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Honeybee-collected pollen from five Portuguese Natural Parks: Palynological origin, phenolic content, antioxidant properties and antimicrobial activity

The aim of this study was to determine the palynological origin, phenolic content, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of pollen from five Portuguese Natural-Parks [Parque Nacional Peneda Gerês (PNPG); Parque Natural do Montesinho (PNM); Parque Natural do Alvão (PNA); Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela (PNSE) and Parque Natural do Douro Internacional (PNDI)]. Eight families were found in the mixture of bee pollen: Rosaceae, Cistaceae, Boraginaceae, Asteraceae, Fagaceae, Ericaeae, Myrtaceae and Fabaceae. The phenolic compounds content, determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, varied between 10.5 and 16.8 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g of extract (mg GAE/g) found in bee pollen from PNM and PNDI, respectively. The free radical scavenging measured showed the highest effective extract - PNM with EC(50) 2.16, followed by PND with 2.24 mg/mL. In the β-carotene bleaching assay the same behaviour as in the DPPH method was verified. We also verified that the presence of pollen differentially affected the growth of bacteria Gram-positive, Gram-negative and yeasts under study, depending this on the microorganism and the pollen used. This is an important study since, as far we know, it is the first time that Portuguese bee pollen from Natural Parks was studied, and their characterization can increase their economic value.

Biological activities of commercial bee pollens: antimicrobial, antimutagenic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.

Bee pollen is considered, since memorable times, a good source of nourishing substances and energy. The present study aimed to evaluate the biological activities of eight commercial bee pollens purchased from the market. The origin of sample A was not specified in the labeling; samples B, C, D and G were from Portugal and the remaining were from Spain. The sample E presented the highest value of phenolics (32.15±2.12 mg/g) and the H the lowest (18.55±095 mg/g). Sample C had the highest value of flavonoids (10.14±1.57 mg/g) and sample H the lowest (3.92±0.68 mg/g). All the samples exhibited antimicrobial activity, being Staphylococcus aureus the most sensitive and Candida glabrata the most resistant of the microorganisms studied. All the samples exhibited antimutagenic activity, even though some samples were more effective in decreasing the number of gene conversion colonies and mutant colonies. Regarding the antioxidant activity, assessed using two methods, the more effective was sample B. The anti-inflammatory activity, assessed using the hyaluronidase enzyme, was highest in samples B and D. Pearsons correlation coefficients between polyphenols, flavonoids, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity were computed. It was also performed a discriminant analysis.

Organic bee pollen: botanical origin, nutritional value, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity and microbiological quality.

Organic bee pollen (BP, n = 22) harvested from the Douro International Natural Park (DINP, Portugal) was studied. Nine botanical families were found in the mixture of the samples. The water activity and pH ranged 0.21–0.37 and 4.3–5.2, respectively. The BP analyses averaged 67.7% carbohydrates, 21.8% crude protein, 5.2% crude fat and 2.9% ash. The energy ranged from 396.4 to 411.1 kcal/100 g. The principal fatty acid found was linolenic, followed by linoleic acid, palmitic acid and oleic acid. The phenolic and flavonoid contents varied from 12.9 to 19.8 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g of extract and from 4.5 to 7.1 mg of catechin equivalents/g of extract, respectively. The scavenger activity and β-carotene bleaching assays values (EC50) were 3.0 ± 0.7 mg/mL and 4.6 mg/mL ± 0.9 mg/mL, respectively. E. coli, sulphite-reducing Clostridia, Salmonella and S. aureus were not found. Since there are studies indicating appreciable differences among BPs from different regions, the full characterization of BP from diverse origins still appears to be a sound research priority in order to obtain reliable data about this beehive product.

Syntheses of molecularly imprinted polymers: Molecular recognition of cyproheptadine using original print molecules and azatadine as dummy templates

The use of custom-made polymeric materials with high selectivities as target molecules in solid-phase extraction (SPE), known as molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE), is becoming an increasingly important sample preparation technique. However, the potential risk of leakage of the imprinting molecules during the desorption phase has limited application. The use of a mimicking template, called a dummy molecular imprinting polymer (DMIP), that bears the structure of a related molecule and acts as a putative imprinting molecule may provide a useful solution to this problem. In the current study, cyproheptadine (CPH) and azatadine (AZA) were used as templates in the development of an MIP and DMIP for acrylic acid and methacrylic acid monomers. Our results indicate that DMIPs have equal recognition of CPH, avoiding the problem of leakage of original template during the desorption phase relative to MIPs synthesized in presence of the print molecule CPH. Examination of the surface structure of the two polymer products by SEM shows appreciable differences in structural morphology and function of the monomers employed. These results are well supplemented by data obtained for swelling ratios and solvent uptake. Molecular modelling of CPH and AZA suggests that both substrates are similar in shape and volume.

Commercial Bee Pollen with Different Geographical Origins: A Comprehensive Approach

Since the primordial of humanity, pollen has been considered a good source of nutrients and energy. Its promising healing properties have also been referred to. The present study aimed to characterize, for the first time, eight commercial pollens from Portugal and Spain available on the market studying the legislation on labeling, pollinic origin, physicochemical and microbiological analyses and identification of yeasts. Eleven botanical families were found amongst the samples. The most abundant family and the most dominant pollen was Cistaceae. The moisture content, ash, aw, pH, reducing sugars, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and energy were analyzed and the specific parameters were within the specifications required by some countries with legislation regarding these parameters. Microbiologically commercial pollen showed acceptable safety for the commercial quality and hygiene. All samples showed negative results for toxigenic species. The microorganisms studied were aerobic mesophiles, yeasts and moulds, coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella and sulfite-reducing Clostridium. During the work, six yeasts species were isolated from pollen, with Rhodotorula mucilaginosa being the most abundant, as it was present in four samples.

Organic honey from Trás-Os-Montes region (Portugal): chemical, palynological, microbiological and bioactive compounds characterization.

At the present time, the quality, integrity, sanitation and nutritional value of honeys receive attention on an international level due to the increasing content of chemicals in the aforementioned matrix. This work was conducted to evaluate the quality of 75 organic honey samples from the Trás-Os-Montes region (Portugal). Mean values obtained for physico-chemical parameters were: pH 3.7; 15.6% moisture; 0.26mS/cm electrical conductivity; 0.25% ash; 1.1mg/kg HMF; 15.3 Gothe diastase activity; 40.3meq/kg free acidity; 67.8% invert sugars and 2.7% apparent sucrose. All honey samples can be classified as monofloral Erica sp., as showed by pollen features. The amounts of phenols and flavonoids in the samples were also determined. In respect to sanitary quality (fecal coliforms) and safety (sulfite-reducing clostridia and Salmonella), all organic honey samples were negative. Furthermore, yeast and molds were detected in low counts, with mean values obtained of 5.5cfu/g and the value of total aerobic mesophiles obtained from honeys was established in 1.3×10(2)cfu/g±7.5×10(1)cfu/g. The levels of flavonoids had a stronger impact on both mesophiles (p=0.0004) and molds (p=0.0138) than the sucrose concentration (p=0.001 and 0.0278; respectively). The results reported in this study should be introduced in the organic honey label, and may help beekeepers, the industry, researchers and consumers better understand honey properties.

Effect of gamma radiation on the quality and shelf life of refrigerated rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fillets.

The effect of gamma radiation (0, 1, 3, and 5 kGy) on the shelf life of farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fillets that were treated with sodium acetate and vacuum packaged and subsequently stored under refrigeration was studied by measuring microbiological, chemical, and organoleptic changes. Radiation affected populations of bacteria, namely, H2S-producing bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae (P < 0.05). Initial total viable counts of the control samples were ca. 4.41 log CFU/g, whereas the respective counts in samples irradiated at 1, 3, and 5 kGy were 3.08, 1.46, and < or = 1 log CFU/g at day 1 of refrigerated storage. The maximum count of Enterobacteriaceae reached 2.29 and 1.45 log CFU/g at the end of storage for 1 and 3 kGy, respectively, but at a 5-kGy dose no growth of Enterobacteriaceae was observed. Of the biochemical indicators, thiobarbituric acid values for irradiated trout were higher than for nonirradiated fish (P < 0.05). Sensory evaluation (taste) showed a reasonable and good correlation with bacterial populations with storage time. The results revealed that radiation at a high dose (5 kGy) might induce lipid and protein oxidation, although the growth of microorganisms was inhibited. Therefore, radiation at a low dose (3 kGy) could be used to control the microbial and safety biochemical indices of O. mykiss for up to 4 weeks at refrigerator temperature without adverse effects on quality and acceptability.

Contamination by organochlorine compounds in the edible tissue of four sturgeon species from the Caspian Sea (Iran).

This study focused on accumulation of organochlorine compounds (OCs), including dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethanes (DDTs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) accumulation in the muscle of four sturgeon (Persian sturgeon, Acipenser persicus; Stellate sturgeon, Acipenser stellatus; Ship sturgeon, Acipenser nudiventris and Beluga sturgeon, Huso huso) from the southern Caspian Sea. The DDT group was prominent in all of the sturgeon muscle tested constituting almost half or more of the total organochlorine content. Contaminant concentration generally followed this order: DDTs>PCBs>HCHs>HCB. The OCs concentrations in Beluga sturgeon (H. huso) were the highest and over four times higher than in the next highest species (A. nudiventris). From an ecotoxicological point of view, the concentrations of OCs in experimental fishes do not reflect a comparatively clean and pollution-free environment; however, results from this study shown that the inflow of organic pollutants into the Caspian Sea has been reduced when compared with prior studies. Levels of measured OCs in sturgeon were relatively low, but the level of some OCs in some of the specimens tested exceeded the guidelines for food; therefore, the maximum allowable daily consumption rate for sturgeon from this watershed may be limited by DDTs and PCBs content for high risk populations.

Antifungal effect of lavender honey against Candida albicans , Candida krusei and Cryptococcus neoformans.

Monofloral lavender honey samples (n = 30), were analyzed to test antifungal effect against Candida albicans, Candida krusei, and Cryptococcus neoformans. The specific growth rates (μ) showed that all the yeast growths were reduced in the presence of honey. The honey concentration (% w/v) that inhibited 10% of the yeasts growth (Xmin) ranged from 31.0% (C. albicans), 16.8% (C. krusei) and 23.0% (C. neoformans). A synthetic honey solution was also tested to determine antifungal activity attributable to sugars. The presence of synthetic honey in the C. krusei culture medium at concentrations above 58.0% (w/v) was established as Xmin, while C. albicans and C. neoformans were more resistant, since Xmin values were not reached over the ranged tested (10–60%, w/v). What the data suggests is that the component in the lavender honey responsible for the observed antifungal in vitro properties is not sugar based. Honey might be tapped as a natural resource to look for new medicines for the treatment of mycotic infections. This could be very useful, onsidering the increasing resistance of antifungals. It should be noticed that this is the first study concerning the effect of lavender honey on the growth of pathogenic yeasts.

Study of organic honey from the Northeast of Portugal

Concerns about traces of numerous toxic substances and authenticity have prompted consumer demand for honey that is certified as organic, based on strict ecological, natural principles and traceability. The present study aims to characterize organic honey samples (n = 73) from Northeast Portugal, with respect to floral nectar origin, physicochemical parameters and microbial safety. The phenols and flavonoids contents, often referred to as responsible for honey’s bioactive properties, were also assessed. All organic honey samples were classified as monofloral lavender (Lavandula sp.), exceeded in quality the international physicochemical standards and showed low microbiological counts (yeast, moulds and aerobic mesophiles), with negative results in respect to fecal coliforms, Salmonella and sulphite-reducing Clostridium spp. Correlation of the palynological, physicochemical and microbiological results is necessary to check the authenticity, quality and sanitation of honey. Although not required by international legislation, results of those assessments provide a complete outlook and elucidation of the organic honey’s properties, which could promote its valorisation.