Physico-Chemical, Bacteriostatic And Bacteriocidal Properties Of Honey Produced By Two Stingless Bees Species - Trigona Carbonaria And Melipona Beecheii In South-Eastern Nigeria:- Onyenso, Anthony I

ABSTRACT

 Honeybees honey is one ofthe ancient traditional medicines used for treatment of various infections and diseases and for industrial raw material for food and pharmaceutical industries. This study was an assessment ofthe physico-chemical and antibacterial properties of stingless honeybees honey produced by Trigona carbonaria and Melipona beecheii on some common bacteria pathogens. Stinglessbees honey samples were collected from the South-Eastern Nigeria and subjected to laboratory analysis to determine their physico-chemical properties. In vitro assessment ofthe antibacterial potential ofthe honey samples on Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus aureus andBacillus thurigensis was done using an overnight pure culture of each test bacteria species. The results ofthe physico-chemical analysis showed that there were significant differences (p<0.05) between phosphorus (0.76±0.058; 1.03±0.01), Sodium (12.67±0.02; 11.96±0.06), fructose (37.25±0.72; 38.19 ±0.93), glucose (31.64±0.01; 31.02±0.027) of Trigona carbonaria and Melipona beecheii honeys respectively. Significant difference (p<0.05) in the inhibition effects ofTrigona carbonaria (12.67 ± 0.33) andMelipona beecheii (11.00 ± 0.29) honeys was observed only in Bacillus aureus growth. Except the Bacillus aureus, all other bacteria species showed the same (P>0.05) sensitivity effect to fire two honey samples. Staphylococcus aureus was the highest sensitive, followed by Escherichia coli while Pseudomonas aeroginosa was the least sensitive microorganism to antibacterial properties of natural stingless bee honey studied. Stingless honeybees’ honeys compete favourably with the stinging bees (Apis mellifera) honeys, nutritionally and medicinally. They have both bacteriostatic and bacteriocidal properties when tested in vitro. However, pharmacological standardization and clinical evaluation on the effect of stingless bees honey are essential before using the honey as a preventive and curative measure to common diseases related to the bacterial species.