ORCID Profile
0000-0001-7459-5025
Current Organisations
Universiti Putra Malaysia
,
University of Nottingham
,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
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Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 26-12-2018
DOI: 10.1155/2018/6179596
Abstract: Both honeybees ( Apis spp.) and stingless bees ( Trigona spp.) produce honeys with high nutritional and therapeutics value. Until recently, the information regarding potential health benefits of stingless bee honey (SBH) in medical databases is still scarce as compared to the common European bee honey (EBH) which is well known for their properties as therapeutic agents. Although there have been very few reports on SBH, empirically these products would have similar therapeutic quality as the EBH. In addition, due to the structure of the nest, few studies reported that the antimicrobial activity of SBH is a little bit stronger than EBH. Therefore, the composition of both the types of honey as well as the traditional uses and clinical applications were compared. The results of various studies on EBH and SBH from tissue culture research to randomised control clinical trials were collated in this review. Interestingly, there are many therapeutic properties that are unique to SBH. Therefore, SBH has a great potential to be developed for modern medicinal uses.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 19-05-2023
DOI: 10.3390/NU15102390
Abstract: This study evaluated the acute and sub-acute toxicity of B. amyloliquefaciens HTI-19 (isolated from stingless bee honey) in female Sprague Dawley rats. In an acute toxicity study, the rats received a low dosage (1 × 109 CFU·mL−1), medium dosage (3 × 109 CFU·mL−1), or high dosage (1 × 1010 CFU·mL−1) of B. amyloliquefaciens HTI-19 daily orally by syringe-feeding for 14 days. For the subacute toxicity study, rats received a low dosage (1 × 109 CFU·mL−1) or a high dosage (1 × 1010 CFU·mL−1) for 28 days. The probiotic feeding in acute and sub-acute toxicity studies showed no mortality or significant abnormalities in rats throughout the experimental period. In week 2 of the acute study, the body weight of the rats showed a significant increase (p 0.05) compared to the control. By gross and microscopic examination of organs, no evidently significant changes were observed in the morphology of organs. Serum biochemical tests and blood hematology tests also revealed no treatment-related changes. Overall, these data indicated that oral administration of B. amyloliquefaciens HTI-19 up to 1 × 109 CFU·mL−1 for 28 days can be considered safe.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-07-2020
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-020-68940-0
Abstract: Stingless bee (Meliponini) honey has long been considered a high-value functional food, but the perceived therapeutic value has lacked attribution to specific bioactive components. Examination of honey from five different stingless bee species across Neotropical and Indo-Australian regions has enabled for the first time the identification of the unusual disaccharide trehalulose as a major component representing between 13 and 44 g per 100 g of each of these honeys. Trehalulose is an isomer of sucrose with an unusual α-(1 → 1) glucose-fructose glycosidic linkage and known acariogenic and low glycemic index properties. NMR and UPLC-MS/MS analysis unambiguously confirmed the identity of trehalulose isolated from stingless bee honeys sourced across three continents, from Tetragonula carbonaria and Tetragonula hockingsi species in Australia , from Geniotrigona thoracica and Heterotrigona itama in Malaysia and from Tetragonisca angustula in Brazil. The previously unrecognised abundance of trehalulose in stingless bee honeys is concrete evidence that supports some of the reported health attributes of this product. This is the first identification of trehalulose as a major component within a food commodity. This study allows the exploration of the expanded use of stingless bee honey in foods and identifies a bioactive marker for authentication of this honey in associated food standards.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 17-04-2023
Abstract: Kelulut (stingless bee) honey (KH) possesses a wide range of benefits for human consumption and can exhibit medical effects. Due to its high value, this premium honey is often adulterated with different types of cheaper sugars, causing low nutrients and potential food safety threats in the final product. This study aims to determine the physicochemical, rheological, and antibacterial properties of sugar-based adulterated KH from the stingless bee species Heterotrigona itama. Adulterated s les were prepared using pure honey mixed with different concentrations of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), i.e., 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%. Water activity, colour, total soluble solids, pH, turbidity, viscosity, and antimicrobial activity of KH were determined. In addition, the primary sugar composition (fructose, glucose, and trehalulose) was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light-scattering detection (HPLC-ELSD). This study shows that the increasing percentage of HFCS addition in the KH s les significantly increases (p 0.05) the total soluble solids, colour, pH, turbidity, viscosity, glucose, and fructose content meanwhile, the water activity and trehalulose were reduced significantly (p 0.05). Antimicrobial activity against S. aureus was reduced significantly (p = 0.006) by an increased percentage of HFCS compared to Control. Antimicrobial activity against P. aeruginosa was also found to be reduced significantly but showed non-significant effect from an increased percentage of HFCS in honey (p = 0.413). The bacterium S. aureus was more vulnerable to treatment with honey from both Control and adulterated groups compared to P. aeruginosa. In conclusion, HFCS-adulterated KH and authentic KH can be differentiated using all the parameters investigated. These data are vital for the governing bodies to ensure that KH sold in the markets is free from HFCS adulteration.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.FOODCHEM.2021.131566
Abstract: Stingless bee honey (SBH) of four stingless bee species (Heterotrigona itama, Geniotrigona thoracica, Tetragonula carbonaria, and Tetragonula hockingsi) from two geographic regions (Malaysia and Australia, n = 36) were studied for their physicochemical parameters, including total phenolic and multi-elemental contents. Sugar analysis confirmed the prominent presence of trehalulose in all s les. All SBH failed to meet the CODEX Standard for honey moisture, free acidity, and total fructose plus glucose levels. One-way ANOVA, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical component analysis (HCA) confirm distinctive differences between Australian and Malaysian SBH with Australian SBH having significantly (P < 0.05) higher pH, total phenolic, total mineral, and electrical conductivity attributes. Toxic elements in all SBH were much lower than standard CODEX limit. The species G. thoracica produced honey with significantly (P < 0.05) higher trehalulose than both Australian bee species. This research will add value to SBH and hasten new international standards ensuring commercial viability, safety, quality, and marketability of SBH.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 31-12-2019
Abstract: This study aimed to isolate, identify, and evaluate the probiotic properties of Bacillus species from honey of the stingless bee Heterotrigona itama. Bacillus spp. were isolated from five different H. itama meliponicultures, and the isolates were characterized through Gram-staining and a catalase test. Tolerance to acidic conditions and bile salt (0.3%), hydrophobicity, and autoaggregation tests were performed to assess the probiotic properties of the selected isolates, B. amyloliquefaciens HTI-19 and B. subtilis HTI-23. Both Bacillus isolates exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and possessed significantly high survival rates in 0.3% bile solution for 3 h. Their survival rates in acidic conditions were also comparable to a commercial probiotic strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. Interestingly, the hydrophobicity and autoaggregation percentage showed no significant difference from L. rhamnosus GG, a commercial probiotic strain. The results from this study suggest that B. amyloliquefaciens HTI-19 and B. subtilis HTI-23 isolated from stingless bee honey have considerably good probiotic properties. Therefore, more studies should be done to investigate the effects of these bacteria cultures on gastrointestinal health.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Norhasnida Zawawi.