Melissopalynological origin determination and volatile composition analysis of Corsican “chestnut grove” honeys

Abstract

Fifty Corsican “chestnut grove” honeys were certified by melissopalynological analysis. Castanea sativa was strongly overrepresented and was accompanied mainly by Rubus sp., Quercus ilex, Anthyllis hermanniae, Myrtus communis, Genista sp., Erica arborea, Cistus creticus, and Fraxinus ornus. Headspace solid-phase microextraction was performed to investigate the volatile composition of Corsican chestnut catkins and chestnut grove honeys. The main compounds of the chestnut catkins were acetophenone (21.5%), methyl salicylate (13.4%), nonanal (10.9%), and linalool (7.5%), whereas the major constituents of the honeys were 2-aminoacetophenone (11.4%), benzaldehyde (10.8%), acetophenone (7.0%), nonanoic acid (5.9%), octanoic acid (5.0%), and 3-furaldehyde (4.9%). By entering the aromatic intensity, the relative frequency of C. sativa, Rubus sp., and A. hermanniae pollens, and the physicochemical parameters as discriminate variables, principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) showed that the distribution of Corsican “chestnut grove” honeys correlates with climatic events and/or honeybee foraging behaviours.