{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T14:47:45Z","timestamp":1771512465449,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,3,10]],"date-time":"2020-03-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1583798400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Consejer\u00eda de Sanidad of Junta de Castilla y Le\u00f3n","award":["GRS 551\/A\/10"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["GRS 551\/A\/10"]}]},{"name":"Consejer\u00eda de Educaci\u00f3n of Junta de Castilla y Le\u00f3n","award":["."],"award-info":[{"award-number":["."]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004895","name":"European Social Fund","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["."],"award-info":[{"award-number":["."]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004895","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Numerous studies have explored the antibacterial properties of different types of honey from all around the world. However, the data available describing how honey acts against bacteria are few. The aim of this study was to apply a flow cytometry (FC) protocol to examine and characterize the primary effects of three varieties of honey (avocado, chestnut and polyfloral) upon physiological status of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli cells to reveal their antibacterial action mechanisms. The effects of honey samples on membrane potential, membrane integrity, and metabolic activity were assessed using different fluorochromes, in a 180 min time course assay. Time-kill experiments were also carried out under similar conditions. Exposure of S. aureus and E. coli to the distinct honey samples resulted in physiological changes related to membrane polarization and membrane integrity. Moreover, honey induced a remarkable metabolic disruption as primary physiological effect upon S. aureus. The different honey samples induced quite similar effects on both bacteria. However, the depth of bacteria response throughout the treatment varied depending on the concentration tested and among honey varieties, probably due to compositional differences in the honey.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules25051252","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,3,13]],"date-time":"2020-03-13T08:58:59Z","timestamp":1584089939000},"page":"1252","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":31,"title":["Antibacterial Action Mechanisms of Honey: Physiological Effects of Avocado, Chestnut, and Polyfloral Honey upon Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"25","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5170-3687","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Patricia","family":"Combarros-Fuertes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Food Hygiene and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Le\u00f3n, Campus de Vegazana, 24071 Le\u00f3n, Spain"}]},{"given":"Leticia","family":"M. Estevinho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIMO, Mountain Research Center, Polytechnic Institute of Bragan\u00e7a, Campus Santa Apol\u00f3nia, 5301-855 Bragan\u00e7a, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7546-9362","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rita","family":"Teixeira-Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ac\u00e1cio","family":"G. Rodrigues","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"CINTESIS\u2014Center for Research in Health Technologies and Information Systems, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Burn Unit, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Hospital S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Cid\u00e1lia","family":"Pina-Vaz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"CINTESIS\u2014Center for Research in Health Technologies and Information Systems, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Jose M.","family":"Fresno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Food Hygiene and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Le\u00f3n, Campus de Vegazana, 24071 Le\u00f3n, Spain"}]},{"given":"M. Eugenia","family":"Tornadijo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Food Hygiene and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Le\u00f3n, Campus de Vegazana, 24071 Le\u00f3n, Spain"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,3,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cofs.2018.09.002","article-title":"Food processing as a risk factor for antimicrobial resistance spread along the food chain","volume":"30","author":"Oniciuc","year":"2019","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Food Sci."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in Europe (2017) (2018). 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