Investigation of phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties in honey, pollen and propolis according to regional and Apis mellifera genotypes.

Objective: Honey, bee pollen and propolis are natural apicultural products whose chemical composition and biological activities are influenced by the floral characteristics of the regions in which they are produced. In this study, the phenolic profiles and antioxidant properties of honey, pollen and propolis samples collected from two distinct altitudinal zones (Yamadağ and Battalgazi) and derived from two different bee genotypes (Apis mellifera caucasica and Apis mellifera carnica) were systematically compared.

Methods: The phenolic content of the ethanol extracts was quantified in terms of total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). The phenolic composition was identified using HPLC-PDA (high-performance liquid chromatography - photodiode array detector), calibrated with 26 phenolic standards. The antioxidant activity was assessed using the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay and diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity.

Results: The findings of this study demonstrate that both regional flora and bee genotype significantly affect the phenolic composition and antioxidant capacities of these bee products. Specifically, A. m. carnica was found to be more influential for pollen production, while A. m. caucasica exhibited greater significance in propolis. Furthermore, the results highlighted that, in terms of phenolic content and antioxidant potential, propolis exhibited approximately 300 times the richness of honey and 20 times the richness of pollen.

Conclusion: Thus, the phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of bee products vary depending on factors such as regional flora, bee genotype and geographical location.