Honey’s Antioxidant Activity Correlates with Concentration of Phenolics, Color

Antioxidant and Radical-Scavenging Activities of Slovak Honeys – An Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Study
Food Chemistry, Volume 110, Issue 2, 15 September 2008, Pages 512-521

Abstract: The antioxidant properties of 15 honey samples from different floral sources and various Slovak regions were investigated by means of electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Cation radical of ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) diammonium salt), DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and hydroxyl radicals generated by the photochemical decomposition of hydrogen peroxide were used as oxidants.

The antioxidant activities found with ABTS+, expressed as trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), ranged from 0.15 to 1.14 mmol kg−1, and those determined with DPPH, from 0.04 to 0.32 mmol kg−1.

TEAC values correlated well with results found by elimination of DPPH, and both values revealed a linear relationship with the concentration of phenolics obtained with the Folin–Ciocalteu phenol test (expressed as gallic acid equivalents, GAE).

The colour coordinates (CIE L*a*b*), as well as reflectance spectra determined for original honeys using a white background, demonstrated that the colour difference (ΔE*) and coordinate b* interrelate with TEAC values…