Heterotrigona itama Honey (Kelulut Honey) and it’s potential value

Malaysia’s local stingless bee, Heterotrigona itama or renowned as the Kelulut bee creates a path in scientific research due to its honey production. Its honey is composed of active therapeutics properties like antioxidant, antimicrobial as well as tonnes of valuable physicochemical properties. These small size stingless bees are not only stress-free to handle but expedient as a future commodity to Malaysia.

The quality of Kelulut honey is comparable to Manuka honey as a therapeutic agent. Undeniably, it is worth having intensive research on honey. A sweet-sour of Kelulut honey with acidic pH (1-3) with low moisture content offers a low risk of microbes’ contamination.

In addition, these foraging bees are active in gaining their food resources from floral rich area resources. The capacity of Heterotrigona itama to bring more honey from flower nectar is much higher compare to their other families’ member like Tetrigona apicalis and Tetragonula laeviceps.

Thus, the objective of the study is to analyze and incorporate more than hundreds of journals upon the discovery of the physicochemical such as moisture content, ash content, pH, color intensity, electrical conductivity, phenolic content, flavonoid content, and chemical composition of this honey was reviewed and found that proved that H. itama honey is good for human health, especially for cancer patient due to its high phenolic content and beneficial physicochemical trace in the honey that linked to the antioxidants activity by reducing free radical or oxidative reaction within the food system.

Furthermore, due to their physicochemical, antioxidant, and antibacterial, many people especially small and medium businesses use Heterotrigona itama honey to produce a cosmetic products such as soap. This review is also important to determine and acknowledge the quality of stingless bee honey which can guarantee the consumer’s safety and protect them against fraud.

Besides that, the biological complex properties of the stingless bee’s honey include sugar, phytochemical compound namely phenolic acid and flavonoid, and other bioactive form such as amino acid and phenolic acid, protein, and vitamins might play important role in influencing the signaling pathway of disease development. In the future, more reviews should be analyzed information on the investigation of minerals and heavy metals in honey as it indicates the geographical origin as well as the degree of contamination. Such information could notify the consumer when purchasing the honey and assist beekeepers in avoiding contaminated areas. Furthermore, such information can sustain the quality control procedure during the honey trade in the markets.

By: Noor Asiah Binti Hassan (FELS)