In Vitro Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activity of Hungarian Honeys against Respiratory Tract Bacteria

Abstract

Honey is a rich source of carbohydrates, while minor compounds such as amino acids and polyphenols contribute to its health-promoting effects. Honey is one of the oldest traditional remedies applied for microbial infections, due to its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial and antibiofilm effects of Hungarian black locust, linden, and sunflower honeys against the most common biofilm-forming respiratory tract pathogens Haemophilus spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The unifloral character of all three honey types was confirmed by melissopalynological analysis. The antibacterial activity of each honey sample against each bacterium strain was proven with agar well diffusion assay and thin layer chromatography—direct bioautography. Kinetics and mechanisms of antibacterial action were clarified with time-kill assay and membrane degradation study. The anti-biofilm activity was evidenced using crystal violet assay. In each assay, linden honey was the most effective, followed by sunflower and black locust honey. In addition, each honey sample had greater potential to suppress respiratory tract bacteria, compared to major sugar components. In conclusion, honey in general and linden honey in particular, can have a role in the treatment of respiratory tract infections caused by biofilm-forming bacteria.

Antibacterial and Biofilm Degradation Effects of Hungarian Honeys Linked With Botanical Origin, Antioxidant Capacity and Mineral Content

“…Differences in the sensitivity of Gram-positive bacteria vs. Gram-negative ones were observed in several studies. Gram-positive bacteria were more sensitive to Hungarian, Algerian and Greek honeys ( 3 , 24 , 54 ), compared to Gram-negative bacteria. However, in other studies conducted with Greek blossom honeys and Brazilian honey samples, Gram-positive bacteria were more resistant than the Gram-negative ones ( 20 , 64 ).…”

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Some Types of Honey from Banat Region, Romania

“…Research conducted by [79] showed reduced antimicrobial activity (expressed in BIR/MIR) of linden honey against the bacteria S. pyogenes, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, S. typhimurium and C. parapsilopis, and good antimicrobial activity against S. flexneri (8.53-17.66%), E. coli (5.63-15.65%) and E. influenzae (15.09-26.17%). The authors of [80] reported linden honey average MIC values of 7.3% against S. aureus and 11.5% against P. aeruginosa, and [81] observed high antimicrobial activity against S. pneumoniae (MIC 21.3-42.5%). A positive strain-boosting effect but with negative values was recorded in the case of S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, S. typhimurium, H. influenzae and C. parapsilopsis.…”

Editorial to Special Issue—Composition and Biological Properties of Bee Products

“…Honey continues to be the most studied bee product, with 60% of articles addressing this thematic [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ] and, more specifically, its biological properties [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. Only one article was focused on the effect of heavy metals, pesticides, and antibiotic residues on the quality of honey [ 5 ], and only one article had the honey of the African stingless bee Meliponula ferruginea as its study objective [ 6 ].…”

“…Antioxidant [ 1 , 2 , 4 ], antimicrobial [ 2 , 3 ], and anti-inflammatory activities [ 2 ] were also reported for honey samples from diverse geographical and botanical origins. Boutoub et al [ 4 ] reported that the capacity of seven honey samples of Euphorbia origin from Morocco for scavenging the free radicals nitric oxide ( • NO), superoxide anion radicals (O •− ), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) could be attributed to the phenolic fraction since they presented better activity after separating these secondary metabolites from the honey.…”

“…Currently, the resistance of microorganisms to antibiotics is rising and constitutes a major health problem. This resistance seems to be correlated to the formation of biofilm by bacteria [ 3 ]. For this reason, the authors investigated the antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of three Hungarian monofloral honeys (black locust, linden, and sunflower) against common respiratory tract pathogens, including the biofilm-forming Haemophilus spp., P. aeruginosa , and S. pneumoniae .…”