## 3 Discussion  
### Nutritional Aspects  
In Brazil, there is currently no specific legislation that establishes physicochemical standards for stingless bee honey. Regulatory parameters have been defined only for _Apis mellifera_ honey [39]. Honey is a complex mixture in which water constitutes a significant component that influences various physical properties, including viscosity and crystallization. Moisture content also plays a key role in determining characteristics such as color, flavor, specific gravity, solubility, and shelf life [33]. Moisture content is considered an indicator of honey maturity and can be directly influenced by factors such as the floral nectar source and regional climatic conditions, particularly relative humidity [40]. In the present study, moisture content in the analyzed samples was 20.11% for _Melipona interrupta_ and 27.30% for _Melipona seminigra_. The moisture of samples exceeded the recommended limit of 20 g/100 g established by the Codex Alimentarius Committee [28] for _Apis mellifera_. However, the honey from _M. interrupta_ showed a value closer to the established legal limit. These elevated values may be attributed to the environmental conditions at the collection site, as the municipality of Iranduba commonly exhibits relative humidity levels exceeding 80% (INMET). Comparable results were reported for _Melipona_ spp. honey from the state of Para, with moisture content ranging from 20.70% to 25.00% [41]. Similarly, observed values ranged from 19.23% to 31.82% in honey produced by other species within the same genus [42]. Supporting evidence is also provided, which found moisture contents of 27.2% and 27.0% in honey produced by _M. fasciculata_ and _M. subinitia_, respectively, from the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil [31]. Recent investigations have shown significant variation in honey moisture content among different stingless bee species, even when exposed to similar climatic conditions. In southern Brazil, for instance,_M. bicolor_ honey exhibited moisture contents ranging from 51.3% to 54.3%, _M. marginata_ from 48.5% to 53.3%, and _M. quadrifasciata_ from 53.5% to 58.3% [43]. In contrast, analyses of honey samples produced in the state of Santa Catarina state (Brazil) revealed considerably higher moisture contents, ranging from 58.97% to 71.00% in _Melipona quadrrasciata_, 65.83% to 68.90% in _M. mondury_, 61.00% in _M. bicolor_, and 60.64% in _M. marginata_[9]. These differences may be attributed to various factors, including species-specific physiological characteristics and regional floral diversity. The ash content of the samples analyzed was 0.15% for MIH and 0.31% for MSH; the committee established a maximum value of 0.6 g/100 g. In this case, both samples presented values well below the maximum limit. This parameter serves as an indicator of honey purity, as it reflects the mineral content, which may be influenced by environmental pollution and the geographical origin of the honey [44]. The type of soil in which the nectar-producing flowers grow also affects ash levels. Studies have shown that the average ash content in honey is approximately 0.17% (\(w/w\)), with reported values ranging from 0.02% to 1.03% (\(w/w\)), consistent with the values observed in this study [45]. Similar ranges were reported for honey samples produced and commercialized by _Melipona_ spp. in the central Amazon region (Brazil), which varied from 0.02% to 0.33% [42]. In the same region, reported values were between 0.13% and 0.20% [41]. For honey produced by _M. subinitida_, ash content ranged from 0.03% to 0.20% [39]. In honey produced by _Melipona_ species in temperate regions of southern Brazil, reported ash values included 0.07% for _M. bicolor_, 0.05% to 0.08% for _M. marginata_, and 0.05% to 0.28% for _M. quadrifasciata_[43]. The protein content in the honey samples analyzed was 0.16% for MSH and 0.19% for MIH, which falls within the typical range for honey [33; 44].