The recognition of high molecular weight melanoidins as the main components responsible for radical-scavenging capacity of unheated and heat-treated Canadian honeys

As the Maillard reaction is known to occur in heat-treated foods, unheated and heated honey samples were subjected to the activity-guided fractionation and size-exclusion chromatography to compare the degree of browning, radical scavenging activity (ORAC) and molecular size of the fractions obtained. Heat-treatment increased browning in the fractions of light- and medium-coloured honeys (p < 0.002), accelerated the formation of high molecular weight melanoidins (85–232 kDa) and significantly increased ORAC values (p < 0.0001). In contrast, melanoidin content and ORAC decreased in the fractions of heat-treated dark buckwheat honey (p < 0.001). Unheated dark honey contained a significantly higher amount of melanoidins than other honeys (p < 0.007). Together, results showed that at low initial concentration of melanoidins, heat-treatment accelerated formation of new melanoidins and increased ORAC, while at high concentration it caused decrease and a reduction of radical scavenging activity. This study emphasises the importance of non-enzymatic browning in the prediction of the antioxidant pool in thermally processed honeys.