Stingless bee honey, a novel source of trehalulose: a biologically active disaccharide with health benefits. Springer Nature: Scientific Reports, 10: 12128. ISSN 0028-0836 (print) / 1476-4687 (online) (2020)
Abstract
Stingless bee (Meliponini) honey has long been considered a high-value functional food, but the perceived therapeutic value has lacked attribution to specifc bioactive components. Examination of honey from fve diferent stingless bee species across Neotropical and Indo-Australian regions has enabled for the frst time the identifcation of the unusual disaccharide trehalulose as a major component representing between 13 and 44 g per 100 g of each of these honeys. Trehalulose is an isomer of sucrose with an unusual α-(1→1) glucose-fructose glycosidic linkage and known acariogenic and low glycemic index properties. NMR and UPLC-MS/MS analysis unambiguously confrmed the identity of trehalulose isolated from stingless bee honeys sourced across three continents, from Tetragonula carbonaria and Tetragonula hockingsi species in Australia, from Geniotrigona thoracica and Heterotrigona itama in Malaysia and from Tetragonisca angustula in Brazil. The previously unrecognised abundance of trehalulose in stingless bee honeys is concrete evidence that supports some of the reported health attributes of this product. This is the frst identifcation of trehalulose as a major component within a food commodity. This study allows the exploration of the expanded use of stingless bee honey in foods and identifes a bioactive marker for authentication of this honey in associated food standards.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | Heterotrigona itama, Stingless bee, Kelulut honey |
| Taxonomy: | By Niche > Kelulut (Stingless Bee) > Ecology By Niche > Kelulut (Stingless Bee) > Products Therapeutic Use |
| Local Content Hub: | Niche > Kelulut (Stingless Bee) |
| Depositing User: | Rizana Mohd Radwan |
| Date Deposited: | 05 Jul 2024 01:40 |
| Last Modified: | 05 Jul 2024 01:40 |
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