Bioactivity of Satureja montana L. honey extracts and their profile screening

Abstract

Exploitation of natural compounds, including those from the honeys, as therapeutic agents is still gaining importance, but problems may arise due to poor knowledge of molecular effects and correlation of these effects with doses. The aim of the study was to characterize the extracts from winter savory (Satureja montana L.) honey, evaluate their bioactivity depending on the variety of obtained extracts, concentrations of main compounds and their interrelationship depending on doses. For this purpose the honey samples were processed by ultrasonic solvent extraction (solvent pentane : diethyl ether 1 : 2 v/v) and the obtained extracts were characterized by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. For the first time, antioxidative and antiproliferative effects accompanied by apoptosis induction and cell death of S. montana honey samples and their extracts on tumour cell lines were presented. Methyl syringate (MS) and syringaldehyde (SA) were identified as the major components of S. montana honey extracts with radical scavenging capacity (Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity; TEAC) of 13.04 mmol TEAC per kg (MS) and 422.02 mmol TEAC per kg (SA), respectively. Tested extracts, MS and SA did not exhibit any genotoxic effects detectable by the alkaline comet assay but they, as well as S. montana honey samples, clearly pointed to a strong antiproliferative effect in vitro on the tumour cell lines growth in a concentration-dependent manner accompanied with apoptosis induction and cell death.