Mineral composition of artisanal and commercial honeys from Venezuela: a comparison of sample pre-treatment strategies

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the mineral composition of different artisanal and commercial honeys from 7 states in Venezuela, considering a simultaneous analysis of major and trace elements by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Spectroscopy (ICP-OES), and a comparison among sample pre-treatments including calcination, acid digestion, and dilution. Significant differences were found in the element concentrations between honeys depending on sample pretreatment. Acid digestion was the method selected for the analysis of all honey samples, which proved to be effective and reliable for a simultaneous multi-elemental determination using ICP-OES. The order of average concentration founded for elements in artisanal honeys was: K > P > Mg > Ca > Na > B > Fe > Mn > Ba > Zn > Sr, while for commercial honeys was: K > Na > Mg > P > Ca > Fe > B > Mn > Zn > Sr > Ba. Minerals as As, Cd, Pb, and Hg were not detected in honey samples. The method showed good precision (< 5%), accuracy (90–115% recovery) and the limits of quantification and detection were acceptable for each element. By comparison of mineral composition between artisanal and commercial Venezuelan honeys, a not clear tendency was observed, reflecting that the mineral content is influenced by many environmental parameters, even by the preservation and processing strategies used for the treatment of commercial honeys. This research represents a good input due to the limited information related to mineral content in the Venezuelan honeys, considering the special characteristics as a tropical country, suitable for apiculture and with a great potential for growth the marketing of this product.