Impact of organic, conventional, and stingless bee honeys on the antibacterial activity of gummy candies against oral bacteria.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the impact of organic, conventional, and stingless honey on gummy candies, focusing on the effect of the cariogenic bacterium, Streptococcus mutans UA159, and total bacterial count in saliva from adolescents.

Methods: Antimicrobial compounds in three honey samples were identified, and the minimum inhibitory concentration against S. mutans UA159 was determined. The antibacterial activities of the three honey candy formulations were determined against S. mutans UA159 in artificial saliva and total bacteria in saliva collected from adolescents. The sensory acceptance of the candy formulations by children, adolescents, and adults was investigated.

Results: Candies prepared using conventional honey showed the highest antibacterial activity against S. mutans UA159 in vitro and total bacteria in human saliva. This effect was attributed to the higher levels of quercetin, myricetin, caffeine, and hydrogen peroxide in conventional honey.

Conclusions: Nicotinic, ferulic, and p-coumaric acids found in honey had low antibacterial activity against oral bacteria. Quercetin, myricetin, caffeine, and hydrogen peroxide are the main anticariogenic compounds in honey and exert antibacterial effects on adolescent saliva, despite added to candies. However, organic production does not necessarily improve the biological properties of honey. All candies were equally liked by sensory assessors (acceptance > 70%), facilitating the selection of honey with higher biological activities to formulate functional candies.