Effect of creamed honey with bee bread and pollen production process on in vitro bioactivity and bioaccessibility

Beekeeping is not a modern invention, but is one of the oldest known food production activities. In recent years, balanced and healthy nutrition has gained importance due to increasing diseases and concerns about synthetic foods or food additives. Consumers are increasingly demanding functional foods that are natural, rich in bioactive ingredients and have additional health benefits. Honey is prone to crystallization because it is a supersaturated sugar solution with a water content of approximately 18% and a sugar content of more than 70%. The new product, which consists of very small crystals that cannot be perceived by the palate, and is formed as a result of controlled crystallization to improve the sensory and physical properties of honey, such as giving natural honey a spreadable feature, is called creamed honey. This study has two main aims; The first aim is to produce three different creamed honeys, plain, with perga and pollen. The second aim is to examine the effect of the creamed honey production process on the physicochemical properties of honey, its bioaccessibility with in vitro gastrointestinal digestion simulation and its antioxidant capacity. According to the study findings; The sample with the highest diastase number (15,63), HMF content (11,52 mg/kg) and proline content (562,24 mg/kg) is the creamed honey with perga sample. The sample with the lowest diastase number (12,48), HMF content (10,77 mg/kg) and proline content (419 mg/kg) is the filtered honey sample. Considering the effect of the creamed honey process, there was no significant difference between all samples in terms of diastase number, HMF content and proline content (p>0.05). In terms of total phenolic content (mg GAE/g sample), creamed honey with perga sample had the highest values in all initial, gastric and intestinal phases (11,88; 10,68; and 8,35, respectively). Total phenolic content decreased in all samples throughout in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Total flavonoid content also decreased in all samples throughout in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, similar to the total phenolic content. Antioxidant capacity values determined by the ABTS assay increased in all samples throughout in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Antioxidant capacity results determined by the CUPRAC assay showed a decrease in the gastric phase when it is compared to the initial in all samples but increased again in the intestinal phase. Antioxidant capacity values determined by the DPPH analysis decreased in all samples throughout in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, similar to the total flavonoid content and total phenolic content.