Physicochemical parameters and chemoprofiling of honey of two species of stingless bees in the Peruvian Amazon

Abstract

The physicochemical and chemical characteristics of stingless bee honey from two commonly grown species in the Peruvian Amazon, Melipona eburnea and Tetragonisca angustula, were evaluated. Key physicochemical findings include humidity levels exceeding Codex-Alimentarius limits (28.13 g/100 g of honey for M. eburnea and 26.33 g/100 g for T. angustula), while sugar content fell below minimum requirements (54.3 g/100 g of honey and 43.5, respectively). Hydroxymethylfurfural levels were 12.5 mg/100 g of honey and 0.4, respectively. Using MALDI-TOF/TOF analysis, biologically and medicinally relevant molecules derived from plants and microbes were tentatively detected in both honey samples. These molecules encompassed properties such as anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral. Notable compounds in M. eburnea honey included naringenin chalcone, caffeine, berberine, and glycosyl trans-zeatin-O-glucoside, previously documented in various honey types. Additionally, quinine, paclitaxel, stigmastonol, and surfactin C, with therapeutic potential, were preliminarily detected for the first time in this honey. T. angustula honey also contained medicinal molecules including lutein, cinnamic acid, fraxin, and hyperoside, along with newly observed compounds such as osthole, culmorin, and uncarine C (cat’s claw). Both honey samples exhibited trace levels of non-natural compounds, including commercial pesticides and herbicides, suggesting environmental contaminants. Further research is needed to verify the identity of these molecules, understand their potential sources, quantify their levels in Amazonian honey, and assess consumption and health implications. This study highlights the necessity for a novel technical standard exclusive to stingless bee honey, encompassing methodologies for measuring the physicochemical parameters and for monitoring the chemical profile to assess the medicinal potential of native honey and define maximum limits for environmental pollutants. This pioneering work underscores the ecological, medicinal, and economic value of stingless bees in the Peruvian Amazon.