Bukovina's “liquid gold” study: Manna honey and mountain polyfloral honey have similar antibacterial properties to the famous Manuka honey, recognised as the best in the world
Bukovina's “liquid gold” study: Manna honey and mountain polyfloral honey have similar antibacterial properties to the famous Manuka honey, recognised as the best in the world
A recent study conducted over two years by the ‘Stefan cel Mare’ University of Suceava, at the Faculty of Food Engineering, has shown that honey from Bucovina has an antibacterial efficacy comparable and even superior to the famous New Zealand Manuka honey.
The Centre for Guidance, Association and Counselling in Researchers' Careers - COACH-USV*, funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) opened in 2023 at the ‘Stefan cel Mare’ University of Suceava, promotes researchers from Romanian universities and research, innovation and development centres (RDI) and the outstanding results of their studies. Dr. Ing. Daniela Pauliuc is a young researcher in the field of food engineering at the ‘Stefan cel Mare’ University of Suceava, Faculty of Food Engineering (FIA), where the most modern food quality research laboratory in Romania is located. Dr Ing. Daniela Pauliuc is a beneficiary of the project/Centre for Guidance, Association and Counselling in the Research Career, North-East Development Region of Romania, COCAH-USV of the ‘Stefan cel Mare’ University of Suceava. Daniela Pauliuc together with two colleagues, lect. univ. dr. biologist Liliana Luca and dr. eng. Florin Ursachi and coordinated by Mr. Prof. prof. univ. dr. Mircea Oroian, dean of the Faculty of Food Engineering, have made a discovery that is attracting the attention of beekeepers around the world to Romania.
The two-year study, which tested more than 70 samples of beekeeping products from the area, showed that Bucovina's manna honey and mountain polyfloral honey outperform Manuka honey in terms of antibacterial qualities, the most important standard in the field. The study by researchers from Suceava was published in 2024 in Scientific Reports, one of the world's leading scientific publications.
With a bachelor's degree (2009), two master's programmes (in 2011 and 2013) and a PhD (in 2021), dr. eng. Daniela Pauliuc from the Faculty of Food Engineering of the ‘Stefan cel Mare’ University of Suceava, wrote her PhD on ‘Research and contributions on the authentication of bee honey using instrumental techniques’, under the supervision of prof. univ. dr. eng. Mircea-Adrian Oroian. For dr. eng. Daniela Pauliuc, honey is a research topic that she is passionate about and highly topical, given the importance of food safety. Today, Dr Ing. Daniela Pauliuc is working as a researcher and has obtained several grants (UEFISCDI-Young Teams; Pro-USV-Biom) to further develop her research work by developing a spectrum of analytical methods, both for authentic honey samples and for the detection of adulterated honey samples. In the last two years her research topics have been manna honey, polyflorous mountain honey and manuka honey and included the evaluation of physico-chemical, microbiological and antibacterial activity characteristics of honey from the Bukovina region in comparison with manuka honey from New Zealand.
Danela Pauliuc's passion for food engineering started in high school, when she realised the importance of food not only in terms of taste, but also as an essential factor for health. His fascination for food quality control grew as he progressed in his studies, and food engineering seemed to him a perfect combination of science, technology and impact on society. His main motivation was the desire to contribute to food safety and public health: ‘Food engineering is a perfect combination of science, technology and impact on society, and the possibility to contribute to food safety and public health motivated me to continue on this path.’
The study ‘Physicochemical parameters, microbiological quality, and antibacterial activity of honey from the Bucovina region of Romania’ compared honey from Bucovina with manuka honey, evaluating their physicochemical, microbiological and antibacterial activity. The results showed that honey from Bucovina fulfils quality and safety standards and has comparable or superior antibacterial activity to manuka honey, and is more affordable in terms of price.
Dr Ing. Daniela Pauliuc carries out her research in the laboratories of the Faculty of Food Engineering at the ‘Stefan cel Mare’ University of Suceava. The laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for advanced research in the field of nutrition and food safety. They are dedicated to analysing food, water, animal products, food microbiology, quality control and the development of biodegradable packaging. It also develops innovative food products with unconventional ingredients and researches the valorisation of by-products for the sustainability of industrial processes. The University of Suceava collaborates with international institutions and industry partners, supporting innovative projects and research supported by national and international funds.
Talking about the qualities of a successful researcher, dr. eng. Daniela Pauliuc believes that a successful researcher must "be motivated by the desire to help people and the environment, be curious, patient and rigorous in applying working methods. It is essential to be persistent, even when the results are not as expected, and to have good communication and collaboration skills. A successful researcher needs to adapt quickly and work effectively in a team to overcome challenges and contribute to the advancement of knowledge".
Dr Eng. Dr Daniela Pauliuc recommends young people to pursue a career in research as it allows them to make their mark on the world by solving real problems that have an impact on society. Research offers the opportunity to constantly learn, reinvent oneself and overcome personal limits. It encourages curiosity, innovative thinking and brings the satisfaction of seeing how your work contributes to improving reality. If you enjoy exploring the unknown and making a difference, research is the ideal place to harness your passion and creativity.
In the future, dr. eng. Daniela Pauliuc aims to continue her research on bee honey, focussing on exploiting its antimicrobial properties. In the future, she aims to develop new methods to authenticate honey and investigate its effectiveness in alternative treatments, collaborating with researchers and medical professionals to integrate it into pharmaceutical and healthcare products.
Lecturer Dr Sergiu Raiu, Sociological Advisor, COACH-USV
Drd. Oana Grosu, psychologist counsellor, COACH-USV
* This material was published with the support of the Project code 9/31.01.2023 ‘Creation and development of the Centre for guidance, association and counselling in the research career for the North-East Development Region of Romania within the ’Stefan cel Mare" University of Suceava (COACH USV).
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Sergiu Raiu 2/24/2025 |
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