title: An investigation of Turkish honeys: their physico-chemical properties, antioxidant capacities and phenolic profiles.
abstract: This study investigated some physico-chemical and biochemical characteristics of different honey types belonging to Turkish flora. Sixty-two honey samples were examined on the basis of pollen analyses, including 11 unifloral honeys (chestnut, heather, chaste tree, rhododendron, common eryngo, lavender, Jerusalem tea, astragalus, clover and acacia), two different honeydew honeys (lime and oak), and 7 different multifloral honeys. Electrical conductivity, moisture, Hunter color values, HMF, proline, diastase number, and sugar analyses of the honey samples were assessed for chemical characterization. Some phenolic components were analyzed by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) to determine honeys' phenolic profiles. Total phenolic compounds, total flavonoids, ferric reducing antioxidant capacity (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity were measured as antioxidant determinants. The study results confirm that physico-chemical and biological characteristics of honeys are closely related to their floral sources, and that dark-colored honeys such as oak, chestnut and heather, have a high therapeutic potential.
authors.affiliation: Giresun University, Şebinkarahisar Technical Sciences Vocational School, Giresun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zehra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Can
authors.affiliation: Maçka Vocational School, Karadeniz Technical University, Maçka 61750, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Oktay
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yildiz
authors.affiliation: Giresun University, Espiye Vocational School, Espiye 28600, Giresun, Turkey. Electronic address: huseyin.sahin@giresun.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Art, R.T.E. University, 53100 Rize, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akyuz Turumtay
authors.affiliation: Erciyes University, Agriculture Faculty, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sibel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Silici
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Karadeniz Technical University, 61080 Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevgi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kolayli
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000737:chemistry; D006722:Honey / Q000032:analysis*; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis*; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005419:Flavonoids; D010636:Phenols
keywords: Antioxidant; Apitherapy; Honey; Honeydew; Phenolics; Turkey; Unifloral