Physicochemical, bioactive, and safety properties of honey produced by stingless bees in the Colombian Amazon piedmont
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.vitae.v33n1a361981Keywords:
Lactic acid bacteria, Meliponiculture, Organic acids, Pot honey composition, Sustainable developmentAbstract
Background: In the Colombian Amazonian Piedmont, a highly biodiverse ecosystem, local communities practice meliponiculture using various species of stingless bees. The honeys produced are traditionally used as food and medicine, and in many cases, they can be empirically differentiated by origin, sensory properties, and therapeutic applications. However, the comprehensive characterization of these honeys remains too limited. Objective: The physicochemical and bioactive properties of honey produced by stingless bee species from the Colombian Amazonian Piedmont were investigated, as well as its chemical and microbiological safety and its behavior when subjected to heat treatments. Methods: Twenty-eight honey samples were taken from seven species of stingless bees. The following were determined: moisture, pH, total acidity, electrical conductivity, diastase activity, hydroxymethylfurfural, ash, minerals (Mg, Mn, K, Na, Zn), insoluble solids, reducing sugars, and color. In addition, antioxidant activity, total phenols, and organic acid profile were evaluated. Safety was assessed for heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Cd, Pb, As, and Hg) and microbiologically. Selected groups of samples were heat-treated to evaluate the effect on chemical and microbiological properties. Results: The honeys showed high variability within and between bee species. Apis mellifera honey presented higher moisture content (26.6 ± 3.01%), higher acidity (49.59 ± 15.68 meq/kg; pH 3.68 ± 0.27), higher insoluble solids content, and a similar total sugar content (62.85% ± 4.32%), but a lower reducing sugar content (50.77% ± 4.21%). The organic acid profile revealed a notable ascorbic acid content in all honeys (47.1–233.7 mg/100g), related to the observed antioxidant activity. Lactic acid was also found, consistent with the presence of lactic acid bacteria and their potential probiotic properties. No contamination with lead, arsenic, cadmium, or mercury was detected, and the absence of pathogenic microorganisms was confirmed. Heat treatments differentially affected lactic acid bacteria and ascorbic acid, and therefore the functional potential. Conclusion: This first comprehensive evaluation of the quality of stingless bee honey from the Colombian Amazonian Piedmont highlights its unique bioactive profile and safety, thus contributing to the sustainable development of the region.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Marta C Quicazán, Jonh Jairo Mueses-Cisneros, José Vicente Rueda-Almonacid, Catalina Gutiérrez-Chacón, Carlos Alberto Fuenmayor, Carlos Mario Zuluaga-Domínguez, Nicolás Ariza-Cruz, Golber Carvajal-Lavi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright Notice and Open Access Statement
The Journal Vitae works under the Open Access license, and the published manuscripts remain available for the public, both on the Journal's website and in databases, under the Creative Commons license, "Noncommercial Attribution" and "Share alike" systems, adopted in Colombia. Hence, when the authors agree to publish in the Journal Vitae, they will not have the right to economic retributions on publications and reproductions through different diffusion media. The documents are freely available to the internet public, permitting users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts and pass them as data to software. The only constraint on reproduction and distribution, should be to give authors control over the integrity of their work and the right to be appropriately acknowledged and cited.
Authors declare that:
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They are the intellectual property owners and are responsible for all the information stated in the article.
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This manuscript has not been submitted or published in other printed or digital media. They accept the responsibility for the judgments, opinions, and points of view expressed in the published article and, therefore, they exonerate Universidad de Antioquia and Journal Vitae from any process.
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They exempt Universidad de Antioquia and Journal Vitae from settling conflicts or disputes related to the authorship of the referred article.
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They accept the revision of the original manuscript by suitable personnel, and they bind themselves to perform the corrections appointed or suggested by the assessors.
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They transfer the rights of publication, reprinting, and distribution of the article from the moment of its approval, in print and digital format, without the right to economic rewards, and under the licensing conditions considered relevant by Journal Vitae.
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Conflict of interest: Authors are responsible for recognizing and disclosing any financial or other benefits that could be perceived to bias their work, acknowledging all financial support and any personal connections with potential sponsors. Examples of such conflicts include receiving research funds or honoraria, serving on advisory boards, stock ownership, or employment and consulting arrangements. Authors without such connections should clearly state that they have no financial support or personal relationships that could be perceived to bias their work. All conflicts of interest should be disclosed on the author's identification page of the manuscript.
