Influence of the Botanical Origin of Honey from North Western Spain in Some Antioxidant Components

Honeys were studied in order to know the relationships between their botanical origin, the total content of phenols and flavonoids, and the 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. The principal floral resources for honeybees in the studied area were Castanea sativa, Rubus, Eucalyptus, Erica, and Cytisus.

Results showed the influence of Erica and Castanea in the phenol content, flavonoids content, and the antioxidant activity of honeys. The presence of Erica in honeys was related to the highest phenol content; so heather honeys had a mean content of 178.9 mg/100g. Honeys with high Castanea pollen content had the highest value of flavonoids (7.7 mg/100g) and a minor value of half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) (9.4 mg/ml). Eucalyptus and blackberry were the honeys with minor contents of these compounds. A stepwise linear regression was used to estimate the phenol content of honeys. The contribution of Erica and Castanea was highlighted in the obtained model (R² = 0.61), with significant p-value (< 0.01).