Bee Honey from the Caatinga Biome: A Prebiotic Supplement to Ameliorate the Beverage Produced by the Probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG

This study explored the prebiotic potential of africanized bee honeys from the Caatinga biome on the survival of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG in fermented beverages under refrigerated storage and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) simulation. Among the samples tested, honey derived predominantly from Myracrodruon urundeuva (aroeira-do-campo) exhibited the most pronounced protective effect. After 28 days of refrigeration, this formulation retained a viable bacterial load above 8 Log CFU/mL, compared to a drastic decline to 3 Log CFU/mL in honey analog control. Under static GIT simulation, probiotic survival exceeded 92 % post-gastric phase, with the aroeira-do-campo formulation achieving full retention. Dynamic simulations confirmed these findings, with survival rates up to 88.2 % by flow cytometry, even under complex digestive stress. Additionally, the bee honeys supported lactic acid production and maintained physicochemical integrity, confirming their synbiotic functionality. These results clearly show the potential prebiotic effect of Caatinga honeys, including the differences in their botanical origin as effective carriers of bacterial probiotics, opening the way for stable, dairy-free functional beverages adapted to arid ecosystems. Furthermore, it reinforces the importance of maintaining the sustainability of an exclusive biome and hotspot of biological diversity with a high degree of endemism. In other words, studies like this that reinforce the value of ecosystem services are of fundamental importance for the implementation of public policies in favor of the conservation of these environments.