Exploratory Analysis of Phenolic Profiles and Antioxidant Capacity in Selected Romanian Monofloral Honeys: Influence of Botanical Origin and Acquisition Source

Bratosin, Elena Daniela; Tit, Delia Mirela; Purza, Anamaria Lavinia; Pasca, Manuela Bianca; Bungau, Gabriela S.; Marin, Ruxandra Cristina; Radu, Andrei Flavius; Gitea, Daniela

doi:10.3390/antiox14101248

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Exploratory Analysis of Phenolic Profiles and Antioxidant Capacity in Selected Romanian Monofloral Honeys: Influence of Botanical Origin and Acquisition Source

by

Elena Daniela Bratosin

¹,

Delia Mirela Tit

^1,2,*

,

Anamaria Lavinia Purza

^2,*

,

Manuela Bianca Pasca

²

,

Gabriela S. Bungau

^1,2,

Ruxandra Cristina Marin

¹

,

Andrei Flavius Radu

^1,3

and

Daniela Gitea

²

¹

Doctoral School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania

²

Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410028 Oradea, Romania

³

Department of Psycho-Neurosciences and Recovery, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410073 Oradea, Romania

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Antioxidants 2025, 14(10), 1248; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14101248

Submission received: 17 September 2025 / Revised: 13 October 2025 / Accepted: 15 October 2025 / Published: 17 October 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phenolic Antioxidants—2nd Edition)

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Abstract

This exploratory study assessed the influence of botanical origin and acquisition source on the phenolic profile and antioxidant properties of selected Romanian monofloral honeys. Eight samples were analyzed, representing five floral types: acacia, linden, rapeseed, lavender, and thyme. For acacia, linden, and rapeseed, both commercial and locally sourced honeys were included. Analytical techniques included total phenolic content (TPC, Folin–Ciocalteu), antioxidant assays (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP), color intensity (ABS₄₅₀), and phenolic compound profiling via HPLC-DAD-ESI⁺. TPC ranged from 179.26 ± 23.57 to 586.67 ± 18.33 mg GAE/100 g, with thyme and linden honeys presenting the highest values. Seventeen phenolic compounds were tentatively identified; gallic acid was predominant in thyme honey (127 mg/100 g), and linden honey contained high levels of rutin (70 mg/100 g) and galangin-glucoside. Antioxidant capacity varied notably by floral origin, with thyme and linden outperforming acacia samples. Significant correlations were found between total phenolics and ABTS (r = 0.86), and between ABS₄₅₀ and FRAP (r = 0.86). DPPH kinetics followed zero-order behavior (R² > 0.98). Principal component analysis (PC1 + PC2 = 88%) enabled preliminary separation by botanical origin. While based on a limited sample set, findings support the relevance of combining chromatographic, kinetic, and multivariate tools for exploratory honey characterization.

Keywords: monofloral honey; botanical origin; phenolic profile; antioxidant capacity; HPLC-DAD-ESI⁺; Romania

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MDPI and ACS Style

Bratosin, E.D.; Tit, D.M.; Purza, A.L.; Pasca, M.B.; Bungau, G.S.; Marin, R.C.; Radu, A.F.; Gitea, D. Exploratory Analysis of Phenolic Profiles and Antioxidant Capacity in Selected Romanian Monofloral Honeys: Influence of Botanical Origin and Acquisition Source. Antioxidants 2025, 14, 1248. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14101248

AMA Style

Bratosin ED, Tit DM, Purza AL, Pasca MB, Bungau GS, Marin RC, Radu AF, Gitea D. Exploratory Analysis of Phenolic Profiles and Antioxidant Capacity in Selected Romanian Monofloral Honeys: Influence of Botanical Origin and Acquisition Source. Antioxidants. 2025; 14(10):1248. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14101248

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bratosin, Elena Daniela, Delia Mirela Tit, Anamaria Lavinia Purza, Manuela Bianca Pasca, Gabriela S. Bungau, Ruxandra Cristina Marin, Andrei Flavius Radu, and Daniela Gitea. 2025. "Exploratory Analysis of Phenolic Profiles and Antioxidant Capacity in Selected Romanian Monofloral Honeys: Influence of Botanical Origin and Acquisition Source" Antioxidants 14, no. 10: 1248. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14101248

APA Style

Bratosin, E. D., Tit, D. M., Purza, A. L., Pasca, M. B., Bungau, G. S., Marin, R. C., Radu, A. F., & Gitea, D. (2025). Exploratory Analysis of Phenolic Profiles and Antioxidant Capacity in Selected Romanian Monofloral Honeys: Influence of Botanical Origin and Acquisition Source. Antioxidants, 14(10), 1248. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14101248

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Exploratory Analysis of Phenolic Profiles and Antioxidant Capacity in Selected Romanian Monofloral Honeys: Influence of Botanical Origin and Acquisition Source

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