Abstract:
Honey is defined as the natural sweet substance produced by the honey bee (Apis melliferaL.) from the nectar of plants, the secretions of living parts or the secretions of sucking insects living in the living parts of plants. The predominant compounds found in honey are carbohydrates, mainly composed of fructose and glucose. In addition, honey is extremely rich in enzymes, amino acids, organic acids, vitamins and phenolic substances. Although the chemical composition of honey varies according to its geographical and botanical source, there are approximately more than 200 components in its structure. Therefore, honey consumption is very important for human nutrition. People have used honey for both nutritional and therapeutic purposes since ancient times. Recently, many researchers have reached conclusions about the broad-spectrum antibacterial, anticancer, antiviral, etc. activity of honey against various bacterial species. It has been proven by studies in the literature that various processes applied to honey (eg, different temperature applications at different times) cause changes in the physical properties of honey as well as its bioactivity and sensory properties. The occurrence of these changes is very important for the functionality of honey. Because while some parameters affect the bioactivity and phenolic content of honey negatively, some of them can affect it positively. In this study, studies affecting the bioactivity, sensory and physical properties of honey were examined and a compilation was made. It is expected that the study will make an important contribution to the literature and the related sector in this regard.
