Antiviral and Antibacterial Effect of Honey Enriched with <i>Rubus</i> spp. as a Functional Food with Enhanced Antioxidant Properties

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of blackberry and raspberry fruits (1 and 4%) and leaves (0.5 and 1%) on the biological activities of rape honey. Honey and plant material extracts were analyzed regarding total phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin contents, HPTLC and HPLC polyphenol p...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Dorota Grabek-Lejko, Michał Miłek, Ewelina Sidor, Czesław Puchalski, Małgorzata Dżugan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-07-01
Series:Molecules
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/15/4859
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Summary:The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of blackberry and raspberry fruits (1 and 4%) and leaves (0.5 and 1%) on the biological activities of rape honey. Honey and plant material extracts were analyzed regarding total phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin contents, HPTLC and HPLC polyphenol profiles, as well as antioxidant activity. The antiviral potential was analyzed against bacteriophage phi 6—a coronavirus surrogate—whereas antimicrobial was tested against <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>E. coli</i>. Blackberry extracts were more abundant in antioxidants than raspberry extracts, with better properties found for leaves than fruits and for cultivated rather than commercial plants. The addition of both <i>Rubus</i> plant additives significantly increased the antioxidant potential of honey by four-fold (for 4% fruits additive) to five-fold (for 1% of leaves). Honey with the addition of fruits possessed higher antiviral potential compared with raw rape honey (the highest for 4% of raspberry fruit and 1% of blackberry leaf additive). Honey enriched with <i>Rubus</i> materials showed higher antibacterial potential against <i>S. aureus</i> than rape honey and effectively inhibited <i>S. aureus</i> biofilm formation. To summarize, honey enriched with <i>Rubus</i> fruit or leaves are characterized by increased pro-health value and can be recommended as a novel functional food.
ISSN:1420-3049