Imobilização enzimática para a determinação de peróxido de hidrogênio, catalase e avaliação in vitro da atividade antibacteriana em amostras de mel

Abstract

Honey is a complex mixture of carbohydrates, amino acids, minerals, organic acids and flavonoids. The therapeutic potential of honey is gradually growing and its scientific evidences of effectiveness. Honey has been reported as antimicrobial agent, to promote healing wound and burns and the antibacterial activity is attributed to factors such as acidity, osmolarity, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), catalase and flavonoids. The first research of this work involved the determination of the floral origin of honey which was achieved by microscopic analysis of the pollen (melissopalynology). The pollen spectrum showed the pollinic variety corresponding to different taxonomic levels. In the other study, two versatile methods involving spectrophotometry and amperometry were applied for the determination of H2O2 in 17 commercial honey samples. H2O2 was determined by flow-injection analysis (FIA) with a tubular reactor containing peroxidase enzyme immobilized on Amberlite IRA-743 resin. The spectrophotometric determination was based on the oxidation of H2O2 by the enzyme in presence of phenol and 4aminoantipirine. The rate of color generation, due to the formation of the antipyrilquinonimine species was proportional to the concentration of H2O2. In the amperometric determination, a gold electrode modified by electrochemical deposition of platinum, an Ag/AgCl(sat) electrode (+ 0.60V) and a stainless steel tube were employed as working, reference and auxiliary electrodes, respectively. This method was based on three measurements in the FIA system and the difference between peaks showed the proportional current of H2O2 in the honey samples. Both methods showed wide linear dynamic range for H2O2 (0.5 to 100 µmol L−1) and low quantification/detection limits. The concentrations found in the analyzed honeys samples were in the range of 4-214 µg g-1 of H2O2. The determination of H2O2 showed the rapidness, accuracy and sensitivity provided by the two methods, while combined with the FIA system. An amperometric sensor for catalase (CAT) detection in association with FIA system and a tubular reactor containing Amberlite IRA-743 was developed. Catalase quantification was based on two injections: (1) H2O2 standard solution and (2) H2O2 standard solution treated with CAT immobilized on Amberlite IRA-743. The difference between the current obtained from (1) and (2) showed the consumption of H2O2 per unit of enzyme immobilized. The same

procedure was used to immobilize CAT in honey samples. The linear dynamic range for CAT extends from 100 to 5000 UI mL-1. The levels of CAT vary from 9 to 99 UI mg-1. Taking into account these results, an inverse correlation was obtained between CAT and H2O2 levels. Finally the antibacterial evaluation of honeys samples against 18 bacterial strains including Gram-negative/positive species was studied. The screening of antimicrobial potential was determined using the drop-test agar diffusion and the broth diluiton methods according to the CLSI recommendations. Increasing honey concentrations, varying from 1 to 30% (v/v) were studied and five samples demonstrated bacteriostatic activity against ATCC® S. aureus, S. epidermidis and E. coli bacterial strains. The results of this preliminary study tend to reinforce the use of honey as antimicrobial agent and emphasize that H2O2 is not the only inhibine present in honey, but it is one of the whole group with bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity.