Nutraceutical properties of Romanian heather honey

Abstract

Purpose – The main purpose of this study is to create a complete physico‐chemical characterisation of Romanian heather honey.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 30 samples of heather honey were harvested from three different geographical areas (Fântânele, Calaţele, Marisel) from Transylvania region (Romania). This study contains a complete characterization of heather honey regarding its physico‐chemical composition, total phenols content, flavonoids content, antioxidant activity (expressed as radical scavenging activity – RSA) and micro‐ and macroelements content.Findings – The results obtained for the total phenols content and total flavonoids demonstrate that honey samples have good bioactive properties and the antioxidant activities are similar to those of dark honeys. Heather honeys normally have a high content of minerals, having their origin in soil. All quantified minerals in heather honey presented values higher that those reported for other types of honey.Practical implications – Heather hon...