Quantification of bioactive components and evaluation of microbial community and antibacterial activity from Heterotrigona itama and Tetrigona binghami honeys

Summary Stingless bee honey is a precious food product with therapeutic benefits. In this study, we determined the quality of Malaysian stingless bee honeys ( Heterotrigona itama and Tetrigona binghami ) by the physicochemical characteristics, phenolic compounds, and organic acids. Our results revealed that the major phenolic compounds in all honey samples were chlorogenic acid and myricetin, and the major organic acids contained gluconic acid and trans -cinnamic acid. The microbial community in honeys characterised using 16S rRNA and ITS amplicon sequencing techniques showed that Lactobacillus was assumed to be the predominant bacterium in stingless bee honeys. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of honeys was examined in order to further demonstrate their health benefits. Our results are intended to pave the road for stingless bee honeys' probiotic capacity to be extended into our daily life.