Production of bioactive honey from medicinal plants using alternative and conventional production methods

This project is part of the global trend in functional food research and focuses on forming links between two important medicinal natural products for human health; medicinal plants and honey. The principal objective of this project was to produce a novel bioactive honey from medicinal plants using both conventional and alternative honey production methods under highly controlled conditions. Within this objective there were three sub-aims. The first was to select an appropriate medicinal plant for the work from three previously identified species, namely Korean mint (Agastache rugosa) (Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 511 (1891), Motherwort (Leonurus sibiricus) L., Sp. Pl.: 584 (1753) and Tulsi or Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) L., Sp. Pl.: 597 (1753). Tulsi has been well researched compared to the other two species that have had only a few studies regarding their activity as medicinal plants. Examination of all species showed that Tulsi had the highest number of volatile bio-active compounds compared to the other two species and also had a much longest flowering period. These three criteria led to Tulsi being chosen for the production of bioactive honey. The main idea was that if the antioxidant, antimicrobial or other properties transferred from the plants into honey during, rather than after, production it would be a useful alternative to many pharmaceutical products currently available with fewer side-effects. The second aim of the work was to undertake a detailed study of Tulsi to identify and investigate the compounds responsible for its antibacterial and antioxidant activity. These bioactive compounds were studied in the leaves, inflorescence, essential oil and for the first time, the nectar, using Solid Phase Micro Extraction (SPME) Gas Chromatogram Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Moreover, the essential oil extracted from Tulsi and the leaf extracts were examined for both antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. The third and final aim of the project was to produce bioactive honey from Tulsi using both traditional and alternative honey production methods under highly controlled conditions, examine its antimicrobial and antioxidant activity and evaluate the factors contributing to their bioactivity. The end result of the study is a novel medicinal scientifically-validated honey, produced from a medicinal plant with high bioactivities. This product could, potentially add value to the therapeutic properties of both, the honey and medicinal plant industries. The value of honey may be increased if it is a scientifically-validated bioactive commodity. Medicinal plant growers will acquire a second income from the same plants. Examine the possibility of using the new bioactive honey as a local antibiotic agent instead of existing antibiotics especially with increasing microbial resistance to antibiotics such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The pollen substitute developed by this project provides a complex mixture which includes proteins, minerals, carbohydrates, and other nutrients to provide sufficient amounts of the requirements to enhance multiple generations of bees, which may help to overcome the serious issue of the dramatic decrease in numbers of bees worldwide.