TOTAL PHENOLIC AND FLAVONOID CONTENT IN MACEDONIAN POLYFLORAL HONEY
Kristina TOMSKA, Emilija BATKOSKA, Stefani MATEVSKA, Vesna KARAPETKOVSKA-HRISTOVA, Mila ARAPCHESKA
Abstract
Honey is increasingly acknowledged not only as a natural sweetening agent but also as a functional food, owing to its antioxidant properties, primarily derived from its phenolic and flavonoid compounds. This study provides a comparative preliminary assessment of six honey samples collected between 2022 and 2024 from various regions of North Macedonia, directly sourced from local beekeepers. The total phenolic content (TPC) was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu method, while the total flavonoid content (TFC) was assessed through an aluminium chloride colorimetric assay. All analyses were conducted at the Faculty of Biotechnical Sciences, Bitola. The results demonstrated notable variability among samples. The meadow honey collected in 2024 exhibited the highest flavonoid concentration (257 ppm QE/100 g), whereas the lowest TFC was recorded in forest honey from the same year (3.7 ppm QE/100 g). Statistically significant differences were observed in TPC values among meadow honeys (p < 0.005) and in TFC values (p < 0.001). A moderate positive correlation between TPC and TFC (r = 0.73) further suggests a meaningful association between these two classes of bioactive compounds. These findings highlight the influence of botanical origin, harvest period, and regional factors on the bioactive composition of honey. The study supports the importance of continued characterization of Macedonian honey varieties, particularly in the context of their potential nutraceutical applications.
Pages: 134 - 139