Antioxidant capacity, alpha amylase inhibition, and calorie value of dark chocolate substituted with honey powder

The antioxidant and antidiabetic properties of honey have led to studies exploring using honey powder as a sugar substitute in chocolate innovation for its health benefits. In this study, sugar was substituted with 70% honey powder to evaluate the effect on the antioxidant, alpha-amylase inhibition, and calorie value of dark chocolate. The honey powder was produced by adding 70% of either dextrose (honey/dextrose, H/D), maltodextrin (honey/maltodextrin, H/M), or sucrose (honey/sucrose, H/S) and vacuum dried at 40°C for 6 hr. The substitution of honey powder into chocolate at a 70% level was based on the preliminary study, which showed the most acceptable particle size value. The addition of honey powder into dark chocolate showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in antioxidant capacity, assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and ferric reducing antioxidant power. Chocolate containing H/M showed the highest antioxidant capacity for both assays, followed by chocolate with H/D, H/S, and the control. Alpha amylase inhibition was also significantly higher (p < 0.05) for H/M chocolate relative to other samples. The calorie values of dark chocolate were not affected by the honey powder substitution, which remained at 600 kcal/100 g. Therefore, chocolate containing H/M showed the best properties due to its highest antioxidant capacities and alpha-amylase inhibition effect. Hence, it can be recommended for further application in chocolate.