Properties, Functional Characterisation and Application of Fructobacillus fructosus and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Isolated from Artisanal Honey

“…Its high osmolarity and the abundance of hydrogen peroxide and other antimicrobials [54] make honey quite a harsh environment, which allows the growth of only a few well-adapted microorganisms. Particularly in mature honey, viability of LAB is greatly affected by its low water activity, so that LAB concentration ranges between 10 2 and 10 4 CFU g −1 [13].…”

Honey compositional convergence and the parallel domestication of social bees

“…Investigating ecological and evolutionary drivers affecting the properties of honeys produced by social bees remain a challenge due to the many potential sources of variation. While current research is mainly focusing on the identi cation of chemical markers speci c to a oral origin or on the establishment of standards in the case of stingless bee honey 34,52,53 , investigations into stingless bee ecology should be encouraged throughout Africa and Asia, where their ecology and patterns of evolution are more poorly understood. There is a major gap between our knowledge of honey bees and stingless bees, especially in Asia and Africa 5,34,54 .…”