Determination of Bioactive Compounds in Italian Honeydew Honeys

Honey is a natural sweetener produced by bees (Apis mellifera) from the nectar of flowers of blossoming plants (blossom honey) or from the secretions of plants or the excretions on plants of plant-sucking insects mostly from the family Aphididae (honeydew honey). Characterized by dark colour and by a slightly bitter taste, honeydew honeys show antibacterial and antioxidant properties and values of several physicochemical variables higher than in blossom honeys. Recently, interest in this rare type of honey has increased due to its peculiar sensorial attributes and therapeutic properties. Research reveals that the medicinal properties of honey are related to the high presence of polyphenols, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, to promote its wide application in the prevention and treatment of many diseases, as well as its use in cosmetology. The aim of this chapter is to determine the antioxidant capacity and phenolic compound content by spectrophotometric assays and the profile of 15 polyphenols by an optimized High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array Detector (HPLC/DAD) method in commercial samples of Italian honeydew honey. Quality physicochemical parameters were also examined to evaluate the overall quality of the samples and the correspondence to legal requirements.