Abstract
Amino acid profile of four honey types - two monofloral (acacia and sunflower), one polyfloral (meadow honey) and forest honey (honeydew honey) collected from the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (Republic of Serbia) was determined using ion exchange chromatography. The results showed that proline was the dominant amino acid in all analyzed samples. Other amino acids present in substantial amounts were glutamic acid ˃ phenylalanine ˃ glycine ˃ serine in acacia and meadow honey samples, while sunflower was characterized by the presence of higher content of alanine compared to serine. Forest honey samples possessed the highest proline content and also the highest total amino acid content. Based on the amino acid contents, honey samples were classified using chemometric methods (cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA)). CA of different honey types could be applied to group honey types. According to the PCA, honey samples are clearly distinguished and form the specific groups. Therefore, amino acid profile could give an indication of honey botanical origin.
Highlights
Honey is a supersaturated solution of sugars, in which glucose and fructose dominate (85–95%), sucrose is present in a small amount and maltose and other oligo- and polysaccharides are present in traces (Alqarni et al, 2012)
Sakač et al (2019) discovered that acacia honey samples can be clearly grouped in a cluster, while distinguishing of sunflower and meadow honey samples can be possible using principal component analysis (PCA) for their separation based on physicochemical parameters (moisture, acidity, pH, ash, electrical conductivity, glucose, fructose, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), colour (CIE L*a*b*)) and mineral content
Amino acid profile can be considered valuable characteristic of honey botanical origin since pollen represents the main source of honey amino acids (Anklam, 1998)
Summary
Honey is a supersaturated solution of sugars, in which glucose and fructose dominate (85–95%), sucrose is present in a small amount (approximately 1%) and maltose and other oligo- and polysaccharides are present in traces (Alqarni et al, 2012). Honey contains more than 200 minor substances, including minerals, proteins, enzymes, amino and organic acids, vitamins, polyphenols, and other phytochemicals (Escuredo et al, 2013). Proteins and amino acids in honeys derive from animal or vegetal sources (Lee et al, 1985), including fluids and nectar secretions of the salivary glands of honeybees, but pollen represents the main source of proteins (Escuredo et al, 2013). The amino acid profile of honey could be characteristic of its botanical origin (Anklam, 1998; da Silva et al, 2016; Hermosín et al, 2003), but it varied depending on the geographical origin (Cometto et al, 2003). Free amino acid profiles of honey samples from Vojvodina (Republic of Serbia), Food and Feed Research, 46 (2), 179-187, 2019
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
