Open AccessThe Antioxidant Activity of C hilean Honey and Bee Pollen Produced in the L laima V olcano's Zones
Author(s) -
Mejías Enrique,
Montenegro Gloria
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of food quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.568
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1745-4557
pISSN - 0146-9428
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-4557.2012.00460.x
Subject(s) - beehive , bee pollen , pollen , antioxidant , food science , chemistry , botany , honey bee , biology , horticulture , biochemistry
Abstract C hile produces a variety of bee products with different botanical origins and several biological characteristics inherited from specific floral sources. Plants and beehives in areas polluted with metals may increase the levels of these elements in beehive products. Thus, it is expected that products that are produced in such places have higher metal content. Furthermore, all of these honey and bee pollen samples have modified biological properties, but their antioxidant activities are determined by their botanical origin and metal content. The honey and bee pollen samples were produced near the L laima V olcano ( S outh of C hile) and studied to determine metal contents as well as their antioxidant activities. In honey, the highest values for C u, M n and F e were 0.851, 1.043 and 1.82 μg/g, respectively. In bee pollen samples, the higher metal content was for F e, with a 194.0 μg/g maximum value. Furthermore, in those samples, P b (0.17–0.28 μg/g), C d (0.03–0.05 μg/g) and C r (0.37–0.47 μg/g) were detected. The total phenolic content ranged from 1,000.0 to 1,255.4 mg/kg in honey and from 347.7 to 1,286.5 mg/kg in bee pollen. The selected beehive products herein had higher metal content as well as lower phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Practical Applications By determining the metal contents in bee products produced in a potentially polluted zone, it is possible to have a good monitoring of the real impact of natural pollution such as volcano's eruptions. In the same way, these preliminary results allow one to open an alternative option to estimate the impact on the environment of the contaminant activities of humans by using those natural bioindicators, which production occurs in zone exposed to metals. Also, the modification of biological properties of these products can be useful for determining alterations in food compositions of natural products with undesirable presence of toxic elements.