Total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities of Korean domestic honey from different floral sources

Abstract

Total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities of 7 Korean domestic honey varieties and fractions from different floral sources were determined. Extracts of 7 varieties of honey were fractionated in the sequence of n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water. The ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) of all 7 honey varieties retained the majority of the antioxidant activity and the total phenolic content. The antioxidant activities of the EAF from Korean raisin honey were 52.74 and 24.44 mg of vitamin C equivalents/g of dry fraction based on ABTS and DPPH radicals, respectively. Total EAF phenolic contents of 7 honey varieties ranged from 5.27 to 29.17 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g of dry fraction. High correlation coefficients between total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities indicated that phenolic compounds were the major components responsible for the antioxidant activities of honey.