Antioxidant, physicochemical and antimicrobial properties of honey in two seasons of different regions in Khorasan province

Honey is a natural sweet substance that the bee collects, treats it from the floral nectar and stores it in honeycombs. Honey has many nutritional and medicinal properties. The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of honey production area and its harvest time on the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of natural honey. Honey samples were collected from three areas of Shirvan, Kashmar and Neyshabour in Khorasan Province in two different seasons, spring and autumn. The honey was completely pure and was made from natural flowers in the region. In this research, some physicochemical, antioxidant and microbial properties of honey samples were evaluated. The results showed that spring honey samples with a moisture content (16.6%) and brix (81.36%) had the highest and lowest moisture content and Brix degree respectively than the samples harvested in the fall. Also, spring honey with a color intensity of 0.005%, had a brighter color than the autumn samples. Also, spring honey had more phenolic compounds (0.067 mg/kg honey) and higher antioxidant and antibacterial properties (respectively 61.1856, 100%) than the fall samples. Among honey samples, Kashmar honey had the highest antioxidant capacity (54.3) and honey Neishabour had the highest amount of phenolic compounds (0.052 mg/kg). Antimicrobial effect of Shirvan honey samples was the highest (83.33%). All honey samples did not contain sulfite reducing bacteria that indicated correct hygienic management in honey processing and showed good microbial quality of honey samples. All of the honey samples did not contain sulfite reducing bacteria, which show proper hygienic management in honey processing and appropriate microbial quality of honey samples.