Abstract
Stingless bee honey is an important component of African ethno-medicine, used to treat a variety of health conditions. However, there is scanty information on the therapeutic properties of honeys produced by Afrotropical stingless bees. This study investigated the antimicrobial properties of honeys produced by six species of stingless bees from different vegetation zones of Tanzania. Antimicrobial activity was assessed against standard cultures of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhi and Candida albicans by agar well diffusion and broth microdilution methods. Mean inhibition zones ranged from 7.0 – 26.3 mm for gram-positive bacteria, 6.9 – 26.9 mm for gram-negative bacteria and 17.0 – 30.9 mm for Fungi. On the other hand, geometric means of the minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from 0.1 – 10% v/v for gram-positive bacteria, 0.1 – 20% v/v for gram-negative bacteria and 0.1 – 1.3% v/v for Fungi. Some honey samples exhibited stronger antibacterial activity compared to the standard antibiotic, ciprofloxacin (25 µg/mL). C. albicans displayed the highest sensitivity to stingless bee honey despite being resistant to fluconazole and terbinafine (25 µg/mL). The strongest antimicrobial effect was exhibited by honey samples produced by Dactylurina schmidti. Antimicrobial activity of stingless bee honey was largely influenced by the amount of phytochemicals. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that investigates antimicrobial activity of honeys produced by a number of Afrotropical stingless bee species. Our findings validate the use of stingless bee honey in traditional medicine and advocate for its potential for clinical management of complex wounds, candidiasis and drug resistant pathogenic microorganisms.
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19 October 2023
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-023-01096-2
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the University of Dar es Salaam for funding the research and the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) for providing permits for the study and valuable assistance during sample collection.
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This study was funded by the University of Dar es Salaam – Tanzania, under the academic staff development programme.
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Mduda, C.A., Muruke, M.H. & Hussein, J.M. Antimicrobial properties of honeys produced by stingless bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini) from different vegetation zones of Tanzania. Int J Trop Insect Sci 43, 1563–1581 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-023-01070-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-023-01070-y