biostudies-literatureUnknown10(1)Fletcher MTUniversiti Putra MalaysiaStingless bee (Meliponini) honey has long been considered a high-value functional food, but the perceived therapeutic value has lacked attribution to specific bioactive components. Examination of honey from five different stingless bee species across Neotropical and Indo-Australian regions has enabled for the first time the identification of the unusual disaccharide trehalulose as a major component representing between 13 and 44 g per 100 g of each of these honeys. Trehalulose is an isomer of sucrose with an unusual α-(1 → 1) glucose-fructose glycosidic linkage and known acariogenic and low glycemic index properties. NMR and UPLC-MS/MS analysis unambiguously confirmed the identity of trehalulose isolated from stingless bee honeys sourced across three continents, from Tetragonula carbonariaScientific reports12128https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC7376065biostudies-literatureStingless bee honey, a novel source of trehalulose: a biologically active disaccharide with health benefits.PMC7376065Blanchfield JTFletcher MTWebber DZawawi NZhang JStone ISJCarpinelli de Jesus MHungerford NLfalseStingless bee honey, a novel source of trehalulose: a biologically active disaccharide with health benefits.Stingless bee (Meliponini) honey has long been considered a high-value functional food, but the perceived therapeutic value has lacked attribution to specific bioactive components. Examination of honey from five different stingless bee species across Neotropical and Indo-Australian regions has enabled for the first time the identification of the unusual disaccharide trehalulose as a major component representing between 13 and 44 g per 100 g of each of these honeys. Trehalulose is an isomer of sucrose with an unusual α-(1 → 1) glucose-fructose glycosidic linkage and known acariogenic and low glycemic index properties. NMR and UPLC-MS/MS analysis unambiguously confirmed the identity of trehalulose isolated from stingless bee honeys sourced across three continents, from Tetragonula carbonaria2020-01-01T00:00:00Z2020 Jul2025-04-05T12:42:12.446Z2025-04-05T12:42:12.446ZS-EPMC73760653269935310.1038/s41598-020-68940-0