Cuban Monofloral Honey Shows High Antioxidant Activity

We need more studies on the advantages of monofloral honeys. This is precisely what was done for Manuka Honey and we now see its worldwide acceptance into main stream medical and veterinary usage...

Radical-Scavenging Activity, Protective Effect Against Lipid Peroxidation and Mineral Contents of Monofloral Cuban Honeys

Plant Foods Human Nutrition, 2012 Jan 3

Several monofloral Cuban honeys were analyzed to determine their free radical-scavenging activity and from this the total antioxidant content was estimated. The protective effect against lipid peroxidation in an in vitro model of rat liver homogenates was evaluated and, lastly, the mineral content of the honeys, which can be related to the maintenance of intracellular oxidative balance, was determined.

The scavenging capacities against hydroxyl and superoxide radicals were determined using the spin-trapping technique and the hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase assay, respectively. Lipid peroxidation was evaluated through the production of TBARS and hydroperoxides. All honeys tested showed potential antioxidant activity with Linen vine displaying the highest scavenging capacity towards the DPPH, hydroxyl and superoxide radicals, while the least efficient was Christmas vine honey. Honeys also inhibited, in a concentration-dependent mode, lipid peroxidation in rat liver homogenates, with Linen vine resulting the best while the least effective was Christmas vine honey.

The ability to scavenge free radicals and protect against lipid peroxidation may contribute to the ability of certain Cuban honeys to help in preventing/reducing some inflammatory diseases in which oxidative stress is involved. A total of eight minerals were identified and quantified as follows: cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, iron, manganese, lead, and zinc. Minerals found in higher concentrations were iron, zinc and manganese.

Propolis Exhibits Strong Free Radical Scavenging Activity

No matter where the bees live, they know to collect the good stuff, just as they do with nectar & pollen.

"Chemical Characterization of Iraqi Propolis Samples and Assessing their Antioxidant Potentials"
Food and Chemical Toxicology, 20-June, 2011 
authors: 
Ghassan M. Sulaiman, Khulood W. Al Sammarrae, Ali H. Ad’hiah, Massimo Zucchetti, Roberta Frapolli, Ezia Bello, Eugenio Erba, Maurizio D’Incalci, Renzo Bagnati

Propolis samples, collected from different geographical locations in Iraq (Baghdad, Dahuk, Mosul and Salah ad-Din), were analyzed and assessed for their anti-oxidant activity.

Concentrations of phenolic compounds (flavonoids, phenolic acids and their esters) in propolis were estimated using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray mass spectrometry. Thirty-eight different compounds were identified and thirty-three of them were polyphenols. Other compounds were tentatively identified as clerodane diterpenoids, and one was considered unknown.


Semi-quantitative measurements showed that phenolic acids and their esters were the predominant constituents in propolis extracts, followed by flavones and flavonols, and then flavanones and dihydroflavonols.


Propolis samples were further spectrophotometrically characterized using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent for the determination of total phenolic compounds. The free radical scavenging activities of propolis samples were also evaluated by using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay.


The results revealed that propolis extracts exhibited strong free radical scavenging activity."