Antimicrobial and wound healing effects associated to cytocompatibility and the relationship with phytochemical profile of selected Portuguese monofloral honeys

Owing to its applications in both food and pharmaceutical industries honey is regarded as a functional product. This study evaluated 32 Portuguese monofloral honeys and their activity was compared with manuka honey 850 +. The antimicrobial activity was determined against Gram-positive and negative bacteria, and yeast. Antioxidant activity, wound healing ability, and cell viability were studied in the human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT). Phytochemical profile analysis was performed by UPLC/DAD/ESI-MSn. Chestnut, bell heather, eucalyptus, manuka, and strawberry tree honeys demonstrated higher antioxidant activity and were effective against S. aureus. Incense and orange honeys showed wound healing rates of 89 % and 86 %, respectively. All the honeys had cell viability above 76 %. Bell heather and strawberry tree honeys showed the highest total phenolic content, while incense and orange honeys, showed the lower ones. Phytochemical profile analysis evidenced two main clusters, one dominated by isoprenoids and norisoprenoids, as well as phenolic acids and derivatives, while the other included flavonoids as main compounds. Blending different Portuguese monofloral honeys may be an alternative to faster wound healing, by combining their diverse bioactive components. The gathered knowledge can be further explored in formulations that consider the biological activity capacity and composition of each honey.