Comparative study of honeys produced by Apis mellifera with meliponina honeys

Abstract

RESUMO -A composição do mel de abelha nativa é pouco conhecida, embora a análise das suas propriedades físico-químicas esteja associada com os méis de abelhas africanas. O objetivo desse trabalho foi realizar análises físico-químicas, determinar o teor de fenólicos e flavonoides totais e a atividade antioxidante de 10 méis de meliponíneos (8 de Scaptotrigona sp. e 2 de Tetragonisca angustula) e compará-los a 10 méis de laranja (Apis mellifera). Verificou-se que os méis de A. mellifera apresentaram menor teor de fenólicos totais em comparação aos méis de meliponíneos, enquanto o teor em flavonoides foi levemente superior para os méis de abelha africanizada. Os méis de meliponíneos apresentaram os melhores resultados para atividade antioxidante in vitro. Os resultados de teor de proteína, cor, acidez livre e umidade, quando investigados através da análise multivariada (PCA e Cluster), permitiu a discriminar entre as diferentes espécies de abelhas.Palavras-Chave: análises físico-químicas; atividade antioxidante; abelhas sem ferrão.ABSTRACT -Honeys from stingless bees have several characteristics that set them apart from the honey from Apis mellifera. Native bee honey composition is not very well known, but the analysis of their physicochemical properties has been associated with the African honey bees. In this study, we carried out physicochemical analysis, determination of phenolics and total flavonoids, and antioxidant activities of 10 mellipone honeys (8 from Scaptotrigona sp. and 2 from Tetragonisca angustula) and 10 orange honeys (Apis mellifera) in order to compare honeys from different bee species and different regions. Honeys from A. mellifera had lower total phenolic content compared to the honey of stingless bees, while the flavonoid content was slightly higher for the africanized honey bee. Honey of stingless bees showed better results for antioxidant activity in vitro. Results for protein content, color, free acidity and moisture, when investigated through multivariate analysis (PCA and Cluster), allowed to discriminate between the different bee species.

Application of multivariate statistical on quality of amazon honey from Apis sp. vs Melipona sp

“…The values ranged from 27.01 to 53.16 mg GAE.100 g -1 per 100 grams of honey, with a mean of 38.48. In literature, when determining the munber of phenolic compounds for Apis mellifera bees found values from 43.34 to 75.47 and for stingless bees found values between 61.28 and 105.59 mg GAE.100 g -1 honey [37]. The current legislation does not establish limits for the content of phenolic compounds present in the honey, however, found values in the current literature present on average of 100 mg GAE per 100 grams of honey Comparative data of literature show that when studying several samples of honey produced in the state of Roraima the concentrations ranged from 25 to 50.9 mgGAE.100 g -1 of honey [20].…”