Abstract
A case study of Polish Melilotus officinalis honey was presented for the first time. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) (after steam distillation, Soxhlet extraction, ultrasonic solvent extraction, and solid phase extraction (SPE)) and targeted high performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector (HPLC-PAD) were applied to determine the characteristic components of honey. While ubiquitous in most honeys, carbohydrates, terpene derivatives, and phenylacetic acid dominated in the Soxhlet extracts (25.54%) and in the application of SPE (13.04%). In addition, lumichrome (1.85%) was found, and may be considered as a marker of this honey. Due to the presence of these compounds, Polish yellow sweet clover honey is similar to French lavender honeys. The major compounds determined in the methanolic extract were (+)-catechine (39.7%) and gallic acid (up to 30%), which can be regarded as specific chemical markers of the botanical origin of melilot honey. With respect to total phenolic and flavonoid contents, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays were determined spectrophotometrically. The honey exhibited a moderate antioxidant activity, typical for light honeys, which correlates well with its phenolic and flavonoid composition.
Highlights
Melilotus officinalis, known as yellow melilot or yellow sweet clover, is a member of the Fabaceae family
Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of dichloromethane extracts, obtained after steam distillation, Soxhlet extraction, and ultrasonic solvent extraction (USE) of three Polish sweet yellow clover honeys led to the identification of 82 volatile compounds
Volatile compounds present in Melilotus officinalis honey represent different groups of chemical entities; below we present the average content of the compounds present in the highest concentrations in all tested honey samples
Summary
Known as yellow melilot or yellow sweet clover, is a member of the Fabaceae family. It is a biennial aromatic herb, native to Europe and Asia, and has been considered a medicinal plant since ancient times. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used sweet clover herb to treat skin ulcers, while Dioscorides described melilot as an emollient and anti-edematous drug. Bock recommended melilot for emollient ulcers, abscesses, and as an analgesic agent. In 19th century medicine, herb and flowering shoots were used to prepare mush compresses, whereas an herbal tea found application as a wash and rinse for swelling and swollen glands, abscesses, and swelling of the lymph nodes. The flowers themselves, were applied in cases of cold, mucosity, and respiratory and gastrointestinal catarrh [1]
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