The antibacterial hydrogen peroxide generation from Ziziphus Spina Christi and Acacia spp. honey

Honey and hydrogen peroxide are effective antibacterial agents. The antibacterial activity of honey is mainly attributed to hydrogen peroxide generation that is produced in the honey by the activity of the glucose oxidase (GOX) enzyme. Ziziphus Spina Christi and Acacia spp. honey samples were collected for the study. Hydrogen peroxide was measured using a sensitive enzymatic/colorimetric assay. The method was then used to measure peroxide in various degrees of honey dilutions. The kinetics of hydrogen peroxide production over time in honey solutions were also tested. There were differences between the two samples with respect to hydrogen peroxide levels. Z. christi produced up to 4.5 mM of peroxide compared with 1.2 mM generated by Acacia spp. (p=0.02). The maximum concentration of peroxide produced in the experiment was at 60% dilution. This degree of dilution was used to assess the generation of peroxide overtime. The results showed that the GOX reached the maximum generation of hydrogen peroxide within the first 20 min of incubation and then gradually decreased over the next 100 min. In conclusion, honey collected for this study exhibited efficient hydrogen peroxide generation, which may have antibacterial activity. The production of peroxide was shown to be dependent on the honey dilution factor.