Determination of xanthine oxidase inhibition in stingless bee honey from different botanical origin

Abstract

Malaysian stingless bee honey or locally known as kelulut honey is a natural substance that have been widely explored for their great nutritional and therapeutic values. Modern beekeeping practices in different botanical areas have produced different types of honey that has influence on their physical and chemical composition as well as their biological activity. The main objective of this research is to investigate in vitro xanthine oxidase (XO) enzyme inhibition of honey produced by Heterotrigona itama species obtained from different botanical origins; (acacia, coconut, mangrove, starfruit, multifruits and multiflowers). In addition, the phytochemical composition was analyzed using spectrophotometric. The result revealed that honey from mangrove area displayed highest phytochemical composition (phenolic and flavonoid) with the value of 34.23 mg GAE/100g and 31.02 mg RE/100g of honey, respectively. The XO inhibitory activity (IC50 values) of all tested honeys were ranging from 30 to 185 mg/ml. As a conclusion, kelulut honey exhibited good potentials towards the inhibition of xanthine oxidase activities and also suggest a practical value for surveying natural inhibitors for clinical purpose.