EVE Investments and Meluka Honey prepare products with anti‐microbial and anti‐oxidant effects
Research by Southern Cross University found that honeybees foraging on Melaleuca trees produce a uniquely bioactive honey, unlike other bioactive honey.
Health and nutrition investment company EVE Investments (ASX: EVE) has announced key findings from recent research trials into Melaleuca trees – the source of many of its products aimed at Australian consumers.
EVE said that studies into its proprietary “multi‐bioactive honey” to be made by Meluka Honey have demonstrated immediate anti-oxidant properties and other benefits such as boosted bee metabolism and immune defence.
The research trials were conducted by Dr David Rudd of Southern Cross University at Jenbrook’s certified organic tea tree plantations in the Bungawalbyn Valley region in New South Wales.
EVE acquired organic tea tree oil producer Jenbrook for around A$2.9 million in June last year.
Jenbrook is an established, certified organic tea tree farm in the Northern Rivers Region of New South Wales in Australia. It owns two flourishing plantations – Jendale, a 1,147-acre old growth tea tree plantation, along with Robyndale a 1,000-acre plantation used in the production of organic tea tree oil for distribution throughout the US and Europe.
Research findings
Researchers found that bees foraging on Melaleuca trees produced a multi‐bioactive honey bearing “strong immediate anti‐oxidant properties” and significantly-higher than generic honey and sustained anti‐microbial activity.
“This high bioactivity was not reliant on post‐harvest ripening and was directly attributed to the natural bioactive properties of tea tree,” the company said.
Also, diet supplementation with tea tree was found to act as a probiotic, increasing the proportion of the beneficial bacteria family known as “Neisseriaceae”, which contains the species ‘Snodgrassella alvi’ that is responsible for gut immune function.
“Our research trials found that foraging on Melaleuca trees produced a honey that combine immediate anti‐oxidant activity and a significant sustained anti‐microbial activity,” said Dr David Rudd.
“Additionally, we found that foraging on Melaleuca trees was beneficial to the bees acting as a probiotic and supporting gut immune function. In other words, Meluka Honey is beneficial for both honeybee and human health,” declared Dr Rudd.
Following today’s published results, EVE Investments has said that the combined bioactivity is an early indicator that could make Meluka products truly unique in an already saturated market, and therefore, provide a “compelling advantage for Meluka Honey”, according to Bill Fry, executive director of EVE Investments.