Effect of Water Adulteration on the Rheology and Antibacterial Activities of Honey

Honey was diluted with different percentages of water and was analysed rheologically at room temperature of 27℃. The rheological profiles of pure and impure honey samples were measured at low shear rates (0.01-4.16s^-1). This work developed a structural kinetic model, which correlated well with the rheological data. The new model was used to categorise honey samples using their average molecular weights as one of the distinctive properties. Also, the kinetics order in the new model predicts the number of active components in the "honey" undergoing deformation. Honey produced third order kinetics to depict the monomers, oligomers and water content in honey. Pure honey exhibits peculiar non-Newtonian rheological behaviour. The behaviour of water is Newtonian. Dilution of honey with different percentages of water turns the resulting fluid Newtonian from 10% dilution with water. This study analysed the antibacterial activities of honey and serially adulterated samples against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antibacterial analyses of honey were conducted using Kirby Bauer's well diffusion method. The results indicated that pure honey exhibited a zone of inhibition against both organisms. Also, the diameter of the zone of inhibition decreased with increasing dilution of honey, suggesting a correlation with the rheological method.