Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Anti-Diabetic Activities of Stingless Bee Honey from Selected Areas in Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

Stingless bee honey is one of the Malaysian honeys that has many benefits especially medically, due to the presence of enormous active phytochemical compounds. The active compounds in the honey vary depending on its geographical origin, especially the environmental conditions of the plant nectar. This study aims to analyze and compare the antioxidant, antibacterial and antidiabetic activities of stingless bee honey from different areas in Malaysia. The sample stingless bees' honeys were obtained from Kulim, Kedah (honey sample 1), Tanjung Malim, Perak (honey sample 2) and Kuala Selangor, Selangor (honey sample 3). The methods used for the analysis were DPPH free radical scavenging, Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion assay and alpha-amylase inhibition assay for the respective activities. An analysis of gallic acid content of the stingless bee's honeys were also performed using high-performance-liquid-chromatography (HPLC). Tukey's multiple comparison test was used for statistical analysis. The results indicated that honey sample 2 exhibited the highest antioxidant activity with IC50 values of 89.04 ± 0.83 mg/mL, whilst honey sample 3 showed the highest inhibition capability on both E. coli and S. aureus at 16.33 ± 3.06 mm and 22.67 ± 0.58 mm respectively as compared to the other honey samples. Honey sample 3 also showed the highest inhibition against alpha amylase with an IC50 value of at 15.80 ug/mL. The gallic acid content of honey sample 3 also the highest at 39.79 ug/mL. As a conclusion, honey sample 3 originated from Kuala Selangor, Selangor has better antibacterial and anti-alpha amylase activities. Meanwhile, honey sample 2 originated from Tanjung Malim, Perak has better antioxidant properties.