Nutrients and other elements in honey from Azores and mainland Portugal

Abstract

The present study aims the identification and quantification of trace elements in samples of honey from the Azores and the Portuguese mainland. Elemental concentrations were determined for Al, Br, Cl, Cs, Cu, Eu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sb, and Zn. Some of these elements are essential dietary nutrients for humans. The essential elements, K and to a lesser extent Na and Cl were the most abundant in the honey samples. However, overall, the elemental content was very low, inferior to the recommended allowances for daily dietary intake (DDI), with the exception of Na whose concentration exceeded that of the recommended DDI. The results of the present investigation and data reported for other countries compare well. The honeys correlate much better when they are from Azores or from Portugal mainland, however, some good correlations were found between honeys from the islands and the mainland. The color of the honey, which depends of the flower-source, could have a role in the differences and similarities between the different honeys as suggested by the cluster analysis of the data. The correlation between honey, soil, tree bark and lichens, all collected in Azores, was poor.