Ferulic acid as major antioxidant phenolic compound of the Tetragonisca angustula honey collected in Vera Cruz - Itaparica Island, Bahia, Brazil / Ácido ferúlico como principal composto fenólico antioxidante do mel de Tetragonisca angustula coletado em Vera Cruz - Ilha de Itaparica, Bahia, Brasil

Abstract The antioxidant activity of Tetragonisca angustula honey (TAH) and its ethanolic extract (TAEE) were investigated. The total levels of phenolic (TPC) and flavonoids (TFC) were also evaluated. The results for TPC were 19.91 ± 0.38 and 29.37 ± 1.82 mg GAE g-1 and for TFC 0.20 ± 0.02 and 0.14 ± 0.01 mg QE g-1 of TAH and TAEE, respectively. Antioxidant activities were 73.29 ± 0.49% and 93.36 ± 0.27% in the DPPH● assay and 71.73 ± 4.07% and 97.86 ± 0.35% in ABTS●+ for TAH and TAEE, respectively. The total reducing activity was determined by the method of reducing power (PR) and iron ion (Fe III) and the results varied in PR from 151.7 ± 25.7 and 230.7 ± 25.2 mg GAE L-1, for TAH and TAEE respectively and for (Fe III) in EC50 0.284 in TAEE and 0.687 in TAH. Chemical analysis by HPLC-DAD of the ethanolic extract (TAEE) revealed the presence of ferulic acid as majority phenolic component in the extract. The 1H NMR analysis confirmed this structure and showed the also presence of glucose, citric acid, succinic acid, proline and hydrocarbon derivatives. In addition, the botanical origin was also investigated and showed a multifloral characteristic, having found 19 pollen types with a botanical predominance of the Anacardiaceae family, with Tapirira pollen occurring as predominant (42.6%) and Schinus as secondary (25.7%). The results showed that T. angustula honey is an interesting source of antioxidant phenolic compounds due to its floral origin and can act as a protector of human health when consumed.

Resumo A atividade antioxidante do mel de Tetragonisca angustula (TAH) e seu extrato etanólico (TAEE) foram investigados. Os níveis totais de fenólicos (TPC) e flavonóides (TFC) também foram avaliados. Os resultados para TPC foram 19,91 ± 0,38 e 29,37 ± 1,82 mg GAE g-1 e para TFC 0,20 ± 0,02 e 0,14 ± 0,01 mg QE g-1 de TAH e TAEE, respectivamente. As atividades antioxidantes foram 73,29 ± 0,49% e 93,36 ± 0,27% no ensaio DPPH● e 71,73 ± 4,07% e 97,86 ± 0,35% no ABTS●+ para TAH e TAEE, respectivamente. A atividade redutora total foi determinada pelo método de poder redutor (PR) e íon ferrico (Fe III) e os resultados variaram em PR de 151,7 ± 25,7 e 230,7 ± 25,2 mg GAE L-1, para TAH e TAEE respectivamente e para (Fe III) em EC50 0,284 em TAEE e 0,687 em TAH. A análise química por HPLC-DAD do extrato etanólico (TAEE) revelou a presença de ácido ferúlico como componente majoritário no extrato. A análise de RMN 1H confirmou esta estrutura e mostrou a presença de glicose, ácido cítrico, ácido succínico, prolina e derivados de hidrocarbonetos no TAEE. Além disso, a origem botânica também foi investigada e apresentou característica multifloral, tendo encontrado 19 tipos polínicos com predomínio botânico da família Anacardiaceae, sendo o pólen Tapirira predominante (42,6%) e o Schinus secundário (25,7%). Os resultados mostraram que o mel de T. angustula é uma interessante fonte de compostos fenólicos antioxidantes devido à sua origem floral e pode atuar como protetor da saúde humana quando consumido.

Acaricide residues in beeswax. Implications in honey, brood and honeybee.

For beekeeping to be sustainable, the management of colonies for the production of bee products must be economically viable without endangering the lives of bees, and must include acceptable practices such as the treatment of hives with appropriate products. Occasionally, the use of acaricides to treat the hives against varroosis is uncontrolled and can accumulate in the hives, putting the colonies at risk. In this work, a screening of seven acaricides was carried out in different apiaries in Andalusia (Spain). Their distribution in beeswax, brood, honey, and bees from colonies in different surroundings was evaluated at different times. It was found that beeswax was highly contaminated but honey, brood and bees had acceptable levels, below their respective MRL or LD50, after a certain period following varrocide treatments. Acaricides banned for their use against Varroa, such as chlorfenvinphos, cypermethrin and especially acrinathrin, were found in the hives analysed.

In vitro and in vivo antidiabetic activity of bitter honey in streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced diabetic Wistar rats.

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic syndrome considered one of the life-threatening diseases in the last two decades. This research aimed to investigate the anti-diabetic potential of bitter honey collected from Nilgiris using both in vitro and in vivo methods. The mineral content of bitter honey was also estimated using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Bitter honey had a higher amount of zinc and copper, while heavy metals like lead, nickel, and cadmium were below the detection limit. The in vitro antidiabetic study was performed using alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibition methods. Acute toxicity (OECD 423) was conducted in female Wistar rats to determine the lethal dose of bitter honey. The antidiabetic activity was carried out in type-2 diabetic Wistar Albino rats induced with streptozotocin and nicotinamide. The experimental rats were categorized into five groups (n=8): the normal group, the diabetic control group, standard glibenclamide-treated diabetic group, bitter honey 200 mg/kg, and 400 mg/kg b.w. treated diabetic group. After the treatment period (28 days), blood samples were collected for biochemical studies, and the pancreas was dissected for histopathological studies. The in vitro antidiabetic studies revealed the antidiabetic potential of bitter honey compared to standard acarbose. Treatment of diabetic rats with bitter honey revealed a statistically significant reduction (P<0.05) in the levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG) compared to untreated diabetic rats. This was accompanied by an elevated HDL and a decrease in LDL, VLDL, triglycerides, total cholesterol, SGOT, SGPT, urea, and creatinine. Histopathological changes in the pancreas indicated a marked improvement in a dose-dependent manner. The study concluded that bitter honey could potentially decrease the levels of FBG in diabetic rats and the various biochemical and histopathological abnormalities associated with diabetes mellitus.

Citrus Honey Ameliorates Liver Disease and Restores Gut Microbiota in Alcohol-Feeding Mice.

Citrus honey (CH) is rich in nutrients that have a wide variety of biological functions, such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities, and which demonstrate therapeutic properties, such as anti-cancer and wound-healing abilities. However, the effects of CH on alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) and the intestinal microbiota remain unknown. This study aimed to determine the alleviating effects of CH on ALD and its regulatory effects on the gut microbiota in mice. In total, 26 metabolites were identified and quantified in CH, and the results suggested that the primary metabolites were abscisic acid, 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid, rutin, and two markers of CH, hesperetin and hesperidin. CH lowered the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, glutamate aminotransferase, and alcohol-induced hepatic edema. CH could promote the proliferation of Bacteroidetes while reducing the abundance of Firmicutes. Additionally, CH also showed some inhibitory effects on the growth of Campylobacterota and Turicibacter. CH enhanced the secretion of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and valeric acid. Given its alleviating functions in liver tissue damage and its regulatory effects on the gut microbiota and SCFAs, CH could be a promising candidate for the therapeutic treatment of ALD.

Towards DNA-Based Methods Analysis for Honey: An Update.

Honey is a natural product widely consumed all over the world due to its relationship with healthy benefits. Additionally, environmental and ethical issues have a higher weight in the consumer's choice to buy honey as a natural product. Following the high demand of this product, several approaches have been suggested and developed aiming at the assessment of honey's quality and authenticity. Target approaches, such as pollen analysis, phenolic compounds, sugars, volatile compounds, organic acids, proteins, amino acids, minerals, and trace elements, showed an efficacy, particularly concerning the honey origin. However, a special highlight is given to DNA markers, due to their useful applicability in environmental and biodiversity studies, besides the geographical, botanical, and entomological origins. Different DNA target genes were already explored for addressing diverse sources of honey DNA, with DNA metabarcoding attaining a relevant importance. This review aims to describe the latest advances on DNA-based methods applied in honey related studies, identifying the research needs for the development of new and additional required methodologies, and to select the most adequate tools for future research projects.

Modulation of vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) by Gelam honey in bilateral oophorectomized rats.

Introduction: Vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) is a common condition in post-menopausal women. Symptoms of VVA include dyspareunia, vaginal dryness, vaginal and/or vulvar itching, burning and soreness, dysuria and vaginal bleeding accompanying sexual activity. These symptoms are physiological responses to hypoestrogenicity, inducing atrophy of the vagina epithelia and sudden reduction in mucous production. Prevailing therapy for VVA is hormone replacement therapy (HRT), notably estrogen, progesterone or a combination of the two. However, using HRT is associated with an increased incidence of breast and endometrial cancer, venous thromboembolism in the lungs and legs, stroke and cardiovascular complications. Methods: This study evaluated Malaysian Gelam honey as a nutraceutical alternative to estrogen HRT (ERT) in alleviating VVA. A total of 24 female 8-weekold Sprague Dawley rats underwent bilateral oophorectomy. A minimum of 14 days elapsed from the time of surgery and administration of the first dose of Gelam honey to allow the female hormones to subside to a stable baseline and complete recovery from surgery. Vaginal tissues were harvested following a 2-week administration of Gelam honey, the harvested vagina tissue underwent immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis for protein localization and qPCR for mRNA expression analysis. Results: Results indicated that Gelam honey administration had increased the localization of Aqp1, Aqp5, CFTR and Muc1 proteins in vaginal tissue compared to the menopause group. The effect of Gelam honey on the protein expressions is summarized as Aqp1>CFTR>Aqp5>Muc1. Discussion: Gene expression analysis reveals Gelam honey had no effect on Aqp1 and CFTR genes. Gelam honey had up-regulated Aqp5 gene expression. However, its expression was lower than in the ERT+Ovx group. Additionally, Gelam honey up-regulated Muc1 in the vagina, with an expression level higher than those observed either in the ERT+Ovx or SC groups. Gelam honey exhibits a weak estrogenic effect on the genes and proteins responsible for regulating water in the vaginal tissue (Aqp1, Aqp5 and CFTR). In contrast, Gelam honey exhibits a strong estrogenic ability in influencing gene and protein expression for the sialic acid Muc1. Muc1 is associated with mucous production at the vaginal epithelial layer. In conclusion, the protein and gene expression changes in the vagina by Gelam honey had reduced the occurrence of vaginal atrophy in surgically-induced menopause models.

Chemometric classification of chestnut honeys from different regions in Turkey based on their phenolic compositions and biological activities.

The objective of this study was to investigate the phenolic composition and biological properties of chestnut honeys of 41 stations in Turkey's the Black Sea and Marmara regions. A total of sixteen phenolic compounds and organic acids were detected using HPLC-DAD and levulinic, gallic, protocatechuic, vanilic, trans-cinnamic acids and (4-hydroxyphenyl) ethanol were identified in all studied chestnut honeys. Antioxidant activities were measured by ABTS•+, ß-carotene-linoleic acid, CUPRAC, DPPH•, and metal chelating assays. Antimicrobial activities were carried out against gram positive, gram negative bacteria and Candida species using well diffusion test. Anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated against COX-1 and COX-2 whereas enzyme inhibitory activities were assessed on AChE, BChE, urease, and tyrosinase. The chemometric classification of chestnut honeys were carried out using PCA and HCA and it was seen that some phenolic compounds contributed significantly to the classification of chestnut honeys from various geographical origin.

A review of stingless bees' bioactivity in different parts of the world.

Stingless bees, also known as meliponines, live in beehives. However, reports on the distribution of stingless bees are scattered, resulting in a lack of precision. Honey and propolis are the main components that can be harvested from their beehive, with a great commercial value of up to 610 million USD. Despite the enormous potential profits, discrepancies in their bioactivities have been observed worldwide, leading to a lack of confidence. Therefore, this review provided oversight on the potential of stingless bee products and highlighted the differences between stingless bees in Asia, Australia, Africa, and America. The bioactivity of stingless bee products is diverse and exhibits great potential as an antimicrobial agent or in various diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers, and oral problems.

Determinants of Honey and Other Bee Products Use for Culinary, Cosmetic, and Medical Purposes.

Bee products have been used for centuries for culinary, medicinal, and cosmetic purposes, and their properties are still a subject of research, which provide new arguments in favour of their use. The research aimed to determine the current state of use of bee products by Polish consumers and determine the ways and conditions of their use, with particular reference to the level of nutritional knowledge and health status. The survey was conducted using the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) method on 487 respondents. It was found that honey is used mainly for culinary purposes and, to a lesser extent, for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Other bee products are much less commonly used than honey-mainly beeswax and royal jelly for cosmetic purposes and propolis and bee pollen for medicinal purposes. Segments distinguished by the frequency of use of honey for particular purposes were differentiated by gender, age, income level, use of other bee products, and motivation to use them. Their differences were also found in terms of the level of nutritional knowledge and self-assessed health status-the highest ratings in both categories were indicated by representatives of the Honey users' segment, which consisted of people who use honey most frequently for cooking, cosmetic and medicinal purposes. Regression analysis additionally showed that higher levels of nutritional knowledge and better health status were associated with the use of honey to treat gastrointestinal ailments and with the use of propolis for medicinal purposes.

Protective Effects of Arbutus unedo L. Honey in the Alleviation of Irinotecan-Induced Cytogenetic Damage in Human Lymphocytes-An In Vitro Study.

Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) honey (STH) has been used since ancient times as a folk medicine remedy, especially in certain Mediterranean countries. This honey, rich in phenolic content, is well recognized for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities, and is used for the treatment of skin lesions as well as gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders. This study investigated whether STH alleviates genome damage in human peripheral blood lymphocytes produced by the cytotoxic drug irinotecan. The phenolic profile of STH was previously estimated by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a linear ion trap-Orbitrap hybrid mass spectrometer. The effects of STH were evaluated at three concentrations (1×, 5×, and 10×), based on the daily consumption of the honey by an adult person. After 2 h of in vitro exposure, standard lymphocyte cultures for the analysis of chromosome aberrations and the cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome assay were established. Our results demonstrate that STH offered remarkable geno- and cytoprotection when administered with irinotecan. These findings are relevant for drawing preliminary conclusions regarding the in vitro safety of the tested honey. However, further studies are needed with the application of more complex experimental models.

Honey Can Obviate Heavy Metal Toxicity: A Review.

Toxicity caused by heavy metals inflicts a grave global menace to the habitat and inhabitants. Arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) are the non-essential yet harmful heavy metals commonly associated with pollution and resultant health complications. Typical chelating/complexing agents are not worthy of combating heavy metal-induced sub-chronic and chronic toxicities. It transpires from scientific data mining that, honey obviates investigational heavy metal toxicity. This review aims to collate such investigations conducted against As, Cd, and Pb toxicity. There is a total of 19 pre-clinical works demonstrating the ameliorative effect of honey against empirical As, Cd, and Pb toxicity. Pre-clinical reports against Hg and clinical study against these heavy metals could not found. From the outcome of the current literature investigation, it seems that honey has a marked heavy metal toxicity meliorative effect which is chiefly ascribed to its innate antioxidant effect due to its diverse polyphenol content.

Quality Assessment of Bee Pollen-Honey Mixtures Using Thin-Layer Chromatography in Combination with Chemometrics.

The aim of this study is to develop a rapid, effect-directed screening method for quality assessment of bee pollen-honey mixtures. The comparative antioxidant potential and phenolic content of honey, bee pollen, and the bee pollen-honey mixtures, was performed using spectrophotometry. The total phenolic content and antioxidative activity of bee pollen-honey mixtures with 20 % bee pollen share were in the range 3.03-3.11 mg GAE/g, and 6.02-6.96 mmol TE/kg, respectively, while mixtures with 30 % bee pollen share contained 3.92-4.18 mg GAE/g, and 9.69-10.11 mmol TE/kg. Chromatographic fingerprint of bee pollen-honey mixtures was performed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography with conditions developed by authors and reported for the first time. Fingerprint analysis hyphenated with chemometrics enabled authenticity assessments of honey in mixtures. Results indicate that bee pollen-honey mixtures represent a food with highly, both, nutritious characteristics and health-promoting effect.

Botanical honey recognition and quantitative mixture detection based on Raman spectroscopy and machine learning.

The development of new approaches for honey recognition, based on spectroscopic techniques, presents a huge market potential especially because of the fast development of portable equipment. As an emerging approach, the association between Raman spectroscopy and Artificial Intelligence (i.e. Machine Learning algorithms) for food and beverages recognition starts to prove its efficiency, becoming an important candidate for the development of a practical application. Through this study, new recognition models for the rapid and efficient botanical differentiation of investigated honey varieties were developed, allowing the correct prediction of each type in a percentage better than 81%. The performances of the constructed models were expressed in terms of precision, sensitivity, and specificity. Moreover, through this approach, the detection of honey mixtures was possible to be made and an estimative percentage of the mixture components was obtained. Thus, the applicative potential of this new approach for honey recognition as well as a qualitative and quantitative estimation of the honey mixture was demonstrated.

Malicia honey (Mimosa quadrivalvis L.) produced by the jandaíra bee (Melipona subnitida D.) improves depressive-like behaviour, somatic, biochemical and inflammatory parameters of obese rats.

Malícia honey produced by the jandaíra bee has hypoglycaemic and hypolipidemic effects and antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo, which makes it potential adjuvant treatment for obesity. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of malícia honey on somatic and biochemical parameters, depressive-like behaviour and anti-inflammatory activity in obese rats. A total of 40 adult male Wistar rats were initially randomized into a healthy group (HG, n = 20) that consumed a control diet, and an obese group (OG, n = 20) which consumed a cafeteria diet for eight weeks. Then, they were subdivided into four groups: healthy (HG, n = 10); healthy treated with malícia honey (HGH, n = 10); obese (OG, n = 10); and obese treated with malícia honey (OGH, n = 10), maintaining their diets for another eight weeks. The HGH and OGH groups received malícia honey (1000 mg/kg body weight) via gavage. Food intake was monitored daily and body weight was monitored weekly. Biochemical tests related to obesity and glucose and insulin tolerance test, somatic parameters, histological parameters and quantification of NF-κB in the brain were performed. Treatment with malícia honey improved depressive-like behaviour, reduced weight (14 %), body mass index (6 %), and improved lipid profile, leptin, insulin, HOMA-ß, and glucose and insulin tolerance in obese rats. It also decreased NF-κB (58.08 %) in the brain. Malícia honey demonstrated anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory effects, and reversed changes in obesity-induced depressive-like behaviour.

Metabarcoding of eDNA for tracking the floral and geographical origins of bee honey.

Authentic honey products have a high commercial value and are often falsified via adulteration. Metabarcoding of environmental DNA (eDNA) from bacterial, floral, and entomological sources has recently been proposed as a useful tool for identifying and authenticating floral and geographical origins of bee honey. In this study, eDNA metabarcoding was applied to reveal the bacterial, plant, and honey bee DNA signatures of 48 commercial honey products from six different geographical origins. Bacterial DNA composition in commercial honey showed different relative abundance of Paenibacillus and Bacillus in geographically different samples, and high abundance of Methylobacterium in chestnut honey implying potential use of bacterial DNA composition for honey authentication. Using the chloroplast trnL (UAA) as a DNA marker, floral origins of commercial honey were investigated. Based on floral DNA signatures, 12 monofloral honey samples were identified among the 45 samples tested. Targeted amplicon sequencing of cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene from entomological DNA identified three different Apis mellifera sequence variants, specific to geographic origin of honey, suggesting that COI can be implemented as a DNA marker to trace the origin of honey. Therefore, the current study demonstrated the potential of eDNA based metabarcoding as a robust tool for evaluating commercial bee honey by exploring their floral and geographical origins.

Long-Term Ingestion of Sicilian Black Bee Chestnut Honey and/or D-Limonene Counteracts Brain Damage Induced by High Fat-Diet in Obese Mice.

Obesity is linked to neurodegeneration, which is mainly caused by inflammation and oxidative stress. We analyzed whether the long-term intake of honey and/or D-limonene, which are known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions, when ingested separately or in combination, can counteract the neurodegeneration occurring in high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. After 10 weeks of HFD, mice were divided into: HFD-, HFD + honey (HFD-H)-, HFD + D-limonene (HFD-L)-, HFD + honey + D-limonene (HFD-H + L)-fed groups, for another 10 weeks. Another group was fed a standard diet (STD). We analyzed the brain neurodegeneration, inflammation, oxidative stress, and gene expression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) markers. The HFD animals showed higher neuronal apoptosis, upregulation of pro-apoptotic genes Fas-L, Bim P27 and downregulation of anti-apoptotic factors BDNF and BCL2; increased gene expression of the pro-inflammatory IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α and elevated oxidative stress markers COX-2, iNOS, ROS and nitrite. The honey and D-limonene intake counteracted these alterations; however, they did so in a stronger manner when in combination. Genes involved in amyloid plaque processing (APP and TAU), synaptic function (Ache) and AD-related hyperphosphorylation were higher in HFD brains, and significantly downregulated in HFD-H, HFD-L and HFD-H + L. These results suggest that honey and limonene ingestion counteract obesity-related neurodegeneration and that joint consumption is more efficacious than a single administration.

Tracking of Thermal, Physicochemical, and Biological Parameters of a Long-Term Stored Honey Artificially Adulterated with Sugar Syrups.

The growing phenomenon of honey adulteration prompts the search for simple methods to confirm the authenticity of honey. The aim of the study was to evaluate the changes in thermal characteristics, physicochemical parameters, antioxidant and enzymatic activity of honey subjected to artificial adulteration. Two series of products were prepared with the use of two different sugar syrups with an increasing dosage of adulterant (0 to 30%). After 24 months of storage, the quality of adulterated samples (partially crystallized) was assessed in comparison to the control honey (solid). Used adulteration changed physicochemical parameters and reduced antioxidant and enzymatic activity of honey (p < 0.05). The admixture of syrup and invert (p < 0.05) reduced the viscosity of liquid phase of delaminated honey in a dose-dependent manner. In the study, artificially adulterated honeys were controlled using the standard differential scanning calorimetry, DSC. In all adulterated honeys, a specific glass transition, TG, was observed in the range of 34-38.05 °C, which was not observed for control honey and pure adulterants. Moreover, the additional Tgs were observed in a wide range from -19.5 °C to 4.10 °C for honeys adulterated by syrup only. In turn, the Tg in range of 50.4-57.6 °C was observed only for the honeys adulterated by invert. These specific Tg seem to be useful to detect honey adulteration and to identify the kind of adulterant used.

Aspergillus verrucosus sp. nov., a xerophilic species isolated from house dust and honey in Japan.

Three strains of a xerophilic Aspergillus species were isolated from house dust and honey in Japan. A molecular phylogenetic analysis based on the combined dataset for four regions (internal transcribed spacer rDNA, calmodulin, ß-tubulin, and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit) revealed that the strains formed an independent lineage, sister to Aspergillus halophilicus classified in section Restricti. Morphological comparisons show that the strains differ from A. halophilicus in three aspects: (i) the size of cleistothecia, as well as the surface structure and size of ascospores, (ii) the ability to grow on Harrold's agar and dichloran 18 % glycerol agar, and (iii) the lack of conidiophore formation on potato dextrose agar +20 % NaCl. These strains could be clearly distinguished from all known Aspergillus section Restricti species. Therefore, we consider it to be a novel species and propose the name Aspergillus verrucosus sp. nov. (NBRC 115547T).

Topical Intervention of Natural Products Applied in Patients with Pressure Injuries: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVE: Pressure injuries (PIs) represent a major medical and nursing problem in individuals with decreased or limited mobility. This scoping review aimed to map the controlled clinical trials with topical interventions of natural products applied to patients with PIs and to verify the existence of phytochemical similarities among these products. DATA SOURCES: This scoping review was developed according to the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. Controlled trials were searched in the following electronic databases from their inceptions until February 1, 2022: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, PubMed, SciELO, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. STUDY SELECTION: Studies involving individuals with PIs, individuals treated with topical natural products compared to a control treatment, and outcomes with wound healing or wound reduction were included in this review. DATA EXTRACTION: The search identified 1,268 records. Only six studies were included in this scoping review. Data were independently extracted using a template instrument from the JBI. DATA SYNTHESIS: The authors summarized the characteristics of the six included articles, synthesized outcomes, and compared similar articles. Honey and Plantago major dressings were the topical interventions that significantly reduced wound size. The literature suggests that the effect on wound healing of these natural products may be related to the presence of phenolic compounds. CONCLUSIONS: The studies included in this review show that natural products can positively impact the healing of PIs. However, there are limited controlled clinical trials addressing natural products and PIs in the literature.

Antibacterial efficacy of indigenous Pakistani honey against extensively drug-resistant clinical isolates of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi: an alternative option to combat antimicrobial resistance.

BACKGROUND: Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) poses a grave threat to public health due to increased mortality and morbidity caused by typhoid fever. Honey is a promising antibacterial agent, and we aimed to determine the antibacterial activity of honey against XDR S. Typhi. METHODS: We isolated 20 clinical isolates of XDR S. Typhi from pediatric septicemic patients and determined the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of different antibiotics against the pathogens using the VITEK 2 Compact system. Antimicrobial-resistant genes carried by the isolates were identified using PCR. The antibacterial efficacy of five Pakistani honeys was examined using agar well diffusion assay, and their MICs and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) were determined with the broth microdilution method. RESULTS: All 20 isolates were confirmed as S. Typhi. The antibiogram phenotype was confirmed as XDR S. Typhi with resistance to ampicillin (≥ 32 µg/mL), ciprofloxacin (≥ 4 µg/mL), and ceftriaxone (≥ 4 µg/mL) and sensitivity to azithromycin (≤ 16 µg/mL) and carbapenems (≤ 1 µg/mL). Molecular conformation revealed the presence of blaTM-1, Sul1, qnrS, gyrA, gyrB, and blaCTX-M-15 genes in all isolates. Among the five honeys, beri honey had the highest zone of inhibition of 7-15 mm and neem honey had a zone of inhibition of 7-12 mm. The MIC and MBC of beri honey against 3/20 (15%) XDR S. Typhi isolates were 3.125 and 6.25%, respectively, while the MIC and MBC of neem were 3.125 and 6.25%, respectively, against 3/20 (15%) isolates and 6.25 and 12.5%, respectively, against 7/20 (35%) isolates. CONCLUSION: Indigenous honeys have an effective role in combating XDR S. Typhi. They are potential candidates for clinical trials as alternative therapeutic options against XDR S. Typhi isolates.