Honey is a health promoter that is used to treat in various diseases. Probiotics are live microorganisms that exert health benefits on the host, when administered in adequate amounts. With other diet ...constituents, probiotic bacteria can alter the composition of microbiota and exert more health benefits. This study aimed to investigate the effects of lime honey on well-known probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, and in vitro cytotoxic effects of the combination on breast and colon cancer cells MCF-7 and Caco-2, respectively. The results showed that lime honey enhanced the probiotic properties of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, including auto-aggregation and surface hydrophobicity. Furthermore, the addition of lime honey to the growth of lactobacilli enhanced cytotoxicity in breast and colon cancer cells, while it did not significantly affect healthy cells. In conclusion, honey may have not only direct effects on human health, but also indirect benefits mediated by beneficial microorganisms.
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The geographical origin of three Slovenian unifloral honey types (black locust, lime and chestnut) was investigated by analysis of some physico-chemical parameters, the elemental content using total ...reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) and the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). The results were interpreted by chemometric methods. A total of 122 samples of Slovenian black locust, lime and chestnut honeys were collected from domestic beekeepers all over Slovenia for three years. Slovenia is a small country by area, but paedologically and climatically diverse, therefore offering interesting possibilities for studying geographical influences. The combination of the investigated parameters offers the possibility of distinguishing among samples of specific honey types from the four different Slovenian natural-geographical macroregions, namely the Alpine, Dinaric, Pannonnian and Mediterranean regions. Lime honey samples were 100% correctly classified, while the success rates for black locust and chestnut honeys were slightly lower at 98.2% and 94.6%, respectively.
Honey is a natural product of complex composition, recognized for its numerous health benefits. It is believed that honey is especially valuable for prevention of diseases associated with oxidative ...stress. Antioxidative properties of honeys are mainly attributed to phenolic compounds. The aim of this paper was to determine total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (IC50) in 19 Serbian honeys originating from five different floral sources - three monofloral (acacia, lime, sunflower) and two polyfloral types (meadow and forest). Analyses were performed spectrophotometrically using Folin-Ciocalteu method for total phenolic content determination and DPPH• test for antioxidative capacity. Polyfloral honeys on average had up to two times higher total phenolic content as well as antioxidant capacity than monofloral. The highest phenolic content and antioxidative capacity were observed in forest (58.35 mg GAE/100 g) and meadow honeys (0.015 g/mL), respectively. Acacia honeys distinguished with the lowest values obtained in both tests (17.36 mg GAE/100 g; 0.067 g/mL). Additionally, significantly high negative correlation coefficient between TPC and IC50 values was noticed in monofloral honeys (p<0.05).
The region of Vojvodina is considered to be very favorable for honey production, whereby the area of Fruska Gora is primarily considered as the most bountiful. However, one of the key problems that ...honey producers encounter is the lack of understanding of consumer behavior and therefore inability to create appropriate marketing strategies and programs. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to provide assistance to honey producers in Vojvodina, to lime honey producers from Fruska Gora with protected geographical origin in particular, to identify the motives, attitudes and buying habits of consumers of honey in Vojvodina. The conclusion is carried to summarize the obtained results about what type of honey consumers in Vojvodina buy, why, where, when, how often and what are their attitudes toward the introduction of a new brand of honey. Moreover, it presents the basic guidelines to honey producers for the improvement of marketing strategies and marketing programs.
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