Department of Agricultural Entomology and Apiculture

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Browsing Department of Agricultural Entomology and Apiculture by Author "Muruke, Masoud H."

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    Assessment of Antioxidant Properties of Honeys from Tanzania
    (www.iiste.org, 2014) Muruke, Masoud H.
    In this study, levels and properties of antioxidants, antiradical and iron chelating activities of honeybee and stingless bee honeys were determined using standard methods. The relationship between honey colour and the studied antioxidants was also explored. Phenolic content of stingless bees honey samples (mean value 847.6 mgGAE/100g) was significantly higher (P<0.0001) than that of raw (412.6 mgGAE/100g) and processed (218.4 mgGAE/100g) honeybee honey samples, respectively. Mean value of flavonoid content was 84.96 mgRE/100g for stingless bee honeys, 44.82 mgRE/100g for processed honeybee honeys and 41.60 mgRE/100g for raw honeybee honeys. β-Carotene and lycopene content varied among the three honey categories studied. Honey from stingless bees exhibited higher levels of the two antioxidants than honey bee honeys. Vitamin C content ranged from 20.4 – 66.7 mg/100g in processed honey, 42.5 – 61.6 mg/100g in raw honeybees honey and from 56.2 – 67.6 mg/100g in stingless bee honeys. The number of antiradical activity units in 1 mg of honey (EAU515) varied significantly between the honey categories (P<0.0001). The mean values were 5.21 mg/100g for processed honeybee honeys, 6.8 mg/100g for raw honeybee honeys and 10.6 mg/100g for stingless bee honeys. DPPH radical scavenging and iron chelating activities were highest (lowest EC50) in stingless bee honeys compared to honeybee honeys. EC50 mean value for DPPH was lowest (4.19 mg/ml) in stingless bee honeys, 12.93 mg/ml for raw honeybees honey and 18.03 for processed honeybees’ honey. Similarly, iron chelating activity was highest in stingless bee honeys (EC50 0.04 mg/ml) followed by raw honeybee honeys (EC50 0.057 mg/ml) and processes honeybee honeys (EC50 0.158). A diversity of honey colours ranging from light coloured to dark honeys was recorded in the samples studied. Majority of honeybee honey colours were described as white and light amber, while all the stingless bee honeys were between light amber and amber colours. There were strong positive correlations among the antioxidants studied (r ≥ 0.5 at P<0.01). Honey colour intensity was found to correlate positively with all antioxidants studied. Consistently darker honeys were found to contain higher levels of antioxidants than lighter honeys. In overall, Tanzanian honeys studied contains high levels of antioxidants, depicting good quality characteristics for use as food and as medicine.
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    Assessment of Quality of Tanzanian Honey based on Physicochemical Properties
    (www.iiste.org, 2014) Muruke, Masoud H.
    Quality of Tanzanian honey based on physicochemical parameters namely water content, sugar content, pH, ash content, hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) and honey colour was studied using 26 honey samples collected from ten popular honey producing regions. Analyses were carried out in triplicates using standard methods. Data was analysed using averages, correlation and ANOVA tests. Majority of the honeybees’ honey samples were light coloured while all stingless bees honey samples were dark coloured. Dark coloured honeys contained more minerals; mainly iron, copper and manganese which make them especially fit for medicinal purposes. pH values ranged from 2.61±0.12 to 4.37±0.08, stingless bees honey samples were more acidic than honeybees’ honey samples. Total sugar content values (64.16-84.84 g/100g) were all above the minimum requirement of the national and international standards of not less than 60g/100g. HMF values ranged from 5.0 – 26.4 mg/kg honey, an indication of good quality, being far below the maximum limit allowed by national and international standards of 40mg/kg or 80mg/kg for honeys from the tropics. Of the 26 honey samples studied, all 5 honey samples from stingless bees and 3 from honeybees had moisture content levels above 21%, the maximum limit allowed by national and international standards.. With the exception of two samples from stingless bees, all honeybees honey samples met the minimum requirements of national and international quality standards of maximum allowable ash content of 0.6 %. ANOVA results showed significant differences in the studied physicochemical parameters between groups of honey samples, namely processed honey raw honey and stingless bees’ honey at P<0.05. Pearson correlation analysis showed strong correlation coefficients at P<0.05 between some parameters studied. In conclusion honey colour and moisture content are two important physicochemical parameters that may be used to assess quality of honey.