Quality of kapok honey in some areas of Apis mellifera honey cultivation in Central Java and East Java Province

Abstract

Java Island is a center for developing Apis mellifera bee cultivation due to the availability of honey bee feed plants. The most reliable plant species producing honey is kapok plant (Ceiba petandra), because the flowering period is around 2.5 months. This study aims to determine the quality of A.mellifera kapok honey from Central and East Java. Sampling was carried out by purposive sampling method in Pati District and Jepara District (Central Java Province) and Pasuruan District (East Java Province), which were the centers of honey production. To find out the quality of kapok honey, laboratory analysis of 9 honey samples from honey producers was done. The results showed that the acidity, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), reducing sugar and sucrose levels of all honey samples met SNI 8664-2018 standards, except honey water content which exceeded the SNI limit (maximum 22%). Kapok honey is acidic with a pH value of 4.0 to 4.5, white to light amber with an intensity value of 20 to 73 mm Pfund. The results of the phytochemical analysis that showed that the kapok honey in Pati District contained saponin active compounds, whereas honey from Jepara and Pasuruan District contained saponins and flavonoids which had the potential to be anti-bacterial and antioxidant.