Honey of Tetragonisca angustula from Southwestern Bahia: Influence of Seasonality on the Physicochemical Profile and Glioma Cell Inhibitory Effect

Abstract

This study aims to analyze Tetragonisca angustula honey from southwestern Bahia for its physicochemical characteristics, phenolic compounds and glioma cell inhibitory effect, in samples from different periods of the year, dry (DP) and rainy (RP) period. The analyses showed that samples obtained in the DP and RP are statistically different for the physicochemical profile (p < 0.05). DP honey has a darker color, greater acidity, content of reducing sugars and ash and lower moisture, when compared to RP. The content of total phenolics and flavonoids was determined spectrometrically, using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and reaction with aluminum chloride, respectively, and there was no statistical difference between the samples (p > 0.05). For the extraction of phenolic compounds, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction was used, besides analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV), which identified chlorogenic acid and quantified caffeic acid and rutin (1.7723 and 0.9384 μg 100 mg-1 honey, respectively). Glioma cell inhibition effect lines were observed for DP at concentrations 1000 ng mL-1 of honey. Principal component analysis (PCA) proposes the physicochemical parameters as the main distinguishing factors between the DP and RP samples. DP samples showed similarity for the parameters ash content, acidity and reducing sugars and the samples of the RP had consonance between pH and moisture.