Determination of phenolic compounds profile in chestnut and floral honeys and their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities

Thirty chestnut and twenty‐six of floral honeys were collected from different regions of Turkey. The amounts of phenolic compounds in honeys were determined by high performance liquid chromatography‐diode array detection. The antioxidant capacities were determined by ABTS and CHROMAC methods. The total phenolic content of honeys were determined by spectrophotometric method using the Folin‐Ciocalteu reagent. Caffeic, protocatechuic, and p ‐hydroxybenzoic acids are the major phenolic compounds with the contents of 44.52, 17.48, and 21.50 mg/kg, respectively in chestnut honeys. Chestnut honeys exhibited the higher antioxidant and better antimicrobial activities, and than the floral honeys. Floral honeys contain similar amounts of propolis flavonoids such as pinocembrin, chrysin, and galangin. The results show that these flavonoids can be used as chemical markers in honey samples. Practical applications Honey is an important natural product that contains major compounds including glucose and fructose and minor components such as amino acids, organic acids, enzymes, vitamins, proteins, phytochemical substances mainly flavonoids and other phenolic compounds. Plants are important sources of natural compounds that contain polyphenolic derivatives such as flavonoids and phenolic acids. These bioactive compounds can be transferred from plants to honey. Polyphenolic compounds were recognized as the major components responsible for health‐promoting properties of honey. This article evaluates the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities and phenolic compounds of chestnut and floral honeys. The chemical content and biological properties of honey have been studied extensively in many but there are a few studies in our knowledge about the determination of phenolic compounds in chestnut honey.