Bioactive profiling of honey from the Somali region, Ethiopia: Evaluation of antioxidant capacity and broad-spectrum antibacterial efficacy

This study was aimed at investigating the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of honey collected in the Somali region of Ethiopia. Antioxidant capacity was assessed by total phenolic, flavonoid, ferric reduction antioxidant potency (FRAP) and 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. The antibacterial efficacy against L. monocytogenes, S. aureus, S. enterica, and E. coli were determined using agar well diffusion assay (AWDA), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). The total phenol varied from 21.08 to 52.29 mg GAE/100 g, while the flavonoid varied between 6.94 to 29.85 mg QE/100 g. FRAP (30.22–87.80 Fe2+mg/100g) and DPPH (50.92–77.99 mg/100g) values indicated the strong antioxidant potential of the honey sample in the study area. AWDA results demonstrated that L. monocytogenes and S. aureus displayed the highest sensitivity, with zone of inhibition 22.25 ± 0.3 mm and 21.8 ± 0.52 mm, respectively, indicating very strong antimicrobial activity. In contrast, E. coli and S. enterica displayed comparatively less susceptibility. MIC results confirmed greater susceptibility of Gram-positive bacteria (6.25–12.5% v/v) in relation to Gram-negative bacteria (25% v/v). The MBC values (6.25–25% v/v) indicated bactericidal effectiveness against bacteria subjected to testing. The study concludes that honey from the Somali region possesses significant antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.