title: Biological activities and some physicochemical properties of sunflower honeys collected from the Thrace region of Turkey.
abstract: Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. Its quality depends on a number of factors, such as floral type, pH, moisture, free acidity, diastase activity, invert sugar and sucrose. The aim of the study is to examine the qualities of 50 sunflower honey (Helianthus annuus L.) collected from the Thrace region of Turkey, in terms of melissopalynological analysis, important chemical parameters and antioxidant activities . The total phenolic content of the honey samples was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method with spectrophotometry. The 1,2-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) method was used to determine anti-radical activity and the phosphomolybdenum method was utilized for antioxidant activity. Correlations between the analysed parameters were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). The results obtained for physicochemical characteristics of sunflower honey indicate a good quality level, adequate processing, good maturity and freshness and that the sunflower honey samples studied proved to be good source of natural dietary antioxidants. This is the first report of the total phenolic content, antioxidant and antiradical activities of sunflower honeys collected from the Thrace region of Turkey.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sari
authors.forename: Nusret
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ayyildiz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis; D001516:Bees; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D005511:Food Handling; D063427:Food Quality; D006368:Helianthus; D006722:Honey / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008982:Molybdenum / Q000737:chemistry; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis; D010851:Picrates / Q000737:chemistry; D011786:Quality Control; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D017973:Tungsten Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D014421:Turkey; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; C029556:Folin's phenol reagent; D010636:Phenols; D010851:Picrates; D017973:Tungsten Compounds; D014867:Water; D008982:Molybdenum; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl