The Physicochemical Properties of Stingless Bee Honey A Review

Honey is a saturated sugary solution derived from the nectar of flowers collected by worker bees. The main constituents of honey are water, sugars, proteins, minerals, and organic acids. Malaysia has a wide distribution of stingless bees, especially the Heterotrigona itama species. The composition of stingless bee honey is greatly dependent on its geographical origins and the flora sources. This leads to huge variations in stingless bee honey obtained from different regions. In Malaysia, stingless bee honey is being sold as a health-promoting product, although its composition and therapeutic effects have never been studied in detail. Thus, the need to study the properties of stingless bee honey is apparent. A brief review of the physicochemical properties of stingless bee honey is presented here. The main parameters reviewed are moisture, pH, hydroxymethylfurfural, ash, electrical conductivity, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, and total flavonoid content.