Essential amino acids content and antioxidant activities of honey samples from different floral and climate origins

This article examined the concentration of the essential amino acids except leucine and isoleucine besides the antioxidant activities of honey samples from three floral origins (Acacia, Ziziphus and multifloral) and two climate regions (cold and hot). The explored antioxidant activities were the diphenyl picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and ascorbic acid equivalent antioxidant capacity (AEAC). The studied honey samples were rich in valine, threonine and phenylalanine irrespective of their floral or climate origins. The floral origin significantly affected the threonine concentration and the antioxidant activities of DPPH, FRAP and AEAC of the honey samples from the cold climate region while it significantly affected the concentration of arginine and tryptophan from the honey samples of the hot climate. The climate origins significantly affected the lysine (Multifloral), arginine (Ziziphus), tryptophan (Acacia) and FRAP (Ziziphus). Valine, Threonine and Phenylalanine may act as authentication markers of Saudi honey samples.