The Physicochemical Properties, Biochemical Makeup, and Health Benefits of Honey Produced From Stingless Bees (Apidae: <i>Meliponini</i> )

This review provides a comprehensive overview of stingless bee honey (SBH), focusing on its physicochemical properties, biochemical composition, and health benefits. SBH exhibits unique characteristics, including color, flavor, texture, and lower thermal stability, influenced by various botanical sources, stingless bee species, and diverse geographic and climatic conditions. These environmental factors, particularly floral diversity and climate, significantly affect SBH’s composition and functional properties, resulting in regional variations that impact its market value and health potential. The review details the composition ranges of SBH, which include moisture content (13.26%–41%), total acidity (12.59–270 meq/kg), reducing sugar (22.44%–78.95%), electrical conductivity (0.11–101.88 mS/cm), hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) (0.21–72 mg/kg), diastase activity (0.04–16.7 mg/kg), protein (0.12%–16.5%), ash (0.07%–33%), pH (2.9–4.8), sucrose (0.01%–5.06%), proline (27–771 mg/kg), total phenolic content (0.98–854.62 mg GAE/g), total flavonoid content (2.96–279.73 mg QE/g), DPPH antioxidant activity (1.98–97.24), FRAP (0.19–62.40 mmol Fe 2+ /100 g), and trehalulose (13%–57%). SBH is rich in bioactive compounds, such as phenolics, flavonoids, enzymes, and vitamins, which may provide various health benefits. This review emphasizes findings from in vitro and in vivo studies, highlighting SBH’s antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti‐inflammatory, and wound‐healing properties. While preliminary evidence suggests potential benefits for managing diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and gastrointestinal disorders, further research is needed to validate these claims. The lack of standardized quality requirements for SBH underscores the need for regulatory criteria to ensure product integrity in functional food markets. Establishing quality parameters and implementing a certification program for producers, alongside regular testing, will enhance product integrity and build consumer trust in the SBH market. Overall, SBH is presented as a promising yet under‐researched natural product, aiming to guide future studies and inform stakeholders in the food and health industries about its contributions to human health and wellness.