(PO04-06-22) Comparing Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Local and Foreign Honey in Kumasi - Ghana

Objectives: Secondary metabolites of plants play important roles in maintaining good health and avoiding diseases. They are abundant in parts of plants such as flowers and exhibit antitumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antihelminthic, anticoagulant, antidiabetic, and lipid-lowering properties. Luckily, bees make honey from plant nectar which are found in flowers we may not be able to take in directly. The process employed by bees in making honey is a natural process which keeps the integrity of these metabolites such as flavonoids and phenols and hence make them available in almost unaltered state to function to the fullest when eaten. This study was aimed at assessing and comparing the physical properties, the contents of two major secondary metabolites, flavonoids, and phenols, and the antimicrobial activities of honey samples produced in and outside of Ghana.

Methods: Crude extracts prepared with methanol were subjected to pH tests, DPPH assay, Folin Ciocalteau test, agar well diffusion and microdilution broth analysis to experimentally assess these properties of the samples.

Results: The samples showed pH values ranging from 3.98 to 5.54, varying percentage scavenging capacities range from 9.09% (for local samples) to 55.84% (for foreign ones) and Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICS) at 10mg/ml (for local samples) and varying MICs (5mg/ml to 40mg/ml) for foreign samples. Samples produced in Ghana generally performed better in all the experiments as compared to their foreign counterparts used with appreciable high levels of flavonoids (-0.066115702 vrs 7.619834711 mgQUE/ml), phenols (11.57143 vrs 2.428571mgGAE/ml), antimicrobial activity, and free radical scavenging activity (9.09% vrs 55.84%).

Conclusions: Based on the samples used in this investigation, local samples possess darker colors and are relatively rich in phenols and flavonoids which implies they are better at oxidizing free radicals as compared to the foreign samples used. These findings could prompt the revision of the methods for making honey in order to provide consumers with a high-quality product and with potential medical benefits.

Funding Sources: This project was funded by the authors.