ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to measure the content of flavonoids, polyphenols, and carotenoids in the Helianthus annuus L. bee pollen. It was also to evaluate the ability of the dried, frozen, and freeze-dried extracts of sunflower (H. annuus) pollen, its scavenged free radicals and reducing action. Another aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial in vitro action of the H. annuus pollen extracts against the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. All pollen extracts showed medium antiradical activity and reductive ability. The most effective was the freeze-dried extract in both evaluation systems. The evaluation of the protective effects of DNA using a biosensor showed an opposite trending-frozen Ë dried Ë freeze-dried pollen. For the evaluation of antiradical activity, the DPPH method was used, and reductive ability was assessed by means of phosphomolybdic complex formation. The comparison of the polyphenols content shows higher values in freeze-dried bee pollen than in the dried and frozen pollen. The highest content of flavonoids was found in the frozen samples and the most carotenoids were present in the dried samples. In our study, the best antibacterial effects of the dried sunflower bee pollen extracts were found against Paenibacillus larvae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus raffinosus. The best inhibitory properties of the frozen sunflower bee pollen extracts were found against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Paenibacillus larvae. Very good inhibitory effects of freeze-dried sunflower bee pollen were found against Paenibacillus larvae, Brochotrix thermosphacta, and Enterococcus raffinosus. The best antifungal activity of the sunflower bee pollen was found in the frozen bee pollen extracts against Aspergillus ochraceus and freeze-dried bee pollen extracts against Aspergillus niger.
Subject(s)
Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Helianthus/chemistry , Pollen/chemistry , Animals , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Infective Agents/chemistry , Antioxidants/analysis , Bees , Carotenoids/analysis , Flavonoids/analysis , Free Radical Scavengers/pharmacology , Freeze Drying , Gram-Negative Bacteria/drug effects , Gram-Positive Bacteria/drug effects , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Polyphenols/analysisABSTRACT
The main aim of this study was to determine antioxidant properties and antibacterial activity of monofloral bee pollen samples to pathogenic bacteria. These samples were collected in different localities in Slovakia. The antioxidant properties of examined plant species were different and decreasing in the following order: Brassica napus subsp. napus L > Papaver somniferum L. > Helianthus annuus L. The antimicrobial effect of the bee product samples were tested by using the agar well diffusion method. The methanol (99.9% and 70%) and the ethanol (96% and 70%) were used for extraction. In this study, five different strains of bacteria were tested: Listeria monocytogenes CCM 4699; Pseudomonas aeruginosa CCM 1960; Staphylococcus aureus CCM 3953; Salmonella enterica CCM 4420; and Escherichia coli CCM 3988. The most sensitive bacteria of the poppy pollen ethanolic extract was Staphylococcus aureus was (70%) The most sensitive bacteria of rape bee pollen methanolic extract (70%) and sunflower ethanolic extract (70%) was Salmonella enterica.
Subject(s)
Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology , Antioxidants/metabolism , Bees/chemistry , Gram-Negative Bacteria/drug effects , Gram-Positive Bacteria/drug effects , Pollen/chemistry , Animals , Anti-Infective Agents/chemistry , Bees/metabolism , Brassica napus/chemistry , Brassica napus/metabolism , Helianthus/chemistry , Helianthus/metabolism , Papaver/chemistry , Papaver/metabolism , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Extracts/metabolism , Pollen/metabolism , Slovakia , Species SpecificityABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to examine the antiradical activity of 11 natural honeys and to evaluate the antifungal properties of honey. Honey samples (10) were collected from different locations of Slovak Republic. Honeys were native to different plant species of Robinia pseudoacaccia, Brassica napus subs. napus, Castanea sativa Mill. Thymus serpyllum vulgaris and the other samples had multifloral origin. The low antiradical activitity in honey samples was determined. The best results were found in thyme honey from Rhodos (11.84 %) and Castanea honey from Nitra (10.61 %). The lowest antiradical activity was found in Acacia honey and determined to be 7.62 %. Statistically significant differences (P< 0.001) were found among thyme/Rhodos and Castanea/Nitra. The antifungal activities of honey samples were tested by 10 %, 25 % and 50 % (by mass per volume) concentration against fungi Penicillium crustosum, P. expansum, P. griseofulvum, P. raistrickii and P. verrucosum and by the agar well diffusion method. The solutions containing 10 % (by mass per volume) of honey did not have any effect on the growth of fungi. The strongest antifungal effect was shown by 50 % honey concentration against P. raistrickii.