•Characterization of honey by the stingless bees produced in the semi-arid region of the Brazilian northeast.•Concentration of carboxylic acids and physic-chemistry parameters were used in the ...evaluation.•Analysis of principal components and hierarchical cluster analysis was performed.
The physicochemical characteristics of honey vary according to bee species, climate, region, period of collection, processing and storage. In this context, this work aimed to perform a comparative study of the physicochemical characteristics of Melipona subnitida and M. fasciculata honey collected at different periods and regions of the State of Piauí, Brazil. Twenty-nine honey samples were collected and evaluated by principal component analysis from physicochemical analysis data. Twenty-two percent of the parameters analyzed differed between species. Evaluating the collection period, the honey of M. subnitida and M. fasciculata presented differences among themselves. The study revealed a similarity between the physicochemical parameters of the honey of the two species of bees, in addition, the time was one of the determining factors in the formation of clusters.
•Echimidine and lycopsamine are commonly found in honey.•Echimidine, acetylechimidine, lycopsamine and their N-oxides are frequent in pollen.•1 g of pollen/day exceeds the recommended maximum daily ...intake (MDI) of PA by an adult 60 kg.•13 g of honey/day normally exceeds the recommended MDI of PA by an adult 60 kg.•PA levels in propolis and royal jelly are low, but studies of this order are scarce.
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) are secondary metabolites of plants, which are mostly found in the genus Senecio, Echium, Crotalaria, and Eupatorium. The presence of 1,2-unsaturated PA in foods is a concern to food regulators around the world because these compounds have been associated to acute and chronic toxicity, mainly in the liver. The intake foods with PA/PANO usually occur through accidental ingestion of plants and their derivatives, besides to products of vegetal-animal origin, such as honey. PA/PANO are transferred to honey by their presence in nectar, honeydew, and pollen, which are collected from the flora by bees. In addition to honey, other beekeeping products, such as pollen, royal jelly, propolis, and beeswax, are also vulnerable to PA contamination. In this context, this review provides information about chemical characteristics, regulation, and toxicity, as well as summarizes and critically discusses scientific publications that evaluated PA in honeys, pollens, royal jelly, and propolis.
A new methodology based on the fluorescence of Cu(II) ternary system with o-phenanthroline (o-Phen) and eosin (Eo) dyes is proposed. The metal was selectively retained on Nylon membranes and the ...solid surface fluorescence (SSF) was used for anayte quantification. Experimental variables that influence the formation of Cu(II)-o-Phen-eo system and retention step were studied and optimized. At optimal experimental conditions, an adequate tolerance to foreign species was shown with a LOD of 1.18 ng L
−1
and a LOQ of 3.57 ng L
−1
. The methodology was evaluated for their greenness profile and successfully applied to analyte determination in bee’s products of West-Center Argentina. Recovery studies showed values near to 100% being satisfactorily validated by ICP-MS.
Approximate composition, physico-chemical, techno-functional, amino acid profile, fatty acid profile, nutritional quality, antioxidant, anti-amylase and anti-lipase properties of bee bread, royal ...jelly, and bee propolis were investigated. The main differences between the analyzed bee products were found in the content of protein (royal jelly), polysaccharides (bee bread), balsam (propolis), wax (propolis), and polyphenol (propolis). Bee products had considerable oil-holding capacity, water-binding capacity, water-holding capacity, emulsifying activity, and foaming capacity. Bee products had higher amounts of glucogenic amino acid, non-essential amino acid, sweet amino acid, hydrophobic amino acid, essential amino acid, ketogenic amino acid, and flavor amino acids and lower amounts of bitter amino acid, non-protein amino acid, branched-chain amino acid, and aromatic amino acid. Bee products contained higher amounts of unsaturated fatty acid, polyunsaturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, saturated fatty acid, omega-3, and omega-6, and lower amounts of omega-9 and omega-7. Bee products, especially royal jelly, had a considerable health-promoting index, hypocholesterolemic index, omega-6/omega-3, atherogenicity index, and thrombogenicity index. Bee bread, royal jelly, and bee propolis showed good radical scavenging activity and effectively inhibited amylase and lipase similar to the control. Propolis, bee bread, and royal jelly are proposed as possible techno-functional ingredients for food and health.
•The approximate composition and nutritional quality of bee products were investigated.•Physico-chemical and techno-functional properties of bee products were investigated.•Bee products revealed good lipid and protein nutritional quality.•Bee products revealed good physico-chemical and techno-functional properties.•Bee products revealed excellent antioxidant, anti-amylase, and anti-lipase capacities.
The physical, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties of edible k-carrageenan films containing bee pollen and honey extracts, as well as their evaluation in vitro and on beef, are reported for the ...first time. Thickness, tensile strength, elongation at break, puncture force, contact angle, water vapor permeability, UV-screening, thermal analysis, color, antioxidant activity in terms of iron reducing power (FRAP) and antiradical power on DPPH radical, as well as antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas spp., aerobic plate counts were determined. All the extracts significantly increased the physical properties and the hydrophilicity of the films. The use of bee pollen and ulmo honey extracts did not significantly change the films color, whereas the quillay honey extract turned them reddish. Thermal stability of films were not affected by antioxidant bee extracts addition. The antibacterial activity of the films added with the extracts, evaluated in isolation or on beef, was not significantly modified with the use of any of the extracts on any of the bacteria evaluated. On the contrary, the antioxidant and antiradical activity of isolated edible films and on meat increased with the use of all the extracts.
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•All extracts improved significantly the antioxidant activity of films.•Bee pollen extract showed higher antibacterial activity against mesophilic aerobes.•Honeys were more effective against E. coli.•Resistant and elasticity of kc films were improved with extracts addition.
Bee pollen (BP) has been increasingly studied because it contains a wide variety of bioactive compounds, including vitamins. Brazilian botanical diversity, together with the potential of local ...beekeeping production, makes BP's capacity as a food source of bioactive compounds major focus for research. In this scenario, the objective of this study was to screen and evaluate the chemical composition, including antioxidant vitamins, of BP samples from southern Brazil, and to correlate them with their botanical origin. Analyses of nutritional composition were performed to compare them with the quality parameters established by Brazilian and international regulations. Additionally, individual sugars and vitamins (C, E and pro-vitamin A) were quantified and microscopic analysis for taxon classification was performed to correlate with vitamins and nutritional composition. The results of the chemical analysis showed that the samples were in accordance with the relevant regulations. The composition of vitamins and pollen types varied among the samples. Some BP could be classified as a source of a particular vitamin in a standard dose (25g). Lipid and protein content from Rio Grande do Sul presented higher mean values (p<0.05) compared with the other two states. Some correlations between chemical composition and botanical taxon were observed. Principal component analysis showed that the samples from the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná presented similarities in terms of composition for each location. HCA and PLSDA were not able to classify the samples based on the chemical markers used. The analysis of vitamins confirmed that BP from this region can be a good source of antioxidant vitamins and that it can provide important nutritional information to food researchers and bioactive compounds for consumers.
•Investigation of bioactive compounds on bee pollen from southern Brazil is proposed.•We evaluate the nutritional composition and antioxidant vitamins of bee pollen.•Pollen analysis permits correlation with some bioactive compounds.•Multivariate techniques explain chemical patterns according to producing region.
•Development of hand knitted biocompatible composite meshes with dip coating.•Formation of SF mesh surface functionalized with polymer-natural extracts.•Meshes underwent physical characterizations, ...in vitro biological testing, in silico molecular docking, and in vivo analysis.•The composite meshes were non-cytotoxic, antimicrobial, and up-regulated gene expression.•PHBV-HE composite mesh facilitated soft tissue repair and regeneration.
Post-operative complications stemming from incompatible meshes often lead to delayed wound healing, seroma, infections, inappropriate tissue infiltration and pain. The present study was outlined to develop biocompatible composite hand-knitted silk meshes modified with polymers and natural extracts. Our study introduced hand-knitted B. mori silk fibroin as the primary mesh material, offering superior mechanical strength and biocompatibility. The spin-assisted dip coating achieved desirable morphology, internal structures, thickness, and surface roughness. Moreover, the application of biopolymeric composite coatings containing polymers and natural extracts introduced antimicrobial character, facilitated cell attachment, migration, proliferation, potentiating gene expression and accelerating the process of wound healing. These composite meshes are a viable solution for addressing post-op complications in hernia and soft tissue repair surgeries.
In this study, 9 silk-based composite meshes (modified with polymeric-extract blends through spin-assisted dip coating) were successfully developed. Experimental variants were then subjected to various characterizations including SEM, DMA and chemical analysis (FTIR and GC-MS). Modified meshes were evaluated for their physiological characteristics and biological responses (the basic criterion for the selection of composite silk mesh). The biological testing included (antimicrobial susceptibility testing, in vitro cell viability assay, cell attachment assay (NIH3T3 and hUc-MSCs), in vitro cell migration, in vitro gene expression analysis with NIH3T3, in silico molecular docking with bioactive ligands of HE extract and in vivo analysis with PHBV-HE and PHBV-Control composite meshes in rat models.
Results showed that all variants exhibited a multi-fiber morphology with significant surface coating, allowing for optimal drug release up to 72 h. This release facilitated antibacterial properties and biocompatibility, as evidenced by in vitro cell viability, migration assays and gene expression analysis. Among the variants, the PHBV-HE composite mesh demonstrated superior results. In the case of PHBV-coated polymeric controls, the SEM analysis concluded that the presence of coating reduced the pore size up to 39.62 % whereas, fiber diameter was increased by up to 19.89 % as compared to the control. The presence of a coating on the mesh improved the mechanical strength/modulus by 165.89 %, UTS by 185.38 % and reduced the % strain by 64.67 %. The fast release of HE from PHBV-HE composite mesh was 90.7% up to 72h, confirming that it can induce antibacterial activity against surgical infections.
PHBV-HE showed the highest cell viability, wound healing and gene expression. Based on appreciable biological evaluation results shown by PHBV-HE, in rat hernia models, only the PHBV-HE variant was tested for in-vivo analysis. Results confirmed its non-toxic nature and wound-healing abilities. Enhanced cell proliferation and wound healing observed both in vitro and in vivo indicated that PHBV-HE holds promise as a biomedical implant suggesting its potential for effective hernia and soft tissue repair and regeneration.
The quest for an ideal mesh solution for potentiating soft tissue repair and regeneration is a long road with infinite horizons. Hence, the application of natural biomaterials, polymers and natural extracts with specialized textile techniques can emerge as a futuristic approach to fabricating a versatile mesh design and composition. The present study was conducted to develop novel and functional surface functionalized antimicrobial and biocompatible knitted silk fibroin meshes for soft tissue and hernia repair by incorporating the principles of tissue engineering. Different polymer composites along with honey bee products were utilized to enhance morphological, biomechanical, antimicrobial and biocompatible characteristics to support soft tissue and hernia repair. Display omitted
African traditional medicine is one of the oldest and most diverse practices for treating ailments and numerous natural products have been recommended for gastric ulcer treatment. Helicobacter pylori ...is the main causative organism implicated in several diseases, most notably in causing inflammation and the onset of gastric ulcers. Current H. pylori treatment methods are losing efficacy as H. pylori rapidly gains resistance to antibiotics. Hence, a search into natural products and their historical traditional efficacy for the treatment of gastric ulcers is of interest.
This review aimed to summarise the African use of natural products, including medicinal plants noted in ethnobotanical reviews, used traditionally to treat gastric ulcers, and highlights the investigations into the anti-H. pylori activity of medicinal plants and bee products found in Africa.
A systematic review was carried out to identify natural products, including those used traditionally in Africa to treat gastric ulcers, and to correlate this with scientific investigations into the anti-H. pylori activity of natural products used in Africa.
A total of 107 literature sources describing the traditional use of medicinal plants in gastric ulcer treatment were found, from which 360 medicinal plants were identified. Of the plants used traditionally for gastric ulcer treatment, 11% were investigated either in vitro or in vivo for anti-ulcer and anti-H. pylori activity. Of the 122 medicinal plants eliciting antimicrobial or anti-ulcer activity, Hibiscus sabdariffa L. calyx extract and Terminalia macroptera Guill. & Perr. root extract were found to have the most noteworthy antimicrobial activity, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.01 mg/mL and 0.03 mg/mL respectively. The essential oils of Piper longum L. and Pachira aquatica Aubl. displayed the most notable in vitro anti-H. pylori activity (MIC of 0.01 mg/mL and 0.02 mg/mL). Several in vivo studies found medicinal plant extracts effective in reducing the H. pylori load along the gastric mucosa. The South African honey variants, Pure Honey and Champagne Royal Train (common names given by supplier) were the most antimicrobially effective (MIC of 0.01–10.0%, 0.63–10.00% v/v) in inhibiting H. pylori when assessed in vitro.
These results highlight the potential of natural products to inhibit H. pylori growth and serve as a possible stepping-stone in understanding the management of ulcers. Furthermore, effective natural product treatment or prophylactic use for preventing H. pylori growth may provide a more affordable option for African populations.
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