Nutritional and antioxidant potential of honey powder

Abstract

Honey is a bee's natural product with a rich history of use from ancient medicine, food, and cosmetic industries. Its therapeutic properties have been attributed largely to its biochemical composition, which includes sugars, bioactives, enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, and a plethora of phenolic compounds. This paper reviews of antioxidant activities of honey powders, which are derived from honey through various drying processes. The conversion of honey into powder form not only simplifies its storage and transportation but also concentrates its beneficial compounds. The mechanisms by which honey powders exhibit antioxidant activities are explored, as well as their potential applications in food preservation, nutraceuticals, and functional foods. Honey powder have a large usage is being increasingly used in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry, because it avoids inconveniences of raw honey, such as high viscosity, stickiness and formation of sugar crystals. Honey has been revered for its health benefits for centuries, with a complex blend of bioactive compounds contributing to its medicinal curative properties. Among these properties, antioxidant activity has gained significant attention due to its potential in combating oxidative stress, which is implicated in various diseases including cardiovascular disorders, cancer, and aging. Honey is characterized by organoleptic and physico-chemical parameters affecting the drying process and the quality of the final product. Consequently, reducing the water content during the drying process significantly contributes to increasing the stability of honey during storage. The resulting powdered dry honey, in compliance with the drying retaining all its useful biological properties and most of active compounds