Physicochemical characterization, glucose oxidase activity, and antibacterial properties of Armenian honey: quality assessment beyond conventional parameters

Abstract Armenia's diverse botanical landscape, spanning semi-desert to alpine meadows, represents an underexplored resource for honey research. Despite its rich flora and long-standing beekeeping tradition, the physicochemical and biological properties of Armenian honey remain undocumented. This study evaluated the quality, biochemical composition, and antibacterial efficacy of ten honey samples from four Armenian regions, focusing on glucose oxidase (GOX) activity as a complementary quality parameter. Conventional quality parameters were assessed alongside protein profiling (SDS-PAGE), GOX immunoblotting, enzymatic activity, hydrogen peroxide accumulation, and antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Most samples (70%) met legislative standards and exhibited notable antibacterial activity. Two samples exhibited thermal processing evidence, with exceeding hydroxymethylfurfural limits and displaying diminished protein content, weak GOX bands, negligible GOX activity, and poor antibacterial efficacy. Critically, one sample met all conventional quality thresholds yet exhibited significant loss of GOX activity and reduced antibacterial potency, indicating a potential discrepancy between conventional quality indicators and preserved biological activity. This preliminary characterization of Armenian honey samples demonstrates that GOX activity provides additional information beyond conventional parameters for assessing honey quality. These findings suggest that enzymatic and biological assessments may complement conventional quality parameters, particularly when evaluating honey for therapeutic applications.