Nutritional composition of stingless bee honey from different botanical origins

Abstract

The nutritional content of honey varies with its botanical and geographical origins; also, it is influence by environmental, storage and processing factors. The current study aimed at evaluating the nutritional composition of raw unprocessed Malaysian Stingless bee’s honey (Heterotrigona itama) from different botanical origins. Six honey samples were collected from different botanical origins located in the Southern part of Peninsular Malaysia. It was then analysed for ash, moisture, protein (Kjeldahl method), fat (Soxhlet extraction) and carbohydrates content according to AOAC official method. The ash, moisture, protein and carbohydrate contents of honey samples ranged from 0.15 to 0.90 g/100 g, 27.00 to 31.00 g/100 g, 0.20 to 0.80 g/100 g, and 67.58 to 72.25 g/100 g, respectively. No significant value obtained for the fat analysis of honey samples. Sample with higher moisture content recorded lower carbohydrates content. The health benefits of honey are generally known, however the knowledge of Malaysian Stingless bee honey especially from different botanical origins is still limited. Due to its prospect as functional foods, information on its composition is crucial as preliminary data for further study.