Quality of Brazilian stingless bee honeys: Cephalotrigona capitata/ mombuca?o and Melipona scutellaris Latrelle/uru?u

Honeys produced by stingless bees Cephalotrigona capitata and Scutellaris Latrelle in the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest biomes were characterized in terms of chemical composition, antioxidant activity and phenolic, volatile and sensory profile. 'Mombuca similar to o' honey showed higher water activity, acidity, % sucrose and % organic acids, while 'urucu' honey showed the highest % fructose and glucose. Nineteen phenolic compounds and flavonoids were quantified, with emphasis on epicatechin gallate, myricetin, quercetin and procyanidin A2. 'Mombuca similar to o' honey stood out with the highest to antioxidant activity. A total of 133 volatile compounds were identified in honeys, with emphasis on terpenes (41) and esters (26). 'Mombuca similar to o' honey presented a differentiated sensory profile and was characterized by the prevalence of acid and citrus aroma and flavor, while 'urucu' honey pre-sented a more characteristic sweet and woody aroma and flavor. The variability in the composition of honeys probably resulted from bee species, floral species and geographic origins.

Automated summary

This study characterized the honeys produced by stingless bees Cephalotrigona capitata and Scutellaris Latrelle in the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest biomes in terms of their chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and phenolic, volatile, and sensory profile. The honey labeled as "Mombuca similar to o" showed higher water activity, acidity, sucrose content, and organic acids content, while the honey labeled as "urucu" showed the highest fructose and glucose content. Various phenolic compounds and flavonoids were quantified, with significant amounts of epicatechin gallate, myricetin, quercetin, and procyanidin A2. The honey labeled as "Mombuca similar to o" exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. 133 volatile compounds were identified in the honeys, with terpenes and esters being the most abundant. The honey labeled as "Mombuca similar to o" had a distinct sensory profile characterized by an acid and citrus aroma and flavor, while the honey labeled as "urucu" had a more typical sweet and woody aroma and flavor. The variation in honey composition was attributed to bee species, floral species, and geographic origins.