Projects / Programmes
Development of medical chestnut honey quality control and technology
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 4.02.00 |
Biotechnical sciences |
Animal production |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B400 |
Biomedical sciences |
Zootechny, animal husbandry, breeding |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 4.02 |
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences |
Animal and Dairy science |
honey, wound care, antimicrobial activity, antimicrobial peptides, key signals, honey processing, beekeeping, honey extraction
Researchers (23)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
Development of medical chestnut honey quality control and technology
-Research of relevant properties of chestnut honey, effects of environment, beekeeping practice and stimulation of bees for increased antimicrobial activity to obtain high value medical grade chestnut honey.
Chestnut honey is most suitable source of honey with high antimicrobial activity produced in Slovenia. Based on the research that has been done in cooperation with Department of Biology by young researcher from Tosama d.d., knowledge has been applied in new product line Vivamel. Production of new medical devices based on chestnut honey struggles on variability of honey quality and not well defined antimicrobial activity. Along that, new findings arrived about chestnut honey, like presence of kynurenic acid that can improve wound healing process and significant higher antimicrobial activity of chestnut honey stored on the top of the beebread. The beebread studies at the Biotechnical faculty suggest separation of different honey fractions and search for the signals that triggers higher rate of honey processing and most likely also secretion of antimicrobial compounds by bees. Based on our own findings and experience as well some new recent studies of antimicrobial peptides we proposed development of rigid quality control tests to obtain proper data about chemical and biological properties of chestnut honey that we will be able to deduce observed variability in antimicrobial activity to ecological and technological causes during production of honey. We expect to correlate some environmental factors to the specific quality of chestnut honey, especially antimicrobial activity. With new findings related to beekeeping technology we want to get significantly improved beekeeping technology for production of high antimicrobial chestnut honey that can be used further for preparation of different medical devices and for specific medical applications, as well. To achieve technology advancement we want to clarify how bees are contributing to antimicrobial activity, especially related to the process of capping honey cells. It was not jet evaluated what are behavioral key signals for bees. During search for additional stimulations of bees we are expecting to get some answers to this crucial step of honey processing. We are going to develop innovative approaches to honey extraction that will enable separate collection of recognized fractions inside of the combs with beebread. Pilot application of innovative technology will enable proposal of specific techniques on wider scale by beekeepers that will be involved in medical-grade-chestnut-honey production. Along with some manipulations inside of the hives regarding production of honey on the top of the beebread we will investigate possibility to enhance antimicrobial activity with stimulating bees for higher rate of honey processing and secretions of antimicrobial compounds. That can lead to even more advanced beekeeping technology for medical grade honey and much better source of honey for medical application. We want to clarify how bees are contributing to antimicrobial activity, especially related to the process of capping honey cells. During search for additional stimulations of bees we are expecting to get some answers to this crucial step of honey processing. With improved quality of honey, we have to ensure that along the production, high value product would not be contaminated with microbes that could cause some health issues. We will evaluate relevance of lipopolysacharides detection for presence of potential hazardous microbes along with direct methods, classical microbial as well molecular techniques. Altogether, we are expecting to get series of new basic science outcomes that will be also essential for improvement of quality of the production as well of final products based on medical grade chestnut honey.
Significance for science
Project proposal joins forces of researchers from different natural science disciplines: biochemistry, toxicology, microbiology, neuroetholgy and food science. Research will dig information from molecular level, toward response of microorganism and honeybees, and honey as a product will be evaluated also with human senses.
The applied research methods will enable us to get new scientific outcomes regarding specific properties of chestnut honey, as well understanding involvement of bees during formation of honey stores in the hive. There is not much information how quality of chestnut honey vary due to geographic origin and circumstances during nectar secretion. We are expecting to get some new scientific insight regarding specific quality of chestnut honey.
Antimicrobial peptides of honey bees are very actual research field. It is not only interest for high quality of honey, but even more as bees defense mechanism against different pathogens. This is part of wider understanding of how honeybee colonies survives in changing environment, also due to human activities.
Researchers have not payed much attention to behavior background of honey processing. We are expecting to prove some our initial findings regarding honey cells capping with wax. This is completely new field of the research of honeybee behavior with strong implications to honey quality.
Significance for the country
Quantification of amounts of compounds in medical honey, like: GOX, AMP defensie-1. Kynurenic acid, and potential antimicrobial activity of honey due to specific stimulation of foraging, will increase biological and medical value of chestnut honey in wound dressings.
High quality of chestnut honey insures high quality of the produce – wound dressing and consequently higher market price.
Kynurenic acid in chestnut honey has direct effect on destabilization of biofilm in wound, which is in the World actual and compelling problem. Quantitative value of kynurenic acid differentiate chestnut medical honey from other medical honeys on the market, what will increase price of chestnut medical honey.
Quantification of quality compounds in honey and ranging of antimicrobial activity will ensure repeatability in quality of yearly stock of honey, which quality fluctuate a lot from year to year.
Higher quality of wound dressing with medical chestnut honey is opportunity for higher sell and consequently higher production, which means also economic growth. Tosama is already recognised by wound dressing from medical chestnut honey on markets: Germany, Austria, Czech, Slovakia, Belgium and France.
Most important scientific results
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Interim report
