## 3 Results and Discussion
### Total Polyphenols and Polyphenol Profile
All honeys contained high amounts of gallic acid, ranging from 119.64 (indigo honey) to 383.42 ug g\({}^{-1}\) (carob honey). Gallic acid is one of the phenolic acids frequently found in honeys of different geographic origins [47]. It is the dominant acid in some kinds of honey in Peru, Australia, and New Zealand [48; 49]. The amount of gallic acid was different respect that found by [PERSON] et al. [2], who detected 0.43 mg g\({}^{-1}\) of gallic acid in tualang honey--one of the most abundant kinds of honey, known for its health properties--and then different types of honey of Bangladesh, which showed an amount of gallic acid not superior to 0.6 mg g\({}^{-1}\)[50]. The amount of gallic acid found in the five leguminous honeys was also different if compared with that detected in other types of Italian honey, such as acacia, ailanthus, orange, savory, thymus, and chestnut [51], and in the fifty-three Hungarian acacia honey samples analyzed by [PERSON] et al. [52]. Our data agree, although partially, with [PERSON] and [PERSON] [53], who observed that gallic acid was present in astrogalus honey from the Erzincan region of Turkey and rutin was absent; on the contrary, the amount of gallic acid observed by us was lower (206.73 ug g\({}^{-1}\) of product vs. 42.20 mg 100 g\({}^{-1}\) of product). [PERSON] et al. observed much lower values of gallic acid (18.2-92.7 ug g\({}^{-1}\)) compared to  
Figure 1: UPLC profile of polyphenols of the five legume honeys: (**1**) astragalus honey; (**2**) indigo honey; (**3**) sainfoin honey; (**4**) alfalfa honey; (**5**) carob honey. In the figure, the retention times of the known polyphenols are also reported. what we observed in legume honey, containing a quantity of gallic acid ranging between 119.64 ug g\({}^{-1}\) (indigo honey) and 383.42 ug g\({}^{-1}\) (carob honey) [54]. The presence of gallic acid also suggested the potential role of these honeys as supporting agents with anticancer activity [55]. Therefore, gallic acid has documented action against inflammation and oxidation stress [56], which hare important pathways in carcinogenesis. Galangin was present in all five leguminous honeys, ranging between 5.47 ug g\({}^{-1}\) (carob honey) and 29.66 ug g\({}^{-1}\) (astragalus honey). Such values generally higher with those found in the acacia honey (0.04 mg 100 g\({}^{-1}\) of product) by Oroian and Sorina [57]. Galangin possesses an antioxidative effect on endothelial tissues; thus, it can affect lipid peroxidation and can prevent heart disease. Therefore, it helps preserve other protective antioxidants, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, and other flavonoids, and can prevent lipid peroxidation [58; 59]. With other honey polyphenols, galangin acts against cancer through caspases 3, 6, 7, 8, and 9, Bax/Bcl2, Bid, cell migration and invasion, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), IL-6, S, G0/G1 and G2/M phase, Ki- 67, PCNA, NF-KB1, 2, RelA (p65), p-1 KB-\(\alpha\), 1 KB-\(\beta\) p-Erk, p-c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p-p38, ferritin expression, p21, p27, p53, and HO-1 [60]. The level of HMF found in the five honeys ranged between 7.6 ug g\({}^{-1}\) (carob honey) and 36.52 ug g\({}^{-1}\) (asinfoin honey). This level falls within the values found for other types of legume honey of Italian origins, such as acacia honey, which, in the studies conducted by [PERSON] et al., ranged between 7 and 103 mg kg\({}^{-1}\)[61]. Generally, HMF arises through sugar degradation through the Maillard reaction (a non-enzymatic browning reaction) during food processing or prolonged honey storage [62]. HMF concentration is a parameter that influences honey freshness; it is typically absent (or is present in only minimal amounts) in fresh honey. In contrast, its concentration tends to rise during processing and because of honey aging.