Evaluation of the antioxidant potency of Greek honey from the Taygetos and Pindos mountains using a combination of cellular and molecular methods

Abstract

Honey is a complex mixture, containing ~180 compounds, produced by the Apis melifera bees, with promising antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. nevertheless, the mechanisms through which honey exerts its effects remain under investigation. Plant antioxidants are found in honey and other bee products exhibiting a high bioactivity and molecular diversity. The aim of the present study was to estimate the antioxidant capacity of honey collected from areas in Greece by small-scale producers by i) using in vitro cell free assays; and ii) by investigating the effects of honey varieties on the redox status of a liver cancer cell line (HepG2) using non-cytotoxic concentrations. The findings of the present study will allow for the identification of Greek honeys with promising antioxidant capacity. For this purpose, six types of honey with various floral origins were examined in cell-free assays followed by cell-based techniques using flow cytometric analysis and redox biomarker level determination in order to evaluate the potential alterations in the intracellular redox system.The results indicated various mechanisms of action that are dependent on the honey type, concentration dependency and high antioxidant capacity. The extended findings from the literature confirm the ability of raw honey to influence the redox status of HepG2 cells. nevertheless additional investigations are required to elucidate their mechanisms of action in cell line models.

Development of a Holistic In Vitro Cell-Free Approach to Determine the Redox Bioactivity of Agricultural Products

“…According to our results, the forest honey with oak honeydew exhibited the strongest antioxidant activities in most of the cell-free antioxidant assays examined. Finally, an important finding of the study was that most of the examined honey samples exerted detrimental effects on the redox homeostasis of HepG2 cancer cell line by promoting lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation [19,79].…”

“…Up to the present time, several antioxidant assays have been introduced to investigate the antioxidant properties of conventional antioxidants, foodstuffs, dietary supplements, and biological samples (Table 1). In the table below, natural products, such as wines [17], berries [18], honey [19], herbs [20], grape seed extracts [21], and plant extracts [22], have been examined using experimental protocols that investigate their endogenous biological properties, such as antiradical potency, as well as their reducing capacity and DNA protective activity in relation with their antioxidant power. In order to characterize the bioactivity of a food product, in terms of its antioxidant potency, the first and crucial step is the adoption of a battery of reliable and valid antioxidant markers.…”

“…All results in [17,18,21,22] are expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD). All results in [19,20] are expressed as mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM). IC 50 (Half maximal inhibitory concentration): The concentration of the sample required for the inhibition of the 50% of the corresponding free radicals.…”

Sidr Honeys Physical and Chemical Characterization, a Comprehensive Approach through LC-MS/MS, NMR, and GC-MS Analysis

“…Honey's bioactive components have been connected to its health-promoting and nutritional properties. Honey seems to have antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobials well as antidiabetic, anti-obesity, and woundhealing properties [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] and have been used and proposed against viral diseases such as the COVID-19 virus [11,12]. In animal and human models, honey has effects on the cardiovascular system and has been revived as a therapy for gastrointestinal diseases, and asthma [13][14][15].…”