Total Phenol, Antioxidant Activity, Flavonoids, Anthocyanins and Color of Honey as Affected by Floral Origin Found in the Arid and Semiarid Mediterranean Areas

Abstract

Honey samples representing 12 different Mediterranean floral sources in Jordan were investigated for their phytochemical compounds and color. The floral composition (% pollen), total phenolics, total flavonoids, antioxidant activity, anthocyanins and color varied between locations. Total phenolics were highest (86.3 mg GAE/100 g) in the multifloral summer honey from Sarrout location and lowest (33.7 mg GAE/100 g) in the early spring harvest from the Jordan Valley. The flavonoid, anthocyanins and antioxidant activities were highest in summer honey from Umm Alyanabea location (4.6 mg/100 g, 4.1 mg/100 g and IC50 = 24.5 mg/mL, respectively) and were lowest in the early spring honey harvest from the Jordan Valley. The colors of Jordanian honey were visually noticeable, varying from yellowish, yellowish green to darker colors. Significant differences existed in the phytochemical compounds in different honey samples from different Mediterranean areas in Jordan. These differences mainly depended on floral sources. Practical Applications Honey is a natural product produced primarily from the nectar secreted by flowering plants gathered and processed by the honeybee (Apis millifera). It is an important and unique food product containing bioactive compounds derived from plant nectar or added by bees, and these compounds are known to act as natural antioxidants that play an important role in food preservation and human health through combating damage caused by oxidizing agents. Honey collected from different nectar of plant flower species contains different levels of phenolics that possess antioxidant activity, so different honey properties were expected since the composition of active compounds in honey from different locations should be different. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the bioactive compounds and color of honeys obtained from various plant vegetations in the arid and semiarid Mediterranean areas in Jordan.