Cara &Tom Patterson wrote:

> http://www.apis.admin.ch/english/pdf/BeeProducts/AntibacterialInternet_e.pdf

The Hive and the Honey Bee notes that different floral sources have
different concentrations of sucrose in nectar. The same occurs with the
amount of water available to the same floral sources. More water, less
concentrated.

The article notes that the antibacterial activity of honey (excluding
the supersaturated sugar solution effects) is due to the bee and not
necessarily the floral source as far as the peroxide component. But the
acid content does make a difference (not the ph). It also noted that
there were differences in activity in the same floral source.

The hive and the Honey Bee also notes that the addition of enzymes to
honey by the bee and the amount of transformation of the honey by the
enzymes is directly related to the concentration of sugar in the nectar.
The more concentrated, the less time the enzymes have to work on the nectar.

The article also notes that just plain sugar water gives the same
peroxide component and concentration as floral honey.

Given all that, maybe the difference in antibacterial action by
different honeys is more the concentration of the nectar than anything
else. If the nectar is "thin" then the enzymes added to the nectar by
the bee have more time to work and concentrations of antibacterial
agents is higher. That results in higher acid content and glucose
oxidaise (the peroxide component which is also an acid component).

 From a purely practical observation, this makes sense, because you
would want the most protection during the time the nectar is being
concentrated until it, by being a saturated sugar solution, can stand on
its own. If the nectar is thin, without the added protection, the nectar
could spoil.

It is obvious that one function of the added enzymes (there are probably
a lot more functions that we do not know about) is to keep the product
pure in all parts of its time in the hive.

The more we learn about bees the more amazing they are.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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