Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of Polish herbhoneys

The present study focuses on samples of Polish herbhoneys (HHs), their chemical composition and antimicrobial activity. A gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method was used to analyse eight samples of herbal honeys and three samples of nectar honeys. Their antimicrobial activities were tested on selected Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus schleiferi) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria, as well as on pathogenic fungi Candida albicans. Ether extracts of HHs showed significant differences in composition but the principal groups found in the extracts were phenolics and aliphatic hydroxy acids typical of royal jelly and unsaturated dicarboxylic acids. In spite of the differences in chemical composition, antimicrobial activity of the extracts of HHs against all the tested microorganisms except E. coli was observed.