Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2005, 50(8):376-384 | DOI: 10.17221/4180-CJAS

The antimicrobial activity of honeys produced in theCzech Republic

L. Vorlová1, R. Karpíąková2, I. Chabinioková3, K. Kalábová1, Z. Brázdová4
1 Department of Milk Hygiene and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
2 Centre for the Hygiene of Food Chains, Brno, National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic
3 Pharmaceutical Faculty, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
4 Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Masaryk University of Brno, Czech Republic

The aim of this project was to determine the antimicrobial activity of honeys produced in the Czech Republic to some bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli). Another aim was to find out whether there are correlations between the antimicrobial activity of honeys and their physicochemical parameters. All honeys included in the study were directly obtained from beekeepers in Southern and Northern Moravia from the summer load of 2001. The project contains 20 honeys which were determined according to their conductivity as blossom (6), blends (10) and honeydew (4). The determination of physical and chemical parameters such as content of water, conductivity, pH, water activity, invertase and diastase activities was carried out in accordance with the methods described in Harmonised methods of the European Honey Commission. The determination of the antimicrobial activity of honey was done by the MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) method. Statistically significant relations between the antimicrobial activity and the conductivity of honey (P < 0.05), the diastase (P < 0.05) and invertase (P < 0.001) activities were found out in the observed physicochemical parameters. The study proved that honey produced in the Czech Republic is antimicrobially effective with the highest effect in honeydew honeys (P < 0.01).

Keywords: physicochemical parameters; Listeria monocytogenes; Staphylococcus aureus; Salmonella typhimurium; Escherichia coli; honey; antimicrobial activity

Published: August 31, 2005  Show citation

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Vorlová L, Karpíąková R, Chabinioková I, Kalábová K, Brázdová Z. The antimicrobial activity of honeys produced in theCzech Republic. Czech J. Anim. Sci. 2005;50(8):376-384. doi: 10.17221/4180-CJAS.
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