Functional Property of Honey from &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Echium vulgare&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;

Takeshi Nagai,Nobutaka Suzuki,Norihisa Kai,Yasuhiro Tanoue

doi:10.4236/fns.2012.35084

Abstract

Chemical property of honey from Echium vulgare was investigated. In comparison with other honey species, the con-tents of total phenolic compounds and total flavonoids were the highest. α-Amylase activity was also extremely high: about three to nine hundred times as much as those of other honey species. The antioxidative activity of honey was investigated using four different methods. Honey from E. vulgare showed the best performance in inhibiting lipid peroxidation and scavenging superoxide anion radicals, hydroxyl radicals, and DPPH radicals. Moreover, it exhibited stronger inhibition activity of ACE. It is known that higher antioxidative activity and scavenging activity against active oxygen species in honey species related to their colour. In the present study, however, it suggests that the phenolics in honey from E. vulgare with yellow gold colour might be the major active component responsible for the strong antioxidative activity and radical scavenging activity.

Highlights

Oxidative stress can be defined as a disproportion between creation of reactive oxygen species and a biological system’s capability to detoxify reactive intermediates
Honey from E. vulgare showed the best performance in inhibiting lipid peroxidation and scavenging superoxide anion radicals, hydroxyl radicals, and DPPH radicals
It is known that higher antioxidative activity and scavenging activity against active oxygen species in honey species related to their colour

Summary

Introduction

Oxidative stress can be defined as a disproportion between creation of reactive oxygen species and a biological system’s capability to detoxify reactive intermediates. As one of the consequences of oxidative stress, free radical generation may cause severe damage to cells and associated with many diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, and metabolic diseases [1]. The use of antioxidant supplementation is beneficial to prevent these diseases. Antioxidant capacity can be generally assessed by two main mechanisms, as quenching of various free radicals and reduction of metal ions such as iron, cupper, and chromium [2]. Antioxidants of natural or synthetic origins are added to foodstuffs to prevent undesirable deterioration. Synthetic antioxidants as butylated hydroxylanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, and propyl gallate may be quite unsafe because of their side effects and toxicity to nontarget organs, which are of concern

Methods

Results

Conclusion