Investigation of Stingless Bee Honey from West Sumatra as an Antihyperglycemic Food

This study aimed to investigate the potential in vitro antihyperglycemic activity of honey sourced from three different species of stingless bees (Heterotrigona itama, Geniotrigona thoracica, and Kelulut matahari) by assessing their α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic and flavonoid contents in comparison with honey from Apis cerana, obtained from West Sumatra, Indonesia. The honey samples were obtained from stingless bee farms at the Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Andalas. Variations were observed in α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition, antioxidant activity (half maximal inhibitory concentration, IC50), and total phenolic and flavonoid contents among the honey samples from H. itama, G. thoracica, K. matahari, and A. cerana. In terms of α-glucosidase inhibition, honey from the stinging bee A. cerana demonstrated higher inhibition than that from the other three stingless bees species. Honey derived from K. matahari exhibited the lowest IC50 value, indicating its superior antioxidant activity, followed by honey from A. cerana, H. itama, and G. thoracica. The highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents were found in honey from A. cerana, followed by honey from K. matahari, H. itama, and G. thoracica. Analysis using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the predominant absorptions in all four honey samples were observed at 767∼1,643 cm⁻¹, indicating that absorptions are primarily ascribed to monosaccharides and disaccharides. Additionally, some peaks implied the presence of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. Overall, honey from stingless bees shows promise as an antihyperglycemic food, as evidenced by its α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition activity, antioxidant activity, and relatively high total phenolic content.