A preliminary study presented at a Conference: International Symposium on Bee Products 3rd Edition - Annual Meeting of the International Honey Commission (IHC); Opatija, Croatia,

suggests beneficial effects of strawberry tree honey consumption on:

• Antioxidant status

• Haematological indices

• Serum Fe

• Enzymes levels

Strawberry tree honey is known for being rich in total phenols and its high antioxidant and antiradical activity. Apart from phenols, various major and trace elements can affect its antioxidant activity. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the beneficial effects of short-term supplementation of a usual dose of strawberry tree honey (from Pelješac peninsula, Croatia) on blood and urine parameters in men.

Representative sampling of A. unedo L. honey was carried out directly at the place of production. It was followed by detailed melissopalynological and sensory assessment in order to verify honey authenticity as well as honey botanical and geographical origin. The honey was tested for the presence of toxic hydroquinone and its glycosylated form arbutin, naturally present in strawberry tree plants. In the tested sample, neither arbutin nor hydroquinone were detected by GC/MS. Participants included five adult healthy men aged 26-38 who consumed 70 g of honey dissolved in 200 ml of water daily for 14 days. After overnight fasting, blood and urine samples were collected before (day 0) and after (day 15) honey supplementation.

The following parameters were determined: haematological indices, leukocytes, serum enzymes, CRP, chloride, phosphates, Fe, UIBC, and TIBC. Serum concentrations of Ca, Mg, K, Na, Cu, Mn, and Zn, whole blood Cd and Pb, and urine As were measured by ICP-MS. The activity of erythrocyte Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) and whole blood Se-glutathione-peroxidase (GPx) was determined by spectrophotometry. The honey supplementation increased serum Fe by 26% and decreased UIBC by 23%, TIBC by 11%, CRP by 10%, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) by 15%, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) by 8%, and SOD and GPx activity by 6%. It increased platelet count by 8% and white blood cell count by 5%. No elevated levels of toxic elements were found. The supplementation did not affect other parameters. It should be noted, however, that participants were healthy men with no pathologies. This preliminary study suggests beneficial effects of strawberry tree honey consumption on antioxidative status, haematological indices, serum Fe and enzymes levels. Further studies on more participants and with longer experiment duration are needed.