Physicochemical characteristics of acacia and meadow honey from different regions of the Republic of Srpska/Bosnia and Herzegovina with an emphasis on the environment of beekeeping zones

Diana Bilic-Sobot

doi:10.2298/bah2001063b

Abstract

Honey is a thick, sweet, syrupy substance, the product of the honey-bee, Apis mellifera L., obtained from the collected fruit juices and other, processed in the stomach of bees and is a pure product with no additives of any other substance. The paper present physical-chemical analysis for the following parameters, performed on 20 honey samples: sugar content, sucrose content, moisture content, free acidity, electrical conductivity, mineral content, the content of HMF and content of matter insoluble in water. As important indicators of the environment, this paper emphasises the analyses on the presents of antibiotic residues in two types of honey. The importance of establishing these indicators is to protect nature, which is the basis of agricultural development in the Republic of Srpska. The work suggests that the described bee region presents qualitative honey produced by using the natural resources of a designated area as an economic sector for the survival and development of those parts of the Republic of Srpska.

Highlights

Honey as a primary product of the honey-bee, is a natural product, variable in colour, taste and smell and in its chemical composition and depends on the ecological environment and the vegetation of the honey plants (Bogdanov, 2009)
Physicochemical characteristics of acacia and meadow honey Results of physicochemical characteristics of two types of honey were presented in table 1 and 2
Environmental factors probably had no influence on a variation of redacted sugars in honey

Summary

Introduction

Honey as a primary product of the honey-bee, is a natural product, variable in colour, taste and smell and in its chemical composition and depends on the ecological environment and the vegetation of the honey plants (Bogdanov, 2009). Considering the number of possible sources of honey grazing, it is understandable that there is no completely identical honey from different localities (Ivanovic et al, 2015; Matović et al, 2018) While this is an under-clarified issue from the market demand perspective, at the same time, this diversity makes it possible to choose the type of honey with the best features. This variability can be the result of various factors, but in most cases, it is related to the botanical origin of honey and agroecological conditions (Kaškoniené and Venskutonis, 2010). Honey is considered a potential complete food, in terms of dietary standards, as a natural product, rich in simple and highly assimilable sugars, enzymes, amino and organic acids, vitamins, volatile oils, minerals, carotenoids, phenolic acids and flavonoids (Belitz et al, 2009; Milojković Opsenica et al, 2015)

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Conclusion