Chemical Composition, Nutritional Functions, and Antioxidant Activities of Honeys in Africa

Honey production in Africa is considered an integral part of folk medicine and provides an opportunity for poor rural communities to increase their economic sustainability. In this review, we provide and discuss the data available on the positive nutritional value and health properties of honey harvested from Africa. Besides sugar, honey contains protein and amino acids, with proline which is about 50% of the total amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, some minerals (Na, K, Mg, Ca, Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, P, S), trace elements (Mn, Ni, Li, F, I, Cl, Sr, Co) and polyphenol compounds. The paper reviewed studies on the use of African honey with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-breast cancer, antidiabetic and antimycotic properties and also its positive effects on infertility (asthenozoospermia), febrile neutropenia and diabetic foot ulcers

Rapid identification of Lactobacillus species using near infrared spectral features of bacterial colonies

The feasibility of rapid identification of Lactobacillus species using near-infrared spectral features coupled with chemometrics was investigated. First, bacterial colonies of 11 Lactobacillus strains covering four species (Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus brevis, and Lactobacillus fermentum) were cultured using the spread-plate technique. Near-infrared spectra data of the Lactobacillus species were collected directly from the bacterial colonies. Second, 10 wavenumbers were selected from the near-infrared spectra data using uninformative variables elimination and genetic algorithm, and calibration models based on the 10 selected wavenumbers were built using least squares support vector machine. The identification rates for the prediction set and validation set were 89.04 and 85%, respectively. Third, chemical groups of the Lactobacillus cells contributing to the identification of the Lactobacillus strains were identified using mid infrared. The results of mid infrared data analysis indicated that 9 chemical groups could be considered characteristics for categorizing the 11 Lactobacillus strains. The relationship between the 10 selected wavenumbers and identified chemical groups was identified, which supported the satisfactory performance of the least squares support vector machine calibration model. This study demonstrated that near-infrared spectral features of bacterial colonies could be used for Lactobacillus typing at the strain level

Rapid Detection of Carbendazim Residue in Apple Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering and Coupled Chemometric Algorithm

In order to achieve rapid and precise quantification detection of carbendazim residues, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) combined with variable selected regression methods were developed. A higher sensitivity and greater density of “hot spots” in three-dimensional (3D) SERS substrates based on silver nanoparticles compound polyacrylonitrile (Ag-NPs @PAN) nanohump arrays were fabricated to capture and amplify the SERS signal of carbendazim. Four Raman spectral variable selection regression models were established and comparatively assessed. The results showed that the bootstrapping soft shrinkage-partial least squares (BOSS-PLS) method achieved the best predictive capacity after variable selection, and the final BOSS-PLS model has the correlation coefficient (RP) of 0.992. Then, this method used to detect the carbendazim residue in apple samples; the recoveries were 86~116%, and relative standard deviation (RSD) is less than 10%. The 3D SERS substrates combined with the BOSS-PLS algorithm can deliver a simple and accurate method for trace detection of carbendazim residues in apples

Gelatin/sodium alginate-based biodegradable films functionalized by persimmon pectin/ovalbumin-stabilized neem essential oil Pickering emulsion: Application for cherry tomato preservation

This work aims to develop a biodegradable film with enhanced mechanical, water-barrier, and antimicrobial characteristics for the preservation of cherry tomatoes. Here, a persimmon pectin/ovalbumin (PN/OVA) stabilized-neem essential oil Pickering emulsion (NOPE) was added into the gelatin/sodium alginate-based blend matrix (GS). Even the biodegradability and transmittance of NOPE-rich film were decreased as compared to the control film, its flexibility, oxygen-barrier, and water-barrier performances significantly (P &lt; 0.05) increased by 45.23 %, 32.32 %, and 37.02 %, respectively. The NOPE-loaded films destroyed the hyphal structure and reduced spore germination of Botrytis cinerea through slow-releasing neem essential oil (NO), in turn inhibiting the growth of B. cinerea. Finally, the prepared films were applied for cherry tomato preservation. Compared with the control, 2.0 wt%-loaded GS films greatly reduced the weight loss and disease incidence of cherry tomatoes by 57.33 and 72.4 %, respectively, owing to their excellent water resistance and slow-released properties. Thus, the addition of 2.0 wt% NOPE into GS film is of particular interest in the design of active biodegradable packaging films for fruit preservation.</p

Cosmetic Applications of Bee Venom

Bee venom (BV) is a typical toxin secreted by stingers of honeybee workers. BV and BV therapy have long been attractive to different cultures, with extensive studies during recent decades. Nowadays, BV is applied to combat several skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis, acne vulgaris, alopecia, vitiligo, and psoriasis. BV is used extensively in topical preparations as cosmetics and used as dressing for wound healing, as well as in facemasks. Nevertheless, the safety of BV as a therapeutic choice has always been a concern due to the immune system reaction in some people due to BV use. The documented unfavorable impact is explained by the fact that the skin reactions to BV might expand to excessive immunological responses, including anaphylaxis, that typically resolve over numerous days. This review aims to address bee venom therapeutic uses in skin cosmetics

Saudi Arabian Plants: A Powerful Weapon against a Plethora of Diseases

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia (SA) ranks fifth in Asia in terms of area. It features broad biodiversity, including interesting flora, and was the historical origin of Islam. It is endowed with a large variety of plants, including many herbs, shrubs, and trees. Many of these plants have a long history of use in traditional medicine. The aim of this review is to evaluate the present knowledge on the plants growing in SA regarding their pharmacological and biological activities and the identification of their bioactive compounds to determine which plants could be of interest for further studies. A systematic summary of the plants&rsquo; history, distribution, various pharmacological activities, bioactive compounds, and clinical trials are presented in this paper to facilitate future exploration of their therapeutic potential. The literature was obtained from several scientific search engines, including Sci-Finder, PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus, MDPI, Wiley publications, and Springer Link. Plant names and their synonyms were validated by &lsquo;The Plant List&rsquo; on 1 October 2021. SA is home to approximately 2247 plant species, including native and introduced plants that belong to 142 families and 837 genera. It shares the flora of three continents, with many unique features due to its extreme climate and geographical and geological conditions. As plants remain the leading supplier of new therapeutic agents to treat various ailments, Saudi Arabian plants may play a significant role in the fight against cancer, inflammation, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. To date, 102 active compounds have been identified in plants from different sites in SA. Plants from the western and southwestern regions have been evaluated for various biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-cancer, antimicrobial, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, anti-glycation, and cytotoxic activities. The aerial parts of the plants, especially the leaves, have yielded most of the bioactive compounds. Most bioactivity tests involve in vitro assessments for the inhibition of the growth of tumour cell lines, and several compounds with in vitro antitumour activity have been reported. More in-depth studies to evaluate the mode of action of the compounds are necessary to pave the way for clinical trials. Ecological and taxonomical studies are needed to evaluate the flora of SA, and a plan for the conservation of wild plants should be implemented, including the management of the protection of endemic plants

Honey Bee Products : Preclinical and Clinical Studies of Their Anti-inflammatory and Immunomodulatory Properties

Inflammation is a defense process triggered when the body faces assaults from pathogens, toxic substances, microbial infections, or when tissue is damaged. Immune and inflammatory disorders are common pathogenic pathways that lead to the progress of various chronic diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. The overproduction of cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, is an essential parameter in the clinical diagnosis of auto-inflammatory diseases. In this review, the effects of bee products have on inflammatory and autoimmune diseases are discussed with respect to the current literature. The databases of Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Sci-Finder and clinical trials were screened using different combinations of the following terms: "immunomodulatory", "anti-inflammatory", "bee products", "honey", "propolis", "royal jelly", "bee venom", "bee pollen", "bee bread", "preclinical trials", "clinical trials", and "safety". Honey bee products, including propolis, royal jelly, honey, bee venom, and bee pollen, or their bioactive chemical constituents like polyphenols, demonstrate interesting therapeutic potential in the regulation of inflammatory mediator production as per the increase of TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6, Il-2, and Il-7, and the decrease of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Additionally, improvement in the immune response via activation of B and T lymphocyte cells, both in in vitro, in vivo and in clinical studies was reported. Thus, the biological properties of bee products as anti-inflammatory, immune protective, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and antimicrobial agents have prompted further clinical investigation