Abstract
Bee products are a well-known remedy against numerous diseases. However, from the consumers’ perspective, it is essential to define factors that can affect their sensory acceptance. This investigation aimed to evaluate the volatile and sensory profiles, and sugar composition of beeswax, beebread, pollen, and honey. According to the HS-SPME/GC-MS results, 20 volatiles were identified in beeswax and honey, then 32 in beebread, and 33 in pollen. Alkanes were found to dominate in beeswax, beebread, and pollen, while aldehydes and monoterpenes in honey. In the case of sugars, a higher content of fructose was determined in beebread, bee pollen, and honey, whereas the highest content of glucose was assayed in beeswax. In the QDA, the highest aroma intensity characterized as honey-like and sweet was found in honey, while the acid aroma was typical of beebread. Other odor descriptors, including waxy, pungent, and plant-based aromas were noted only in beeswax, honey, and pollen, respectively.
Highlights
Honeybee products, including beeswax, beebread, bee pollen, and honey, have been intensively studied for their efficacy against some diseases [1,2,3,4]
partial least squares (PLS) was fitted with the use of “plsdepot” package in R. This is the first study characterizing the composition of volatile compounds in four different bee products collected in the same batch
The volatiles present in bee pollen played an important role in creating the volatile compound profile of beebread
Summary
Honeybee products, including beeswax, beebread, bee pollen, and honey, have been intensively studied for their efficacy against some diseases [1,2,3,4]. It is broadly used in every household and its consumption has been declared by over 95% of the Polish consumers [6]. Honey has a very pleasant aroma and sweet taste [7], it is used to sweeten meals (as declared by about 70% of consumers). The sugar composition of honey depends mainly on its botanical and geographical origins, and is affected by climate, processing, and storage [13]. The concentration of fructose and glucose, as well as the ratio between them are useful indicators in the classification of honey types [14]
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