Effect of Honey on the Growth and Metabolism of Two Bacterial Species of Intestinal Origin

Abstract

The increase in viable cell numbers and the production of Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA) by Bifidobacterium infantis and Lactobacillus acidophilus-both of human intestinal origin-were measured over 16 h at 37^o in reconstituted skim-milk (100 g l^-1) and skim-milk with one of three types of honey extracted from hives located in different regions of Jordan. All the honeys increased cell counts over the control with no honey and the final values for SCFA, especially acetic acid secreted by L. acidophilus (25.0 g l^-1), were significantly higher than those observed in milk alone. Honey from a desert region was most stimulatory to L. acidophilus, while one produced from the flora of a mountainous area had most effect on Bif. infantis. It is proposed that specific oligosaccharides or other compounds in the honeys were responsible for the contrasted behaviour of the two species and that honey ingested in a human diet might have the same effect on desirable components of the intestinal microflora.