A New Approach for Indexing Honey for Its Heath/Medicinal Benefits: Visualization of the Concept by Indexing Based on Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities
by
Mahmud Masalha 1,†, Saleh Abu-Lafi 2,†
, Basheer Abu-Farich 3,†, Mahmoud Rayan 4, Nael Issa 5, Mouhammad Zeidan 6 and Anwar Rayan 4,7,*
, Basheer Abu-Farich 3,†, Mahmoud Rayan 4, Nael Issa 5, Mouhammad Zeidan 6 and Anwar Rayan 4,7,*
1
Laboratory of Microbiology, QRC-Qasemi Research Center, Al-Qasemi Academic College, P.O. Box 124, Baka EL-Garbiah 30100, Israel
2
Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Quds University, Abu-Dies 144, Palestine
3
QRC-Qasemi Research Center, Al-Qasemi Academic College, P.O. Box 124, Baka EL-Garbiah 30100, Israel
4
Drug Discovery Informatics Lab, QRC-Qasemi Research Center, Al-Qasemi Academic College, Baka El-Garbiah 30100, Israel
5
Science Education Department, Al-Qasemi Academic College, P.O. Box 124, Baka EL-Garbiah 30100, Israel
6
Molecular Genetics and Virology Laboratory, QRC-Qasemi Research Center, Al-Qasemi Academic College, P.O. Box 124, Baka EL-Garbiah 30100, Israel
7
Institute of Applied Research-Galilee Society, Shefa-Amr 20200, Israel
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Medicines 2018, 5(4), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines5040135
Received: 29 November 2018 / Revised: 7 December 2018 / Accepted: 10 December 2018 / Published: 17 December 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Compounds as Potential Antibacterial Agents)
Background: The goals of the current study were to address a new concept termed a health benefits’ index (HBI) and to verify the type of correlation between the pricing of honey and its HBI/medicinal properties. Diverse types of honey from different origins and places were investigated for their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Methods: We have utilized a modified protocol of the DPPH assay for measuring free radical scavenging and the microdilution test for the determination of antibacterial/antifungal minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). MICs were determined against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Candida albicans microorganisms. Employing a “combined benefits approach” enabled us to attach to each honey type a unique number of HBI that correlate with honey health and medicinal values. Results: The various types of honey demonstrated significant but variable antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities. Types of wildflower-labeled honey were found to have a wide range of HBI values and medicinal properties, probably due to their containing different nectar contents/phytochemicals. Moreover, an inconsiderable correlation was detected between the market prices of different types of honey and their HBIs. Conclusions: The proposed index of health benefits could be recalculated/updated following measurement of more and more medicinal properties, such as anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities. This index could be used as an effective tool for consumers of honey to evaluate the real value of the purchased product.
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Keywords:
honey; antibacterial; antifungal; antioxidant; free radical scavenging; health benefits’ index
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MDPI and ACS Style
Masalha, M.; Abu-Lafi, S.; Abu-Farich, B.; Rayan, M.; Issa, N.; Zeidan, M.; Rayan, A. A New Approach for Indexing Honey for Its Heath/Medicinal Benefits: Visualization of the Concept by Indexing Based on Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities. Medicines 2018, 5, 135.
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