Profile of phenolic compounds, melissopalynological, physicochemical analysis and antioxidant activity
of Melipona subnitida honeys from Brazil are presented. The constituents in the EtOAc fraction were
identified by HPLC-DAD. The melissopalynological analysis showed 19 pollen types from 9 families.
Mimosa caesalpiniifolia was the predominant pollen type in 8 of the 9 honey samples. The
physicochemical analysis revealed that the samples showed a similar profile. All jandaı´ra honey
samples had similar characteristic profile of phenolic compounds, strong antioxidant activity
accompanied by high total polyphenol contents. The flavonoids naringenin, quercetin, and isorhamnetin
along with gallic, vanillic, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic, and cumaric acids are common to eight samples and
were adequately quantified. The two isomers of abscisic acid (trans–trans and cis–trans) present in major
quantity in the sample 9 were isolated and quantified in all samples. The antioxidant activity of the
honey samples strongly correlated with their phenolic content.