Comparative nutritional and antioxidant profiling of Assam honeys: unveiling the untapped bioactivity of stingless bee honey
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Published on: March 17, 2015
Partha Pratim Gyanudoy Das1, Mukul Kumar Deka1, Abhibandana Das1
1AICRP on Honey Bees and Pollinators, Department of Entomology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, India.
Abstract:
Honey is a nutritionally rich natural product with functional and bioactive relevance, yet species-specific comparative data from Northeast India remain limited. This study evaluated the physicochemical composition, mineral profiles, antioxidant, and antimicrobial potential of Apis cerana, A. mellifera, A. dorsata, and Tetragonula iridipennis honeys from Assam, with special emphasis on the bioactivity of stingless bee honey (T. iridipennis). Significant interspecific variation was observed: T. iridipennis honey exhibited elevated diastase activity (19.63 DN), proline (1,286 mg/kg), and mineral richness, along with the highest total phenolic (84.24 mg GAE/100 g) and flavonoid (21.20 mg QE/100 g) content. These biochemical traits corresponded to superior antioxidant capacity, with the lowest EC₅₀ values in DPPH (51.55 μL/mL) and ABTS (47.23 μL/mL) assays, and the broadest antibacterial spectrum, inhibiting Salmonella Typhi, Shigella flexneri, Streptococcus pyogenes, and S. mutans. In-vitro cytotoxicity assays further demonstrated notable inhibitory effects of T. iridipennis honey on cell viability, consistent with its high antioxidant potential. This study provides the first comprehensive biochemical baseline for Assam honeys and highlights stingless bee honey as a promising candidate for sustainable functional food development and bioactive compound exploration.
