Profiling of the Endogenous Phenolic Contents of Multifloral Honey From Different Geographical Origins in Türkiye by...

Honey is an important animal product. It has been known about since ancient times. It is still a matter of curiosity today. This is due to its extensive biological properties and characteristic chemical composition. This study aimed to determine the phenolic content of honey from various regions of Türkiye. A total of 99 multifloral honey samples were collected from beekeepers in various Turkish provinces, and 25 phenolic compounds were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The highest measured phenolic component was hydroxycinnamic acid in honey samples from the Eastern Anatolia (103.60 ± 17.76 μg/100 g) and Central Anatolia (100.94 ± 12.79 μg/100 g) regions, followed by the Marmara (119.32 ± 17.26 μg/100 g), Aegean (147.83 ± 15.99 μg/100 g), and the Black Sea region (204.83 ± 33.28 μg/100 g). The most abundant phenolic component of the Mediterranean Region (114.38 ± 41.52 μg/100 g) and Southeastern Anatolia Region (148.53 ± 81.72 μg/100 g) honeys was vanillic acid. Alizarin, myricetin, protocatechuic acid, thymoquinone, and 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone were not detected among these phenolic compounds in the honey samples. These results emphasize the effect of geographical differences and the flora from which honey is derived on its phenolic content once again. They also provide valuable information about the phenolic content of honey produced in different regions of Türkiye, which has a wide variety of flora and honey types.