Correlation of Total Polyphenol and Flavonoid Content With Antioxidant Activity of Caucasian Bee Honey

Honey is a natural product gathered by honeybees from the pollen and nectar of various plants and flowers. The homeland of the Caucasian honey bee, which draws attention with its honey production and is one of the most productive bee races known in the world, is Northeastern Anatolia in Türkiye. This study aims to determine and correlate the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of 54 honey samples obtained from the most important gene centers of the Caucasian bee in Türkiye. Total polyphenol and flavonoid contents and ferric reducing antioxidant power of aqueous honey extracts were in the range of 9.95-66.34 mg GA/100 g, 0.76-14.24 mg Q/100 g, 63.00-150.00 mg T/100 g, respectively. All analysis methods of Caucasian bee honey samples showed statistically significant differences according to location. The variation in phenolic content and antioxidant activities in Caucasian bee honey is attributed to the region's specific geographical location and vegetation. Furthermore, a robust and significant correlation was identified between the antioxidant activity of the honey samples and the total levels of polyphenols and flavonoids. Thanks to these features, Caucasian bee honey can be an important nutritional and commercial product.