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Traditional honey food product abbamele - chemical characterisation and antioxidant activities

Sardinian abbamele is a typical product originally obtained from the recuperation of honey from the combs, but without information about its useful properties as well as used honey types in the production. On the other hand, a honey in general is an excellent nutritional food with health benefits. It has been used for the treatment of flu and common cold, healing of wounds and burns, as anti-microbial agent as well as the source of natural antioxidants. Therefore, five abbamele samples were obtained. The long thermal treatment applied in abbamele production caused very high (1007.0 - 4405.8 mg/kg) HMF content (HPLC-DAD), while glucose and fructose amounts were quite similar to the honey ones (HPLC-RI). Thermally derived furan derivatives and terpenes were abundant among the headspace volatiles (HS-SPME), particularly limonene (0.5 - 76.0%) that probably originated from citrus rinds addition during abbamele production. GC and GC-MS analyses of ultrasonic solvent extracts revealed HMF predominance as well as the compounds originated from the honey (if/when existing) such as methyl syringate (up to 49.2%), marker of Asphodelus microcarpushoney previously determined by HPLC-DAD (chemical traceability of A. microcarpus honey is of great importance since melissopalynology does not allow the unambiguous determination of its botanical origin). However, it was necessary to confirm its predominance in volatile compounds of Asphodelus honeys. Therefore, GC and GC-MS analyses were performed on Asphodel honey ultrasonic extracts (USE). Methyl syringate was the major compound ranging from 50.8 to 87.0%. High isophorone percentage (up to 30.9%) determined by HS-SPME followed by minor percentage of 4-ketoisophorone and norisoprenoides in one abbamelesample indicated Arbutus unedo L. honey use in the production. HPLC-DAD analysis confirmed the presence of specific honey markers: two samples showed high methyl syringate concentrations (150.4 - 120.1 mg/kg) while homogentisic acid and other specific markers of A. unedo honey were found in one sample. The compared GC-MS and HPLC-DAD data proved to be useful to obtain information about the use of specific honeys in abbamele production and to verify citrus addition. Total antioxidant activity (FRAP assay) of the samples ranged between 13.3 and 71.2 mmol Fe2+/kg, while antiradical activity (DPPH assay) ranged between 3.8 and 23.3 mmol TEAC/kg. Antioxidant values were linearly correlated with total phenols amount (1297.8 - 4469.5 GAE mg/kg) determined by Folin-Ciocalteau method. However, because of the strong correlation between total polyphenols content and abbamele antioxidant activity, the total phenol amount is an interesting aspect, even affected from the contribution of Maillard reaction products (antioxidant activity of the honey is greatly influenced by its botanical origin as well as heat treatment). Such high antioxidant values indicate a good potential in the scope of food pharmacy in comparison to the honey. Particularly, Asphodelushoney showed average antiradical activity value of 0.7 mmol of TEAC/kg, whereas the antioxidant activity ranged between 3.0 and 5.7 mmol of Fe2+/kg.

abbamele ; chemical characterisation ; antioxidant activities

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