Effect of High-Pressure Processing on the Antioxidant and Antibacterial Properties of Honey

High pressure processing (HPP) have the potential to be used as an alternative to commercial thermal processing of honey. Its impact on the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of honey have yet to be understood properly. This study focuses on the effects of HPP on the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of honey. Six different honey samples were subjected to HPP at 400 and 600 MPa for 10 and 15 min. The antioxidant properties were measured in terms of total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging assay, and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) free radical scavenging assay. The antibacterial activity was measured as the minimum bacteriocidal and minimum bacterial inhibition concentration of honey against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and E. coli. HPP decreased the total phenolic content and increased the total flavanoid content. There was an increase in the antibacterial activity of HPP honey against S. aureus, whereas no significant changes were observed against P. aeruginosa, and E. coli. It was evident that the changes in the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of honey samples were dependent on the HPP processing parameters and the type of honey.