Assessment of Total Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacity of Wild Honey Variants Collected from Oyo State Apiaries

Honey is a natural product with significant pharmaceutical value, attributed largely to its phenolic content and antioxidant properties. In Oyo State, South West Nigeria, apiculture is an established agricultural activity, and locally produced honey is widely consumed for both nutritional and medicinal purposes. This study assessed the total phenolic content and in vitro antioxidant capacity of six honey variants collected from apiaries in Ibadan, Ogbomosho, and Saki. Total phenolic content was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method, and results were expressed as milligrams of gallic acid equivalents per gram of honey. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH radical scavenging assay and the ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. Moisture content, pH, and sugar composition were also characterised. Total phenolic content ranged from 28.6 to 84.3 mg GAE/g, with significant differences observed between forest and farmland honey. All samples demonstrated concentration-dependent DPPH scavenging activity. Forest honey from Saki showed the highest antioxidant capacity among all variants studied. A strong positive correlation was observed between total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. These findings support the pharmaceutical potential of Oyo State honey and provide data relevant to its standardisation for incorporation into topical and oral medicinal products. Keywords: honey, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, DPPH, Oyo State.