KNOWLEDGE IS WEALTH: WHY WE SHOULD BE EXPLORING THE UNIQUE PROPERTIES OF HONEY IN AFRICA

Transcription

1 KNOWLEDGE IS WEALTH: WHY WE SHOULD BE EXPLORING THE UNIQUE PROPERTIES OF HONEY IN AFRICA Nanike Esterhuizen, Mike Allsopp & Theresa Wossler Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

2 WHAT IS HONEY? Complex natural product No two honeys are the same Different regions & seasons Monofloral vs. Multifloral

3 WHAT IS HONEY? Sugars (95% of solids) Minerals Proteins Enzymes Phytochemical compounds

4 WHAT IS HONEY? Colour Taste Odour Medicinal properties Influences market value

5 THE HONEY MARKET Global production in 2016* 2.29 million tonnes annually Top 4: China, Turkey, Iran, USA African countries 0.2 million tonnes annually Top 4: Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Angola South Africa: 1089 tonnes (0.5%) High value products Raw & organic honey Origin based marketing Medicinal value e.g. Manuka 0.5 million tonnes * FAOSTAT United Nations 2016

6 MEDICINAL VALUE Antibacterial properties of honey Wounds, burns, skin conditions Antibiotic resistant bacteria - Staphylococcus aureus dermasciences.com Total activity (TA) Peroxide activity (PA) + Non-peroxide activity (NPA) + Hydrogen peroxide Enzymes Phytochemical compounds High sugar content & high acidity

7 MANUKA HONEY High non-peroxide activity Compound: Methylglyoxal Increases over time Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) Phenol equivalence value 20% phenol solution nzplantpics.com

8 MANUKA HONEY High non-peroxide activity Compound: Methylglyoxal Increases over time Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) Phenol equivalence value Leptospermum scoparium nzplantpics.com

9 HONEY IN SOUTH AFRICA High biodiversity Many endemic plant species Honey with unique characteristics? Western Cape : Cape Floristic Region South Africa Cape Town

10 Fynbos Biome

11 HONEY IN SOUTH AFRICA Botanical origin One study (Johannsmeier 2001) Physicochemical properties No published data Antimicrobial activity Four studies * Multiple component studies No published research Need data to market honey * Theunissen et al. 2001, Basson and Grobler 2008, Manyi-Loh et al. 2010, Khan et al. 2014

12 PROJECT GOAL Investigate South African honeys Unique properties Appeal to high-end consumers Higher prices on local and international market Economically boost beekeeping industry

13 STUDY AREA South Africa South Africa Cape Town Cape Town

14 SANDVELD SITES

15 FIELD WORK Week 1: Plants Week 2: Honey Four months From

16 West Coast Honeys

17 PHYSICOCHEMICAL

18 PHYSICOCHEMICAL International Standards (Codex Alimentarius 2001) 1. Moisture content 2. Electrical conductivity 3. Diastase 4. Free acid and ph 5. Sugar spectrum 6. Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF)

19 MEDICINAL VALUE Phenol equivalence assay honey samples 2. + and - controls 3. Phenol % range Take away hydrogen peroxide Staphylococcus aureus Allen et al. 1991, Irish et al. 2011

20 MEDICINAL VALUE 37 C for 18h

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22 MEDICINAL VALUE

23 Number of honey samples MEDICINAL VALUE % No NPA % 18% 18% % 2% 2% <6 <9 <12 <15 <18 <21 <24 Total antibacterial activity (% phenol equivalence)

24 Which plants did the bees use?

25 BOTANICAL ORIGIN 1. Botanical contents (list) Pollen trapped in honey DNA barcoding Genetic information 2. Botanical composition (%) Pollen trapped in honey Melissopalynology Form, size, structure Classify: monofloral or multifloral Need a pollen database!

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27 SUMMARY West coast honeys adhere to international regulations for physicochemical properties These honeys have good antibacterial activity Some as good as Manuka UMF 18+ Main source of activity = hydrogen peroxide The specific botanical composition of honey samples is currently being investigated

28 CONCLUSION Honey properties floral origin Most important: A pollen database of African plants is needed to determine botanical compositions of honey These methods are easy & not expensive So what is stopping us from finding the African Manuka? Take-home message: Research is necessary to find & promote unique African honeys locally and internationally

29 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS National Research Foundation Hurters Honey Stellenbosch University Mike Allsopp Prof Theresa Wossler Dr Natasha Palesa Mothapo Dr Elanna Bester Richelle Brink Wossler Lab