Antimicrobial activity of flavonoids extracted from Melipona Beecheii honey

Honeys of different floral origins have high content of antioxidant compounds; among them the flavonoids show many beneficial effects on human health and can be employed in the treatment of several diseases. Flavonoids are heterocyclic compounds obtained from different parts of plants such as leaves, flowers and fruits. Bees collect pollen and nectar from many flowers and generate a complex mixture of flavonoids that are present in honey. The antioxidant compounds present in this natural product could alleviate inflammatory responses, oestrogenic disorders, bacterial and fungal infections, allergic syndromes, vascular diseases and tumour growth. Representative phenolic acids and flavonoids that have been detected in honey are chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ellagic acid, catechin, myricetin, quercetin and apigenin. The purpose of this chapter is to summarize the current knowledge about mechanisms of flavonoids in the treatment of fungal and bacterial infections and discuss the main molecules identified as flavonoids in honey from Melipona beecheii.