Chemometric evaluation of antioxidant activity and α-amylase inhibition of selected monofloral honeys from Algeria

Abstract

This study was conducted on 34 honey samples produced in Algeria from different botanical and geographical origins. The main objective was to compare some biological properties like the antioxidant capacity and the α-amylase inhibition of different honey types and their relationship with physicochemical properties. The botanical origin of the samples was confirmed by pollen analysis. The samples were collected directly from beekeepers during the 2018 and 2019 harvest seasons and were analyzed for physicochemical parameters, color, total phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant capacities (DPPH, ABTS .+), and α-amylase inhibition as a preliminary study in order to estimate the antidiabetic activity. Some of the most marketed honey types as polyfloral or Eucalyptus honey were included, but highlights the information obtained for poorly studied honey types as Lenj honey (Arbutus), Mimouza honey (Acacia), Retem honey (Retama sphaerocarpa), El Kebbar honey (Capparis), or unknown honey types as those from El Sorr (Atractytlis serratuloides), El Harra (Eruca sativa) and El Merkh (Genista saharae). According to the results, the darker samples were those of Retama, Eucalyptus, Acacia, Arbutus, and polyfloral honey types and had higher electrical conductivity, higher phenolic, and flavonoid content together with an important antioxidant activity compared to Genista, Atractylis, and Eruca honey types. Arbutus honey had the highest α-amylase inhibition but Eruca sativa and Retama samples can be distinguished also by this property.

Keywords:

• Honey
• multivariate analysis
• antioxidant activity
• α-amylase inhibition
• botanical origin

Acknowledgments

Our warm thanks are addressed first to some beekeepers for their generosity and contribution to the honey supply for this study, to the staff of the Biotechnology Research Center (CRBt) in Constantine, Algeria. Special thanks to the Ministry of Higher Education for the scholarship provided by the National Exceptional Program to Rifka Nakib to finalize the work at the Spanish laboratory.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.