Nutritional Composition, Volatile Profiles, and Biological Evaluation of Honeys from Melipona interrupta and Melipona seminigra from Amazonas State, Brazil

TL;DR

This study examines the nutritional and chemical properties of honey from two Amazonian stingless bee species, highlighting their antioxidant and antibacterial potential.

Contribution

The study provides a detailed characterization of Melipona honey from the Amazon, including volatile profiles and biological activities.

Findings

Volatile compounds in Melipona interrupta and Melipona seminigra honey were identified using GC-MS.

The honey samples showed moderate antioxidant activity and slight antibacterial activity against two bacterial strains.

Chemical composition differences were observed, influenced by the local flora in the Amazon region.

Abstract

Honey is a natural product produced by bees from the nectar of plants and has been widely used as a sweetener for centuries. In addition to its traditional use, it is also employed for other purposes due to its biological and nutraceutical properties. Although honey production is mostly associated with bees of the genus Apis, species from other genera, such as Melipona, also produce it, albeit on a smaller scale. The honey produced by these two genera shows significant differences in its composition. Moreover, distinct geographical localizations, which, consequently, have different flora, guide the chemical compositions of these samples. Regarding the Amazon region, the amount of knowledge about the honey samples from Melipona species is still scarce. In this context, the present study aimed to characterize the volatile compositions of honey from Melipona interrupta and Melipona seminigra, as well as from the floral sources available, in addition to evaluating their nutritional aspects, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial activity. The analysis of chemical composition was performed using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH and ABTS assays, while antimicrobial activity was tested against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella enterica, Serratia marcescens, Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, and Candida parapsilosis. The results allowed the identification of volatiles present in the honey and floral sources. The samples displayed moderate antioxidant activity and slightly antibacterial activity (MIC) of 75 μg/mL against two bacterial strains tested, demonstrating potential antimicrobial activity.

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