Physicochemical characterization and determination of chloramphenicol residues and heavy metals in Algerian honeys

The concentration of certain heavy metals in various foods (fruits, cereals, legumes, and bee products) produced in industrial and urban cities is increasing each year following industrial development. Quality of honey and its contamination by different polluting agents are related essentially to its production environment, or it can arise from beekeeping practices. In the present study, the determination of physicochemical properties: moisture, pH, total acidity, electric conductivity, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), sugars, and chloramphenicol (CAP) residues; the metal content by determination of two toxic metals levels: lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd); and other trace elements: magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and nickel (Ni) in 23 different honey samples collected from North regions of Algeria were investigated. The physicochemical properties and the metal contents were found within the ranges established by the international standards. For the antibiotic residues, only four honey samples are contaminated by CAP. Metals were found in non-significant values and are in safety baseline levels for human consumption except Mg which exceed the limits. These results suggested that honey could be used as an indicator to detect contaminating agents from the environment since bees are excellent sentinels for assessing environmental contamination because of their physiological and biological characteristics.

Antioxidant, anti-cholinesterase, anti-α-glucosidase and prebiotic properties of beta-glucan extracted from Algerian barley

<p>Beta-glucan, such as barley-derived beta-glucan (BBG), are homopolysaccharides that have attracted attention by their nutritional and therapeutic properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant power of BBG extracted from local Algerian variety of barley (SAIDA 183), and its acetylcholinesterase, alpha glucosidase inhibitory activity as well as its prebiotic potential by fermentation with lactic acid bacteria isolated from camel’s milk, namely <em>lactococcuslactisssplactis</em> (Lc.l.l) and <em>leuconostocmesenteroidesspmesenteroides</em> (Ln.m.m). The results revealed that BBG exhibited low activity against DPPH and ferric-reducing power (IC₅₀ 4018.61 ± 656.69 and A_0.5at 359.88 ±63.64 µg/mL respectively), in contrast to other antioxidant tests (ABTS, Beta-carotene and CUPRAC) where BBG demonstrated a moderate activity (IC₅₀ 529.91 ±26.37, IC₅₀ 161.013±13.322, A_0.5529.79 ± 48.65 µg/mL). The scavenging ability of hydroxyl radical and superoxide radical by BBG with an IC₅₀ at 2268.38±101.57 µg/mL and IC₅₀ 345.26± 62.32 µg/mL, respectively, while enzymatic inhibition by  BBG exhibited for AChE at IC₅₀ 859.164 ±64.46 μg/mL , BChE at IC₅₀ at 725.470 ±30.95 , α-Amylase inhibitory activity at IC₅₀ 2986.785 ± 37.046  . The bacterial growth of the two strains used in this study is favorably affected by the use of BBG as the only carbon source, in comparison with glucose as a control. In light of these findings, it can be concluded that BBG have shown moderate antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities and can be used as a prebiotic by acting synergistically with probiotics in functional food matrices.</p>