Evaluation of The Phenolic Content of Multifloral Honey From Şanlıurfa, Türkiye

Honey is a sweet, natural product made by honeybees when they break flower nectar into smaller molecules using enzymes. It contains a variety of beneficial compounds, such as amino acids, saccharides, vitamins, minerals, and phenolic substances, which contribute to its health-promoting properties. The aim of this study was to determine the types and concentrations of phenolic compounds present in multifloral honey samples obtained from Şanlıurfa, Türkiye. A total of 25 phenolic compound contents of ten honey samples were analyzed using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Of these, alizarin, luteolin, kaempferol, myricetin, 2-hydroxy-1.4-naphthoquinone, protocatechuic acid and thymoquinone were not detected in any of the samples. Hydroxycinnamic acid (1552.1 ± 1556.3 ng g-1) and vanillic acid (522.1 ± 238.3 ng g-1) were identified as the most abundant phenolic compounds. Conversely, acetohydroxamic acid (3.59 ± 0.101 ng g-1) was present in the lowest quantity. Correlation analysis of phenolic compounds revealed a strong positive correlation (rho = 0.988) between curcumin and hydroxybenzoic acid. The results of this study provide valuable data on the phenolic composition of Şanlıurfa multifloral honey and contribute to our understanding of its potential nutritional and therapeutic significance.