Antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of Indo-Malayan stingless bee (Heterotrigona itama) honey from different seasons and distribution of flowers

The quality of honey produced by stingless bees can be affected by a variety of factors.Different seasons may have an influence on stingless bee behaviour while different flowersources may affect the properties of stingless bee honey. Thus, this study aimed todetermine the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of stingless bee honey fromdifferent multifloral sources collected during dry and rainy seasons. Honey was collectedfrom hives placed in two different areas with multifloral (area A and B). The differencebetween these areas was area A only planted with two types of flowers (with stevia) andarea B with more than two flowers. Pollen in the honey samples was identified to confirmthe seasonal variations. The antioxidative potential of the honey samples was determinedusing total phenolic content (TPC), DPPH and FRAP assays and total carotenoid content(TCC). Antimicrobial properties were analysed using well diffusion method (mm) againstthe foodborne pathogens Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeriamonocytogenes and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. The results revealed thathoney harvested during the dry season showed higher antioxidant properties compared tothose harvested in the rainy season. The highest antioxidant activities were measured inhoney samples taken from area B. Nevertheless, honey harvested in both seasons showedantimicrobial properties against all tested food pathogens, with the dry season samplesshowing the highest inhibition. Surprisingly, only honey from area A present showed noantimicrobial effect against E. coli. This study showed that the antioxidant andantimicrobial properties of multifloral stingless bee honey are strongly affected byseasonal differences and the distribution of the flowering plant