Comparative Assessment on Selected Physicochemical Parameters and Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Honey Samples from Selected Districts of the Amhara and Tigray Regions, Ethiopia

Abstract

The composition and properties of natural honeys differ with plant species on which the bees forage and the climatic conditions of the production areas. In Ethiopia, Amhara and Tigray are neighboring regions consisting of different agricultural activities and blossoms from different types of vegetations which may influence the natural composition and hence the properties of honey. So, the aim of the current study was to assess the quality of honey from selected districts of the two regions. In the study, 18 composited honey samples were collected from six selected districts and analyzed for selected physicochemical parameters and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The analyses of physicochemical parameters were carried out following standard procedures of IHC and QSAE. The antioxidant activity was determined by analyzing the RSA using DPPH while the antibacterial activities were determined by the agar well diffusion method. The moisture, ash content, electrical conductivity, pH, free acidity, reducing sugar, and sucrose content of the honey samples were found to be in the range 16.34 ± 0.26 to 19.83 ± 0.43 %, 0.08 ± 0.00 to 0.45 ± 0.03 %, 0.19 ± 0.00 to 0.89 ± 0.03 mS/cm, 3.79 ± 0.04 to 4.20 ± 0.01, 19.56 ± 1.13 to 38.11 ± 1.54 meq/kg, 62.10 ± 0.48 to 66.37 ± 0.20 %, and 1.35 ± 0.08 to 5.96 ± 0.10 %, respectively. The total phenolic content ranged from 1165.60 ± 23.45 to 1854.83 ± 10.47 mg/kg with antioxidant activity of 21.64 ± 0.26 to 36.12 ± 0.52 AEAC/100 g. The total phenolic contents showed strong correlation with RSA. Furthermore, all honey samples showed an antibacterial activity varying from 23.23 ± 0.12 to 28.84 ± 0.24 mm.

Quality Evaluation of Light- and Dark-Colored Hungarian Honeys, Focusing on Botanical Origin, Antioxidant Capacity and Mineral Content

“…Several researchers indicated that the color of honey is a reliable index of antioxidant activity and this sensory parameter is dependent on chemicals such as polyphenols and mineral content [ 18 , 19 , 46 ].…”

“…The correlation between honey color and antioxidant activity has also been proved [ 8 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. To a lesser extent, environmental and climatic conditions, harvesting treatment and storage can also influence the antioxidant activity of honey [ 18 ].…”

Characterization of Serbian sunflower honeys by their physicochemical characteristics

“…Average ash mass fraction value was 0.13 ± 0.07%. High linear correlation between EC and ash mass fraction was found by many authors (Accorti, Piazza & Persano-Oddo, 1987;Thrasyvoulou, & Manikis, 1995;Kropf, Jamnik, Bertoncelj & Golob, 2008;El Sohaimy, Masry,& Shehata, 2015;Lewoyehu & Amare, 2019).…”

Summer Gifts from the Hive: Botanical Origin, Antioxidant Capacity, and Mineral Content of Hungarian Honeys

“…The close relationship between the color and antioxidant activity of honey has been confirmed by several research groups [13,[22][23][24]. Other factors that can have an impact on the antioxidant capacity of honey include environmental and climatic conditions, harvesting treatment, and storage [25]. Floral origin of honey was found to play a decisive role in its biological activities, regarding both antioxidant and antibacterial properties [4,15].…”