Dehydration Treatment Effect on the Physicochemical Properties and Microbial Population of Stingless Bee Honey From Three Different Species

Introduction

Stingless bee is known as a non-stinger bee and there are about 500 species of stingless bee that could be found across the globe. They are distributed in Latin America (Melipona, Tetragonisca, Scaptotrigona and Plebeia), the mainland of Australia (Tetragonula), Africa (Meliponula) and tropical parts of Asia (Lepidotrigona, Tetrigona, Homotrigona, Lisotrigona) (Nordin et al., 2018). In tropical countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, and Australia stingless beekeeping practice is a better-known tradition. In Malaysia, more than 30 species of stingless bees locally known as “Kelulut” were found (Shamsudin et al., 2019). Geniotrigona thoracica, Heterotrigona itama, Lepidotrigona Terminata, Tetragonula fuscobalteata, and Tetraponera laeviceps are the most popular species for bee raising and economic value (Kelly et al., 2014). However, stingless bee honey has good quality and is reported to have antitumoral, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities (Lani et al., 2017).

Honey is a complex food substance with around 200 distinct ingredients, including fructose, glucose, water, proteins, vitamins, minerals, polyphenolic chemicals, and plant derivatives (Nolan et al., 2019). Stingless bee honey is an astounding ‘miracle liquid’ with countless medicinal properties for various diseases such as gastroenteritis, and cataracts, as well as for wound healing (Rosli et al., 2020). It has been long recognized that the quality of honey is influenced by seasonal variations, post-harvest handling of honey, and storage condition. Due to the enormous demand for stingless bee honey and its therapeutic potential, quality and authenticity are still key considerations in its consumption and marketing (Gela et al., 2021). Because of its short shelf life, stingless bee honey has a limited global distribution (Moo-Huchin et al., 2015).

The physical and chemical properties of honey are qualitative parameters that are essential to determine its suitability for processing into a commercial product. The physicochemical characteristics include pH, electrical conductivity (EC), ash content, colour intensity and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) which plays a vital role in the self-life of honey. In addition, honey's physical and chemical qualities are further influenced by variances in flora, meteorological circumstances, and geographical area. Furthermore, the microbial community of bacteria and fungus was an important factor in honey quality (Wanjai et al., 2012). Fresh harvested stingless bee honey has high moisture content and acidity due to the presence of organic acids, minerals, and other compounds (Özbalci et al., 2013). High moisture levels can result in the fermentation of honey which can affect the nutrients, active ingredients, and quality. Furthermore, one of the procedures used to make stingless bee honey is dehydration, which is a part of honey processing that is necessary to lower the moisture content of honey. It is important to reduce the moisture level of honey into its stable condition in the range of £20% (Singh & Singh, 2018).

Heterotrigona itama (H. itama), Tetrigona apicalis (T. apicalis), and Geniotrigona thoracica (G. thoracica) are three stingless bee species that have diverse characteristics. H. itama is the smallest stingless and Apis bee species, with a body size of 3.0-7.5 mm and a mostly blackish body with one weak tooth on the mandible (Pangestika et al., 2017). T. apicalis has a black head with fine white to yellowish hairs covering the frons, and thickening yellowish-white hair towards the antennal sockets and clypeus (Jongjitvimol & Wattanachaiyingcharoen, 2006). The overall length measurement of 5.53-7.75 mm indicates a higher body size. It has enormous honey and bee bread pots (Abdullah et al., 2017). G. throcica is one of the largest stingless bees found in Indo-Malayan areas. The size of the body varies from 6.67 mm to 10.80 mm (Saufi & Thevan, 2015). The hives of G. thoracica are generally found in trunk hollows, tree brunches, and rock crevices. Finally, the findings will aid in the establishment of stingless bee honey quality standards and characterization, especially in the identification of Malaysian stingless bee honey. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of dehydration treatment in reducing the water content of honey produced by three species: H. itama, T. apicalis, and G. thoracica (see Figure1).