Rainy and Dry Seasons Are Relevant Factors Affecting Chemical and Antioxidant Properties of Meliponini Honey
Brazilian stingless bee species produce honey with distinct physicochemical and bioactive properties shaped by environmental factors. This study investigated the effects of the rainy and dry seasons on the physicochemical characteristics, chemical fingerprinting, mineral content, and antioxidant cap...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| author | Flavia C. Lavinas Brendo A. Gomes Marcos V. T. Silva Raissa Lima Suzana G. Leitão Mirian R. L. Moura Rosineide C. Simas Renata F. Barbosa Fabricio O. Silva Carla S. Carneiro Igor A. Rodrigues |
| author_facet | Flavia C. Lavinas Brendo A. Gomes Marcos V. T. Silva Raissa Lima Suzana G. Leitão Mirian R. L. Moura Rosineide C. Simas Renata F. Barbosa Fabricio O. Silva Carla S. Carneiro Igor A. Rodrigues |
| author_sort | Flavia C. Lavinas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Brazilian stingless bee species produce honey with distinct physicochemical and bioactive properties shaped by environmental factors. This study investigated the effects of the rainy and dry seasons on the physicochemical characteristics, chemical fingerprinting, mineral content, and antioxidant capacity of honey from <i>Melipona mondury</i> and <i>Melipona bicolor</i>. The honey samples were analyzed for their phytochemical properties (official methods), total phenolics (Folin–Ciocalteu method), flavonoid content (aluminum complex formation method), antioxidant capacity (FRAP and ABTS assays), and antioxidant activity (erythrocyte model). The mineral content was assessed via TXRF spectroscopy, and chemical fingerprinting was conducted using mass spectrometry. Chemometric tools were used for the samples’ discriminating analyses, including Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares–Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA). Seasonal variations significantly affected the moisture, total soluble solids, and acidity. In turn, the antioxidant capacity was influenced mainly by the bee species. The mineral composition, particularly potassium, phosphorus, and calcium, remained stable. Multivariate analysis identified <i>m</i>/<i>z</i> ions (VIP scores > 2.5), rather than physicochemical or antioxidant capacity parameters, as critical for seasonal discrimination. The antioxidant activity, assessed by oxidative hemolysis prevention, was robust across the seasons, with <i>M. mondury</i> honey (2 mg·mL<sup>−1</sup>) from the rainy season outperforming ascorbic acid. These findings underscore the impact of the rainy and dry seasons and the potential of secondary metabolite fingerprinting to identify collection periods. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-537e565f29e240a9a15a37dda0c1f38c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj-art-537e565f29e240a9a15a37dda0c1f38c2025-01-24T13:33:12ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582025-01-0114230510.3390/foods14020305Rainy and Dry Seasons Are Relevant Factors Affecting Chemical and Antioxidant Properties of Meliponini HoneyFlavia C. Lavinas0Brendo A. Gomes1Marcos V. T. Silva2Raissa Lima3Suzana G. Leitão4Mirian R. L. Moura5Rosineide C. Simas6Renata F. Barbosa7Fabricio O. Silva8Carla S. Carneiro9Igor A. Rodrigues10Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, BrazilPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, BrazilPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, BrazilPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, BrazilPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, BrazilDepartamento de Produtos Naturais e Alimentos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, BrazilEscola de Engenharia, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, São Paulo 01302-907, BrazilDepartamento Multidisciplinar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo 06120-042, BrazilDepartamento de Produtos Naturais e Alimentos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, BrazilDepartamento de Produtos Naturais e Alimentos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, BrazilPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, BrazilBrazilian stingless bee species produce honey with distinct physicochemical and bioactive properties shaped by environmental factors. This study investigated the effects of the rainy and dry seasons on the physicochemical characteristics, chemical fingerprinting, mineral content, and antioxidant capacity of honey from <i>Melipona mondury</i> and <i>Melipona bicolor</i>. The honey samples were analyzed for their phytochemical properties (official methods), total phenolics (Folin–Ciocalteu method), flavonoid content (aluminum complex formation method), antioxidant capacity (FRAP and ABTS assays), and antioxidant activity (erythrocyte model). The mineral content was assessed via TXRF spectroscopy, and chemical fingerprinting was conducted using mass spectrometry. Chemometric tools were used for the samples’ discriminating analyses, including Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares–Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA). Seasonal variations significantly affected the moisture, total soluble solids, and acidity. In turn, the antioxidant capacity was influenced mainly by the bee species. The mineral composition, particularly potassium, phosphorus, and calcium, remained stable. Multivariate analysis identified <i>m</i>/<i>z</i> ions (VIP scores > 2.5), rather than physicochemical or antioxidant capacity parameters, as critical for seasonal discrimination. The antioxidant activity, assessed by oxidative hemolysis prevention, was robust across the seasons, with <i>M. mondury</i> honey (2 mg·mL<sup>−1</sup>) from the rainy season outperforming ascorbic acid. These findings underscore the impact of the rainy and dry seasons and the potential of secondary metabolite fingerprinting to identify collection periods.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/2/305stingless bee honeyseasonalityhoney compositionhoney physicochemical propertiesantioxidant activitychemical profile |
| spellingShingle | Flavia C. Lavinas Brendo A. Gomes Marcos V. T. Silva Raissa Lima Suzana G. Leitão Mirian R. L. Moura Rosineide C. Simas Renata F. Barbosa Fabricio O. Silva Carla S. Carneiro Igor A. Rodrigues Rainy and Dry Seasons Are Relevant Factors Affecting Chemical and Antioxidant Properties of Meliponini Honey Foods stingless bee honey seasonality honey composition honey physicochemical properties antioxidant activity chemical profile |
| title | Rainy and Dry Seasons Are Relevant Factors Affecting Chemical and Antioxidant Properties of Meliponini Honey |
| title_full | Rainy and Dry Seasons Are Relevant Factors Affecting Chemical and Antioxidant Properties of Meliponini Honey |
| title_fullStr | Rainy and Dry Seasons Are Relevant Factors Affecting Chemical and Antioxidant Properties of Meliponini Honey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rainy and Dry Seasons Are Relevant Factors Affecting Chemical and Antioxidant Properties of Meliponini Honey |
| title_short | Rainy and Dry Seasons Are Relevant Factors Affecting Chemical and Antioxidant Properties of Meliponini Honey |
| title_sort | rainy and dry seasons are relevant factors affecting chemical and antioxidant properties of meliponini honey |
| topic | stingless bee honey seasonality honey composition honey physicochemical properties antioxidant activity chemical profile |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/2/305 |
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