Honey Phenolic Compound Profiling and Authenticity Assessment Using HRMS Targeted and Untargeted Metabolomics.

Georgios A Koulis,Reza Aalizadeh,Michał Halagarda,Constantinos A Georgiou,Marilena E Dasenaki,Spyros Drivelos,Aristeidis S Tsagkaris,Aristeidis S Tsagkaris,Charalampos Proestos,Eleni I Panagopoulou,Nikolaos S Thomaidis

doi:10.3390/molecules26092769

Abstract

Honey consumption is attributed to potentially advantageous effects on human health due to its antioxidant capacity as well as anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity, which are mainly related to phenolic compound content. Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites of plants, and their content in honey is primarily affected by the botanical and geographical origin. In this study, a high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) method was applied to determine the phenolic profile of various honey matrices and investigate authenticity markers. A fruitful sample set was collected, including honey from 10 different botanical sources (n = 51) originating from Greece and Poland. Generic liquid–liquid extraction using ethyl acetate as the extractant was used to apply targeted and non-targeted workflows simultaneously. The method was fully validated according to the Eurachem guidelines, and it demonstrated high accuracy, precision, and sensitivity resulting in the detection of 11 target analytes in the samples. Suspect screening identified 16 bioactive compounds in at least one sample, with abscisic acid isomers being the most abundant in arbutus honey. Importantly, 10 markers related to honey geographical origin were revealed through non-targeted screening and the application of advanced chemometric tools. In conclusion, authenticity markers and discrimination patterns were emerged using targeted and non-targeted workflows, indicating the impact of this study on food authenticity and metabolomic fields.

Highlights

The development of analytical methods for verifying food origin is an emerging field that is rapidly developing [1]
The present study introduces a UPLC–QToF-MS analytical methodology for the targeted identification and quantification of honey phenolic compounds as well as the untargeted metabolomic discrimination of honey sample geographical origin
Simultaneous determination of phenolic compounds and geographical origin discrimination were achieved in 10 different honey matrices (n = 51) originating from Greece and Poland

Summary

Introduction

The development of analytical methods for verifying food origin is an emerging field that is rapidly developing [1]. Botanical and geographical origin decisively affect the honey market price. Honey produced in China or South America usually has a lower price than honey produced in Europe due to several fraud incidents that have been reported during the previous years in these markets. Differences in honey quality and price are observed among European countries—honey from southern countries is usually more attractive due to the unique characteristics attributed to the Mediterranean climate—and even within the same country, honey quality varies among different geographical regions. To this end, analytical methodologies capable of discriminating the geographical origin of honey are much needed [4]

Methods

Results

Conclusion