Influence of phenolic compounds and flavonoids on the colour and antioxidant activity of Melipona beecheii honey from deciduous forest of Yucatan, Mexico

Abstract

The Melipona beecheii honey has bioactive compounds with high antioxidant activity that influence its colour. This research evaluated the influence of phenolic compounds and flavonoids on the colour and antioxidant activity of M. beecheii honeys. Forty-three honey samples from different site located in the low deciduous forest of Yucatan, Mexico, were extracted during the harvest and post-harvest seasons (2020 – 2021). The Pfund method was used to measure colour, Folin-Ciocalteu method for phenols measurement, aluminum chloride method for flavonoids determination, and ABTS and DPPH IC₅₀ assay to determine antioxidants. The predominant colour of the honey was extra light amber and light amber at both seasons. Phenols ranged from 780 to 1317 mg/kg GAE; flavonoids from 36 to 55 mg/kg CE and antioxidant were 675 to 1161 µmol/kg TEAC by the ABTS and 361.8 to 173.0 mg/mL by the DPPH IC₅₀.  Phenols and flavonoids were correlated with colour and radical scavenging activity, indicating the influence of these compounds with the darker colour and higher antioxidant activity of honey. The statistically significant difference (P<0.05) between seasons could be associated with the botanical origin with great diversity of melliferous flora present in the low deciduous forest of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Keywords: Antioxidant; colour; flavonoids; honey; Melipona beecheii.