*2.6. Analysis of the Antioxidant Activity of Honey and Analysis of the Presence of Flavonoids*

Polyphenolic compounds are among the most active antioxidants present in food. The use of spectral methods was aimed at determining the profiles of polyphenolic compounds, as well as assessing the antioxidant potential of individual varieties of bee honey. The botanical origin of honey significantly affects the antioxidant activity measured as the ability to scavenge DPPH• free radicals [75,98–102].

The use of the photochemiluminescence (PCL) test consists of the optical excitation of a UV sensitizer, which is responsible for generating free radicals, partially eliminated by the antioxidants present in the sample. Other radicals cause luminescence of the detected substance. The function of the sensitizer and detector is performed by the same compound, luminol. The measurement is fast and accurate as it only takes a few minutes to calculate based on the calibration curve, performed automatically by the software [84,103–107].
