Physicochemical profiles of stingless bee (Apidae: Meliponini) honey from South East Asia (Thailand)

This study examines the physicochemical properties of stingless bee honey from SE Asia (Thailand). Twenty-eight stingless bee honey samples, from 11 stingless bee species, were examined. Results reveal an average color (67 +/- 19 mm Pfund), moisture (31 +/- 5.4 g/100 g), ash (0.531 +/- 0.632 g/100 g), electrical conductivity (1.1 +/- 0.780 ms/cm), pH of (3.6 +/- 0.198), total acidity (164 +/- 162 meq/kg), diastase activity (1.5 +/- 1.6 degrees Gothe) and hydroxymethylfurfural (8.7 +/- 12 mg/kg). The carbohydrate profile is: total sugar (51 21 g/100 g), fructose (17 +/- 9.7 g/100 g), glucose (14 +/- 8.6 g/100 g), maltose (41 +/- 15 g/100 g) and sucrose (1.2 +/- 2.7 g/100 g). These findings are not dissimilar to those reported for stingless bee honeys from the neo-tropics. When compared with the Apis mellifera standard, stingless bee honey is characterized as possessing higher moisture content, acidity, ash and HMF but a lower level of total sugars. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.