Avaliação in vitro do potencial prebiótico de méis monoflorais produzidos por abelhas sem ferrão na região nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

The growing perception of consumers about health and its relation with a equilibrated diet has increased the demand for foods with health promoting benefits, including those with prebiotic properties. The stingless bee honey produced in the semi-arid region of the Brazilian northeast is widely used in the traditional medicine due bioactivity, which is associated mainly to phenolic compounds present in its composition. The present study aimed to evaluate the in vitro prebiotic potential of de Ziziphus joazeiro Mart. (juazeiro; J) e Mimosa arenosa Willd Poir (jurema branca; JB) produced by stingless bees Melipona Subnida Duke (jandaíra; J) e M. scutellaris Latrelle (uruçu; U) in the Brazilian semi-arid region toward Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-05 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB12. Each honey (JJ, JU, JBJ or JBU) was used as the sole carbon source in the culture medium of the test strains and evaluated for prebiotic score. The metabolic activity of strains tested was monitored over 48 h of cultivation by determining changes in pH, sugar consumption, organic acid production and changes in the profile of phenolic compounds. All evaluated honeys showed positive prebiotic activity scores for both probiotic strains tested. However, honey JJ presented the highest scores (p <0.05) in comparison to the other honeys tested. All honeys (JJ, JU, JBJ, JBU) promoted the growth of both probiotic strains and no difference was observed in relation to the concentration of 20 or 30 g / L of honey in the in the culture medium, but the best results were observed for the broth added by JJ as carbon source. After 48 h of culture in the broths with each honey JJ, JU, JBJ or JBU, high counts of L. acidophilus LA-05 and B. lactis BB-12 were observed (> 8 log CFU / mL) and reduction (p < 0.05) from pH values to around 3.0, revealing intense metabolic activity for the studied strains. The cultivation of the probiotic strains tested in broths added with JJ, JU, JBJ or JBU resulted in the production (p <0.05) of lactic acid, acetic, citric and succinic acid and reduction (p <0.05) of concentration of sugars such as glucose, fructose and maltose. The content of phenolic compounds present in the broths containing the honey as carbon source (JJ, JU, JBJ and JBU) was altered (p <0.05) over the period of incubation, with reduction of gallic acid, catechin and procyanidins for both the strains tested, mainly after 24 h of the incubation period. The results showed the prebiotic potential of the monofloral honeys (JJ, JU, JBJ and JBU) produced by stingless bees in the northeastern semiarid region. Particularly, JJ honey may be a novel food with prebiotic effects toward L. acidophilus LA-05 and B. lactis BB-12.