Author(s): Filipe, Márcia Santos ; Pires, Tânia C.S.P. ; Calhelha, Ricardo C. ; Diaz-Lanza, Ana María ; Vilas-Boas, Miguel ; Falcão, Soraia ; Rijo, Patrícia
Date: 2023
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10198/29719
Origin: Biblioteca Digital do IPB
Honey is a natural product that has been used over the centuries as a medicine due to its biological activities. Centauri Cave Nymph Honey is a Cave honey extracted from 2500 meters high altitude above sea level from a deep cave by professional speleologists and is located at Caucasus Mountains of Turkey. The Apis mellifera Caucasica bee colony is located 50 kilometers away from human residences, ensuring its isolation from other colonies and maintaining a varroa mite-free status. The aim of this work is to analyze the physicochemical parameters and the bioactivity of Centauri honey. The physiochemical parameters that have been examined include color, moisture content, conductivity, pH, acidity, HMF (5-hydroxymethylfurfural), diastase index, and proline. In addition, it was also evaluated the ash, protein, sugars, carbohydrates, and energy. The biological activity was evaluated through the antioxidant (TBARS), antimicrobial activities and cytotoxicity in different cell lines (AGS, CaCo-2, MCF-7, NCI-H460, PLP2, HFF-2, and HaCat), and anti-inflammatory activity (RAW 264.7 macrophages). Ongoing research is focusing on the potential protetive effects of consuming Centauri Cave Honey against lung and prostate cancers. In vivo studies are expected to shed more ligt on the additional health benefits that this honey may offer.
