Honey can beneficially act against different human diseases, helping our body to improve its health. The aim of the present study was first to increase knowledge of some biochemical characteristics (amount and composition of polyphenols and volatile organic compounds, vitamin C content) of five Italian legume honeys (alfalfa, astragalus, carob, indigo, and sainfoin). Furthermore, we evaluated their potential health properties by studying their antioxidant and in vitro anti-inflammatory activities and in vitro inhibitory effects on three enzymes involved in neurodegenerative diseases (acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, and tyrosinase). Alfalfa honey showed the highest total polyphenol content (TPC) (408 μg g-1 of product). Indigo honey showed the lowest TPC (110 μg g-1 of product). The antioxidant activity was noteworthy, especially in the case of sainfoin honey (IC50 = 6.08 mg), which also exhibited excellent inhibitory action against butyrylcholinesterase (74%). Finally, the correlation between the biochemical and functional results allowed us to identify classes of molecules, or even single molecules, present in these five honeys, which are capable of influencing the properties indicated above.
Keywords: VOCs; anti-inflammatory activity; antioxidant activity; honey; neurodegenerative diseases; polyphenols.