n - Кафедра Прикладная биотехнология

acterial action. It is well known, that the high sugar concentration of honey inhibits
bacterial growth (Molan, 1992). It was found that the honey acids exert also the main
antibacterial action, while honey pH could additionally act as an antibacterial factor
(Bogdanov, 1997). But from the other hand, some scientists not found correlation between
antibacterial activity and free acidity in honeys (Garcia et al., 2001). There are
two sorts of antibacterial agents in honey or so called „inhibines“. One of them («peroxide
activity»), has its origin in the H202, produced by honey glucose oxidase is the main
antibacterial agent in honey (White et al., 1963).
Honey is an effective antiseptic wound dressing, mainly the result of the antibacterial
activity of hydrogen peroxide that is produced in honey by the enzyme glucose oxidase.
Significant antibacterial activity can be maintained easily when using honey as a
wound dressing, even on a heavily exuding wound. Concentrations of hydrogen peroxide
generated are very low in comparison to those typically applied to a wound, thus,
cytotoxic damage by hydrogen peroxide is very low (Bang et al., 2003). But on the
other hand it is clear, that the peroxide production capacity depends on honey catalase
activity, which destroys the hydrogen peroxide (Dustmann, 1971). From this reason
some authors add catalase in honeys before testing of antibacterial activity (Allen et al.,
1991). It was found not eliminated by catalase treatment antibacterial activity of the
darker colored honeys and that the «non-peroxide» components such as antioxidants
may contribute to controlling the growth of some food borne pathogens (Snow and
Manley-Harris, 2004). Other «non-peroxide» antibacterial substances in honey with different
chemical origin are aromatic acids (Russell et al., 1988), and also numerous
chemical properties (Bogdanov, 1997). Phenolics and flavonoids, present in honey are
also likely candidates, as many of them have been shown to have antibacterial activity
(Weston, 1999). Contrary to the «non-peroxide» activity, the «peroxide activity» one
can be destroyed by heat, by light and by storage. The antibacterial activity of blossom
honeys was more influenced by these different factors that of the honeydew honeys
(Bogdanov, 1997). In opposite of this, it was found that the «non-peroxide» antibacterial
activity is insensitive to heat and light and remains intact after storage of honey for
longer periods (Bogdanov, 1984).
It was found that dark colored honeys, which preferably contained also higher antioxidant
power, were generally more inhibitory than light colored honeys. (Bogdanov,
1997). Recently antibacterial activity and anti-oxidant levels have already been compared
in some honeys in Spain. It was fount that dark honey phenolic compounds had
higher activity than the obtained from clear honey (Estevinho et al., 2008). In this reason
it is interesting to compare the antibacterial activity of oak honeydew and some
blossom honeys in other different part of the world.
The term «oxidative stress» describes the lack of equilibrium in the organism between
the production of free radicals and the antioxidant protective activity. The protection
against oxidation is thought to prevent some chronic diseases. The oxidative modification
of the lipoproteins is considered to be an important factor for the pathogenesis
of arteriosclerosis. Honey has been found to contain significant antioxidant activity factors,
including glucose oxidase, catalase, ascorbic acid, flavonoids, phenolic acids, caro-
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