Original Articles
Eimad dine Tariq Bouhlali, Moh
Abstract
Eleven honey samples collected from Morocco were examined for their relative phenolic and flavonoid contents as well as antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined using colorimetric assays. The antioxidant ability was assessed by measuring reducing power, scavenging of ABTS and DPPH radicals and β-carotene bleaching assay while antibacterial and antifungal activities were evaluated by disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration assays against a set of fungal and bacterial strains.Among tested honey samples, Thym honey was found to exhibit a highestphenolic (1138.53 mg GAE/kg), flavonoid (179.08 mg RE/kg) content and showed potent antioxidant activity based on ABTS (2.73 mmol TE/kg), DPPH (IC50=5.52 mg/ml), β-carotene bleaching assay (IC50 = 24.32 mg/ml). While Oranger honey contains the lowest phenolic and flavonoid content and revealed the lowest antioxidant activity. Concerning the antimicrobial activity and based on minimum inhibitory concentration assay, Thym honey was found to be the most effective growth inhibitor against B. subtilis (6.00%), S. pyogenes (7.33%), E. coli (7.66%), P. aeruginosa (9.50%),C. neoformans (15.16%), and R. mucilaginosa (16.83%).While Acacia honey was found to be most effective against S. aureus (5.16%), S. abony (7.83%) and C. albicans (21.33%). Orange honey was the least effective against all bacteria and fungi strains. The results of this investigation suggest that honey could be considered as a good source of new antimicrobial and antioxidant agents that might prevent several diseases