Abstract

Honey is a sweet flavourful product which has been consumed as a high nutritive value food. The present study aimed to characterize 12 samples of honeys collected from the North of Tunisia in respect to their floral origins. pH, hydroxyl methyl furfural, moisture content, ash, acidity, electrical conductivity, reducing sugars, apparent sucrose and total phenolic contents, were the parameters analysed in each sample. All honey samples analyzed were found to meet European Legislation Ec Directive (2001/110) for all parameters studied. Antimicrobial assays showed that most honey samples tested inhibited the proliferation of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium, and altered theflagella driven motility of these two bacteria tested in swarming assay. We have also demonstrated that the most important antibacterial activity was observed for the honey originated from eucalyptus flower.

Keys words: North Tunisia, Honey, antimicrobial effect, physicochemical parameters, bacterial motility.

Abbreviation

E. coli, Esherichia coli; G, gentamycin; HMF, hydroxymethylfurfural;MBC, minimal bactericidal concentration; MIC, minimal inhibitory concentration; S. typhi,Salmonella typhimurium.