Enhancing the Bioactive Profile of Lemon-Based Beverages through Varietal Honey Supplementation: A Multi-Assay Antioxidant Evaluation

This study aimed to compare the antioxidant activity of lemon-based beverages formulated with three different types of honey Calliandra, Acacia, and Kelulut using three complementary antioxidant assays: CUPRAC, FRAP, and DPPH. Lemon juice alone served as the control (F0), while the test formulations included F1 (lemon + Calliandra honey), F2 (lemon + Acacia honeydew honey), and F3 (lemon + Kelulut honey). Results showed that F2 exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity in both CUPRAC and FRAP assays, suggesting strong electron-donating capacity under physiological and acidic conditions. Conversely, F1 showed superior scavenging activity in the DPPH assay, indicating higher performance in lipophilic systems. These findings provide in vitro evidence that antioxidant-rich formulations, particularly those containing Acacia honeydew honey, may have potential implications for managing oxidative stress-related conditions such as hypertension. Further in vivo and clinical studies are needed to validate their effects on blood pressure and oxidative stress biomarkers, including ADMA, SDMA, and F2-isoprostanes.