A comparison of the physicochemical properties of chestnut and highland honey: The case of Senoz Valley in the Rize province of Turkey.

The aim of this study was to determine the physicochemical parameter changes, aroma, melissopalynological properties, and heavy metal content of honey produced from different types of flora (chestnut and highland) in the Senoz Valley. For this purpose, the distribution of beehives at different elevation levels in the research area was determined by a layered random sampling method. Some characteristics of the honey samples were analyzed by standard laboratory methods. The highest average color (L and b) and the glucose, sucrose, Brix, Cd, Pb, Ni, Zn, and Cr values were found in the highland honeys; the highest color (a) and fructose, F/G ratio, proline, pH, conductivity, Fe, Cu, Al, and Mn values were found in the chestnut honeys. The difference between highland and chestnut honeys was statistically significant in terms of color (L and a), F/G ratio, proline, pH, electrical conductivity, Pb, Cu, and Mn. A total of 146 aromatic components were isolated in the chestnut and highland honeys.

Gram (-) microorganisms DNA polymerase inhibition, antibacterial and chemical properties of fruit and leaf extracts of Sorbus acuparia and Sorbus caucasica var. yaltirikii.

Investigation of novel plant-based agents might provide alternative antibiotics and thus fight antibiotic resistance. Here, we measured the ability of fruit and leaf extracts of Sorbus aucuparia (Sauc) and endemic Sorbus caucasica var. yaltirikii (Scau) to inhibit nonreplicative (Klenow Fragment-KF and Bacillus Large Fragment-BLF) and replicative (DnaE and PolC) bacterial DNA polymerases along with their antimicrobial, DPPH free radical scavenging activity (RSA), and chemical contents by total phenolic content and HPLC-DAD analysis. We found that leaf extracts had nearly 10-fold higher RSA and 5-fold greater TPC than the corresponding fruit extracts. All extracts had large amounts of chlorogenic acid (CGA) and rutin, while fruit extracts had large amounts of quercetin. Hydrolysis of fruit extracts revealed mainly caffeic acid from CGA (caffeoylquinic acid) and quercetin from rutin (quercetin-3-O-rutinoside), as well as CGA and derivatives of CGA and p-coumaric acid. Plant extracts of Sorbus species showed antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative microorganisms. Scau leaf extracts exhibited strong inhibition of KF activity. Sauc and Scau leaf extracts also strongly inhibited two replicative DNA polymerases. Thus, these species can be considered a potential source of novel antimicrobial agents specific for Gram-negative bacteria.