Blossom Honey Research Articles

Quality evaluation of Saudi honey harvested from the Asir province by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Sugar profile and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) of Saudi honey were examined through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system equipped with refractive index and diode array detectors. The work was designed to assess the quality of various types of blossom honey i.e. Sider (Ziziphus spina-christi), Dhuhyana (Acacia asak), Sumra (Acacia tortilis), Qatada (Acacia hamulosa), Dhurum (Lavandula dentata), multiflora with majra (Hypoestes forskaolii), multiflora with herbs, Keena (Eucalyptus spp.) produced in the southwestern areas of the kingdom. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal cluster analysis (PCA), and similarity and difference indices (SDI) were also applied to examine the possible grouping based on the studied quality parameters. Four main sugars (two monosaccharides i.e. fructose and glucose, two disaccharides i.e. sucrose and maltose) and HMF were investigated . The average values of fructose and glucose were in the range 33.10%–44.77% and 26.68%–37.91%, respectively. The maltose was present in all types of honey and its mean values were in the range of 0.37%–2.97%, while sucrose was absent in six types of honey, 0.25% in one unifloral honey, and 3.25% in one multi-floral honey. HMF was not detected in seven types of honey but was below the limit of quantification (0.13 mg/kg) in one type of honey. PCA displayed the accumulative variance of 79.96% for the initial two PCs suggesting that honey samples were not well distinguished by their sugar profile. Based on the sucrose and HMF contents, it was concluded that all types of blossom honey from the Asir province were of the best quality in the kingdom and met the international quality parameters.

Bio-functional alcoholic beverage preparation using prickly pear juice and its pulp in combination with sugar and blossom honey

A bio-functional alcoholic beverage using prickly pear juice and its pulp, in combination with sugar and blossom honey was studied. A simulation procedure was carried out by preparing different ethanolic extracts (5, 12, and 40% of ethanol, v/v) of the juice and its pulp, representing some typical alcoholic drinks (i.e., beer, wine, and whiskey), and estimating the in vitro antioxidant activity along with total phenolic content using spectrometric assays. Afterwards, alcoholic fermentation was carried out on the juice extracts, and its pulp using commercially available Saccharomyces cerevisiae and a blend of sugar and blossom honey. The aroma profile was also estimated using headspace solid phase micro-extraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results showed that the different ethanolic extracts of juice and its pulp showed considerable in vitro antioxidant activity (43 ± 15% to 61 ± 3%, respectively) and total phenolic content (5.8 ± 1.7 to 9.8 ± 5.5 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/ml) according to production area. In addition, the alcoholic fermentation resulted in a bio-functional alcoholic beverage with an attractive appearance and higher antioxidant activity (64 ± 0.1%) and total phenolic content (7.6 ± 0.4 mg GAE/ml) than the juice, having a fruity aroma and distinctive taste due to alcohols and ethyl esters.

Quality and origin characterisation of Portuguese, Greek, Oceanian, and Asian honey, based on poly-parametric analysis hand in hand with dimension reduction and classification techniques

Chestnut, heather, honeydew, multifloral, orange blossom and thyme honey samples obtained either from beekeepers or supermarkets from Portugal, Greece, Oceania and Asia, were characterised by means of poly-parametric analysis: palynological, °Brix, moisture, pH, electrical conductivity, free acidity, total dissolved solids, salinity, vitamin C, specific weight, CIELAB colour parameters, Pfund and colour intensity determinations, along with bio-activity and volatile compounds analyses were carried out. Results showed that the botanical and geographical origin of honey samples had a similar impact on the determined parameters, using dimension reduction and classification techniques. Among them, moisture, °Brix, electrical conductivity, salinity, pH, colour parameters L* and b*, colour intensity, 1-hydroxy-2-propanone, benzaldehyde, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, HMF and benzeneacetaldehyde were the potential markers related to the geographical and botanical origin of six honey varieties from different countries. Finally, the identification of methylglyoxal in Portuguese honeydew honey creates the basis for new research on the isolation and identification of this compound in European honey.

Classification of honeydew and blossom honeys by principal component analysis of physicochemical parameters

Classification of honeydew and blossom honeys by principal component analysis of physicochemical parameters

Triclosan treatment to pregnant albino rats affects offspring numbers and the liver of both the pregnant rats and their offspring, and these effects are ameliorated by co-treatment with bee honey.

We have assessed the effects of the broad-spectrum bactericide triclosan on the liver of pregnant albino rats and their offspring, and evaluated the protective potential of bee honey, which has radical-scavenging properties. The study involved treatment of 72 pregnant rats followed by examination of the pregnant rats and their offspring. The pregnant rats were divided equally into six groups (I-VI), each of which was subdivided equally into two Subgroups (A and B). Rats in the A subgroups were gavaged with a daily dose of 1.26 ml distilled water (IA), 1 ml corn oil (IIA), 1.68 ml aqueous solution of Clover Blossom honey (IIIA), 0.3 mg triclosan (IVA), 13 mg triclosan (VA), or 1.68 ml aqueous solution of honey with 13 mg triclosan (VIA), throughout pregnancy. Rats in the B subgroups received the same treatments throughout pregnancy and for 14 days after delivery. At the end of the experiments, the offspring's numbers were recorded and blood samples were taken from the pregnant rats for analysis. The livers of the studied groups were subjected for; histological study, morphometric analysis, and biochemical estimation of markers of oxidative stress. The results showed that the acceptable daily intake of triclosan did not induce significant pathological changes in the liver while high dose of triclosan induced pathological changes in the livers and reduced the numbers of offspring. Co-administration of honey with triclosan ameliorated most pathological change. Therefore, decrease the exposure of the pregnant women to triclosan is encouraged or co-supplementation with bee honey if exposure could not be avoided.

Evaluation of Pollen and Chemical Composition of Honey Samples Sourced from Open Markets in Anambra State, Nigeria to Ascertain their Authenticity

Aims: To ascertain the predominant honey plants that served as major sources of nectar and or pollen to the honeybees and to determine the quantitative presence of some physico-chemical components of the honey samples.
 Study Design: The honey samples were collected from the various locations based on purposive sampling.
 Place and Duration of Study: The samples were collected from seven towns in three Local Government Areas of Anambra State as follows; Ukpor, Usumenyi and Ezinifite (Nnewi South LGA), Nnokwa, Alor and Nnobi (Idemmili South LGA) and Ezinifite (Aguata LGA) between January and April, 2013.
 Methodology: The honey samples were dissolved in warm (40ºC) acidified water and subsequently subjected to acetolysis treatment. The recovered residues were suspended in glycerol-alcohol mixture in vials from where samples were collected for routine pollen count and identification. The chemical analysis was carried out according to the analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists with four replicates. The pollen data were converted to percentage, while data from chemical parameters were converted to mean and standard deviation.
 Results: A total of 67 pollen types belonging to 39 families were identified. The honey samples were grouped into two based on the botanical origin: three monofloral and four polyfloral honeys. The predominant honey plants include Hymenocardia acida, Combtretaceae/Melastomataceae, Lannea sp., Alchornea cordifolia and Phyllanthus muellerianus. The chemical analysis showed that the values of all the parameters (moisture, pH, Sucrose, Protein, Hydroxymethyl furfural, etc) tested were within the acceptable limits of international honey standard. However, the sum of glucose and fructose in three honey samples did not meet the 60g/100g recommended as minimum limit for blossom honeys.
 Conclusion: The chemical analysis showed that the honey samples contained acceptable standard concentrations of all the physicochemical parameters (such as HMF, protein, moisture, sucrose, etc.) tested with exception of the sum of glucose and fructose which did not meet the standard in some samples. The predominant honey plants that served as sources of nectar and pollen in the to the bees include Hymenocardia acida, Lannea sp., Phyllanthus muellerianus and members of the Combretaceae/Melastomataceae families.

Radiocaesium in Honey from Košice and Prešov Regions in Eastern Slovakia

Abstract The activity of radiocaesium was measured in 50 samples of blossom and honeydew honey obtained in the years 2017 and 2018 from beekeepers from various localities of Košice and Prešov regions, eastern Slovakia. The measurements were carried out by gamma spectrometry in Marinelli-type vessels of volume 450 ml without any previous processing of samples. The activity of radiocaesium in honey samples were low, below the detection level of 0.2 Bq.kg−1 in the majority of samples, and was near the levels measured before the Chernobyl disaster. Higher values were detected in honeydew honey compared to the blossom honey. Consumption of honey from the regions presents no risk of exposure to 137Cs.

Polyphenols in Brazilian organic honey and their scavenging capacity against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species

Honey is an easily accessible honey bee product, increasingly popular due to its biological activities and beneficial effects on human health. This study aimed to evaluate the capacity of samples of organic blossom honey and honeydew honey from southern Brazil exported to consumers worldwide to deactivate reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen species (RNS), as well as to characterize their phenolic profile and the content of vitamin C. All the honey extracts analyzed displayed high content of phenolic compounds (49.79–117.68 mg gallic acid equivalents/g honey polyphenol extract) and high capacity to deactivate peroxyl radical (ROO•), hypochlorous acid (HOCl), and nitric oxide (NO•). Honeydew honeys exhibited up to 6 mg ascorbic acid per 100 g. Based on the phenolic profile as well as on ROS and RNS scavenging, all the organic honeys analyzed were grouped using multivariate analysis. Therefore, the analyzed eight organic honeys produced in southern Brazil can be considered as good sources of bioactive phenolic compounds.

Antibacterial potential of Swiss honeys and characterisation of their bee-derived bioactive compounds.

Antibacterial activity of honey is not only crucial characteristic in selection of honey for medical usage but also an important honey quality marker. The aim of the study was to characterise the antibacterial potential of 29 honey samples representing the main types of multi-floral blossom and honeydew honeys produced in Switzerland. Antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was expressed as a minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC). Furthermore, the content of bee-derived glucose oxidase (GOX) and its enzymatic product, H2 O2 , were also evaluated. All honey samples successfully met basic defined criteria (moisture and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF)) tested in this study. Honeydew honeys were the most effective honey samples and generated the highest levels of H2 O2 . A strong significant correlation was found between the overall antibacterial activity and the level of H2 O2 among all honey samples. Interestingly, the content of GOX in honey samples did not correlate with their antibacterial activity as well as H2 O2 production capacity. A weak antibacterial activity was determined in five floral honeys, most likely due to increased enzymatic activity of pollen-derived catalase. This study showed that antibacterial effect of Swiss honey samples is associated mainly with H2 O2 . © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Two-Way Characterization of Beekeepers' Honey According to Botanical Origin on the Basis of Mineral Content Analysis Using ICP-OES Implemented with Multiple Chemometric Tools.

Asfaka, fir, flower, forest flowers and orange blossom honeys harvested in the wider area of Hellas by professional beekeepers, were subjected to mineral content analysis using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The main purpose of this study was to characterize the mineral profile and content of toxic metals such as lead, cadmium and chromium, and investigate whether specific minerals could assist accurately in the botanical origin discrimination with implementation of chemometrics. Twenty-five minerals were identified (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Si, Ti, Tl, V, Zn) and quantified. Results showed that the mineral content varied significantly (p < 0.05) according to honey botanical origin, whereas lead, cadmium, and chromium contents ranged between 0.05–0.33 mg kg−1, <0.05 mg kg−1, and in the range of <0.12 to 0.39 mg kg−1, respectively. Fir honeys from Aitoloakarnania region showed the highest mineral content (182.13 ± 71.34 mg kg−1), while flower honeys from Samos Island recorded the highest silicon content (16.08 ± 2.94 mg kg−1). Implementation of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), factor analysis (FA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and stepwise discriminant analysis (SDA) led to the perfect classification (100%) of these honeys according to botanical origin with the use of Al, As, Ca, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Si, Zn and total mineral content. However, the higher lead content in the majority of samples than the regulated upper limit (0.10 mg kg−1), sets the need for further improvements of the beekeepers’ practices/strategies for honey production.

Preliminary Study on Effect of Agricultural Activities in Pollen Spectrum of Argentinean Honey

Abstract Honey floral origin is determined by the harversting region, but anthropogenic factors as agriculture expansion might modify the environmental flora and consequently honey floral origin. Argentina is one of the most important honey producers worldwide which, since the 1990s, has undergone an important agriculture transformation by the adoption of transgenic crops like soybean (Glycine max). However, little is known about the effects of this anthropogenic activity on the floral origin of honey or the statistical tools that could be used to analyse it. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact that these environmental modifications have on the pollen spectrum of honey. In order to achieve this, thirty-two samples of blossom honey were collected from three different ecoregions of the Buenos Aires province: Parana Delta and Islands, Espinal and Pampa, in two different years: 1999 and 2014. The pollen spectrum of honey samples was determined and the data obtained was analysed with multivariate statistical techniques. It could be concluded that the pollen composition of honeys from different ecoregions has significantly changed in the past years because of agriculture expansion and adaptation of transgenic crops (p=0.007). Honey samples harvested in 1999 were characterized by high values of Helianthus annuus, while in 2014 an important presence of Eryngium sp., Gleditsia triacanthos, Baccharis type, Trifolium sp. and Glycine max was observed. The present results show that honey palynological results and multivariate statistical analysis could be used as a preliminary attempt to evaluate environmental modifications.

Antibacterial Activity of Different Blossom Honeys: New Findings.

Antibacterial activity is the most investigated biological property of honey. The goal of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of 57 Slovak blossom honeys against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and investigate the role of several bioactive substances in antibacterial action of honeys. Inhibitory and bactericidal activities of honeys were studied to determine the minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations. The contents of glucose oxidase (GOX) enzyme, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and total polyphenols (TP) were determined in honeys. We found that honey samples showed different antibacterial efficacy against the tested bacteria as follows: wildflower honeys > acacia honeys > rapeseed honeys. Overall antibacterial activity of the honeys was statistically-significantly correlated with the contents of H2O2 and TP in honeys. A strong correlation was found between the H2O2 and TP content. On the other hand, no correlation was found between the content of GOX and level of H2O2. Antibacterial activity of 12 selected honeys was markedly reduced by treatment with catalase, but it remained relatively stable after inactivation of GOX with proteinase-K digestion. Obtained results suggest that the antibacterial activity of blossom honeys is mainly mediated by H2O2 levels present in honeys which are affected mainly by polyphenolic substances and not directly by GOX content.

Differentiation of honeydew honeys and blossom honeys: a new model based on colour parameters.

The present study aimed to differentiate Mimosa scabrella Bentham (bracatinga) honeydew honeys from blossom honeys, with and without addition of heat treatment, and bracatinga honeydew honeys adulterated with blossom honeys (5, 15 and 25% of blossom honeys), using chromatic characterization associated with chemometric analysis. Bracatinga honeydew honeys presented unusual chromatic characteristics which allowed differentiation of blossom honeys by principal components analysis. Additionally, a classification model was developed in order to establish clear rules that characterize each group of honey. The proposed model correctly classified bracatinga honeydew honey and blossom honey samples, with and without heat treatment. Only two samples adulterated with 5% blossom honey were misclassified. The chromatic analysis associated with chemometric analysis showed promising perspectives for its exploitation being able to be used for screening and selection of bracatinga honeydew honey, fresh or thermally treated as well as fraud detection.

Detection of key factors affecting specific optical rotation determination in honey

ABSTRACTThe effects of honey type (X1), liquefaction temperature (X2) and timing (X3), prefiltering (X4), sample weight (X5), dilution volume (X6), Carrez I (X7) and Carrez II volume (X8), final filtering (X9), polarimeter tube length (X10) and reading system (X11) on the determination of the specific optical rotation (SOR, R1) determination were investigated using the fractional experimental design . X1 and X11 showed strong influence as key factors. Although X1 differentiate blossom from honeydew honey, X11 can mistake the determination of this parameter and thus the classification of honeys. This study sets an uncertain interval (−5º to +5º) of overlapping between the SOR of blossom and honeydew honeys. Automatic polarimeter system showed lower variability than manual. Factors affecting pH (R2) and electrical conductivity (EC, R3) of working solutions were identified as X4, X6, X8, X11; and X4, X7, X8, X11, respectively.

Shotgun metagenomics of honey DNA: Evaluation of a methodological approach to describe a multi-kingdom honey bee derived environmental DNA signature.

Honey bees are considered large-scale monitoring tools due to their environmental exploration and foraging activities. Traces of these activities can be recovered in the honey that also may reflect the hive ecological micro-conditions in which it has been produced. This study applied a next generation sequencing platform (Ion Torrent) for shotgun metagenomic analysis of honey environmental DNA (eDNA). The study tested a methodological framework to interpret DNA sequence information useful to describe the complex ecosystems of the honey bee colony superorganism, its pathosphere and the heterogeneity of the agroecological environments and environmental sources that left DNA marks in the honey. Analysis of two honeys reported sequence reads from five main organism groups (kingdoms or phyla): arthropods (that mainly included reads from Apis mellifera, several other members of the Hymenotpera, in addition to members of the Diptera, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, as well as aphids and mites), plants (that clearly confirmed the botanical origin of the two honeys, i.e. orange tree blossom and eucalyptus tree blossom honeys), fungi and bacteria (including common hive and honey bee gut microorganisms, honey bee pathogens and plant pathogens), and viruses (which accounted for the largest number of reads in both honeys, mainly assigned to Apis mellifera filamentous virus). The shotgun metagenomic approach that was used in this study can be applied in large scale experiments that might have multiple objectives according to the multi-kingdom derived eDNA that is contained in the honey.

The effect of different types of honey on healing infected wounds.

To investigate the effects of treatments of 'mad honey', blossom honey and nitrofurazone on infected wound healing. Male albino Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: 'mad honey' (MH), blossom honey (BH), nitrofurazone (N) and control (C). All rats were anaesthetised intraperitoneally. A circular skin incision was made to the back regions. Grafts containing slime-producing Staphylococcus epidermidis were placed on the incision area and then sutured to the skin. Infection in the wound area was confirmed after 48 hours. Wounds were dressed twice daily with the various treatment materials. Rats were randomly euthanised on days 7 or 14, and tissue samples taken. Tissue samples were assessed for hydroxyproline (HP), tensile strength (TS) and macroscopic measurement (area and intensity). HP levels were higher in the treatment groups (MH, BH, N) at days 7 and 14 compared with the control group. 'Group x day' interaction was found in the HP levels (p=0.015). Increases in HP levels in the MH and N groups between days 7 and 14 were significantly higher than those in the other groups (p<0.05). Intensity was significantly lower in the control group and significantly higher in group MH compared with the other groups. Significant 'group x day' interaction was observed in intensity (p=0.006). TS was significantly lower on day 7 than on day 14 (p=0.022). No marked difference was observed between the groups, nor any 'group x day' interaction, in terms of TS. Honey administration successfully healed infected wounds. However, there was no significant difference between the effect of MH and that of N in terms of wound healing.

Physicochemical characteristics of bracatinga honeydew honey and blossom honey produced in the state of Santa Catarina: An approach to honey differentiation

Due to the increasing demand and interest of the consumers of bracatinga honeydew honey, it becomes important to know its characteristics in order to guarantee the quality of this dark honey. It is also necessary to investigate possible parameters that easily determine their differentiation from other honeys, thus guaranteeing their authenticity. Therefore, in the present study, the physicochemical characteristics and the reducing/scavenging proprieties of 16 bracatinga (Mimosa scabrella Bentham) honeydew honey samples and 25 blossom honey (different botanical origin) samples from Santa Catarina, Brazil, were investigated. Bracatinga honeydew honeys were defined by its high free acidity, electrical conductivity and reducing/scavenging capacity, and low glucose content.Still, these specific parameters allowed the differentiation between bracatinga honeydew honeys and blossom honeys, from the of principal component analysis, contributing to the differentiation of these honeys.

Towards better quality criteria of European honeydew honey: Phenolic profile and antioxidant capacity

Concerning the particular nutritive value of honeydew honey compared to blossom honey, and small number of studies defining botanical origin of honeydew honey, comprehensive analysis of phenolic profile of 64 honeydew honey samples of specific botanical origin was performed. Two advanced techniques of liquid chromatography hyphenated with mass spectrometry were used for identification of a total of 52 compounds and quantification of 25 of them. Pattern recognition analysis applied on data on phenolic compounds content confirmed that quercetin, naringenin, caffeoylquinic acid, hydroxyphenylacetic acid, apigenin and genistein, could be considered as potential markers of botanical origin of honeydew honey. Spectroscopic and electrochemical approaches were applied for the evaluation of the antioxidant capacity. Quercus sps. samples, Quercus frainetto and Quercus ilex, showed high biological activity and specific chemical composition. Additionally, cyclic voltammetry profiles were used for characterization and natural clustering of honeydew honey for the first time.

Quantification of Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria from Bohemian Honey

Abstract Honey, which has been used as an ancient remedy for infected wounds, has been shown in laboratory studies to have antimicrobial action against a spectrum of bacteria and fungi. Because very little quantitative information exists on the microbiota of honey, the aim of this study was to quantify the Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Gammaproteobacteria groups in samples of honeydew honey and blossom honey from six regions in the Czech Republic, using quantitative real-time PCR analysis with specific primers based on the 16S rRNA gene. Gammaproteobacteria and Firmicutes were clearly the most abundant, predominating Actinobacteria in both types of honey. Most of the Firmicutes were detected in samples from South Bohemia (mean gene copies per 1 g honey: 5.6 × 105) and Ústí nad Labem Region (3.7 × 105), which contained the lowest number of Gammaproteobacteria (15.5 × 103). The Actinobacteria were prevalent in samples from Plzeň (4.3 × 103) and Central Bohemia (5.4 × 103), where conversely the Firmicutes were least abundant. Honey thus contains bacterial species with probiotic activity and oligosaccharides which can act as prebiotics, suggesting that its incorporation into the human diet may potentially impart significant health benefits to consumers compared with ‘empty calories’ consumed as refined sugar.

Mineral profile as a potential parameter for verifying the authenticity of bracatinga honeydew honeys

The increasing demand for honeydew honeys by consumers has raised concerns regarding the authenticity of this product. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a classification model (Classification and Regression Tree) to differentiate Mimosa scabrella Bentham (bracatinga) honeydew honeys from blossom honeys. The model was then used to verify the authenticity of commercial samples of honeydew honey. A total of 67 honey samples were analyzed, including 13 bracatinga honeydew honeys, 20 blossom honeys, seven commercial bracatinga honeydew honeys and 27 bracatinga honeydew honeys blended (adulterated) with blossom honey (5, 15 and 25% of blossom honey). In the classification model developed clear parameters were established that characterized each group of honey and with its application all honeydew and blossom samples were correctly classified. Only two samples of adulterated honeydew honey were misclassified. Therefore, the proposed classification model shows promising perspectives for its application, aimed at improving authenticity verification and fraud detection with regard to bracatinga honeydew honeys.