Rape Honey Research Articles

Fluorescence spectroscopy combined with multilayer perceptron deep learning to identify the authenticity of monofloral honey—Rape honey

Honey authenticity is critical to honey quality. The development of a quick, easy, and non-destructive technique for determining the authenticity of honey encourages an improvement in honey quality. Here, the authenticity of monofloral honey—rape honey was determined using fluorescence spectroscopy combined with multilayer perceptron (MLP) deep learning, without the need for any prior feature extraction or pre-processing. A total of 91 raw fluorescence intensity data of the real and adulterated honey samples at a fixed excitation wavelength of 280 nm were first matrixed, and all data were then categorized into a training set, a validation set, and a test set with numbers of 64, 16, and 11, respectively. The connection with dropout was selected to build and link the MLP internal network. The activation function, learning rate, optimizer, and number of epochs were among the hyperparameters of the MLP neural network that were tuned. A good MLP deep learning network model for determining the authenticity of monofloral honey, rape honey, was developed after constant validation and debugging. According to the accuracy curve of the MLP model, the accuracy of the training set increased with the number of epochs and eventually converged to 100 %, while the accuracy of the validation set could be well stabilized at about 100 % after 5000 epochs. Finally, the accuracy of the MLP model on the test set was close to 100 %. According to our findings, the MLP neural network and fluorescence intensity have great potential applications in identifying the authenticity of honey.

Radiofrequency affects the decrystallization efficiency and physicochemical properties of rape honey via crystal structure modification and inactivating enzyme

Crystallization degrades the physicochemical properties of honey and reduces consumer acceptance. To address this issue, radiofrequency was developed to investigate the decrystallization efficiency and quality impact mechanism of rape honey. The results showed that radiofrequency significantly decreased the number and size of crystals, leading to shortening the decrystallization time to less than 10 min. The response surface optimization methodology further indicated that the highest decrystallization rate (98.72 ± 0.34 %) and lower 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (2.45 ± 0.12 mg/kg) contents were obtained. Furthermore, radiofrequency changed the honey from a pseudoplastic into a Newtonian fluid efficiently due to the volumetric heating feature. It is worth noting that the inactivation of glucose oxidase reduced the antibacterial capacity, while the increase in total phenolic and flavonoid contents improved the antioxidant capacity of rape honey. In summary, current findings indicated that radiofrequency is a potential alternative decrystallization technology for water baths.

Rapid in situ identification of honey authenticity based on RP-Nano-ESI-MS using online desalting

High-content sugar in honey frequently results in severe matrix effects and requires complex pretreatment prior to analysis, posing significant challenges for the rapid analysis of honey. In this study, the reversal polarity nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (RP-Nano-ESI-MS) analysis was developed for the direct evaluation of honey samples. The results indicated that RP-Nano-ESI-MS significantly mitigated the matrix effects induced by high-content sugar through the implementation of online desalting. Furthermore, RP-Nano-ESI-MS has been proven capable of not only differentiating acacia honey adulterated with 10% rape honey, but also effectively distinguishing six types of honey and exhibiting remarkable proficiency in detecting honey adulteration and botanical traceability. Additionally, RP-Nano-ESI-MS exhibited strong quantitative abilities, effectively characterizing variations in amino acid composition among six types of honey with high stability and reproducibility. Our studies underscore the significant potential of RP-Nano-ESI-MS for its rapid in situ analysis of sugar-rich foods like honey, especially in their authenticity verification.

Classification of acacia, rape and multifloral Hungarian honey types

The composition of honey is mostly determined by the species-specific characteristics of flowering plants, which is reflected in the significant deviations in composition of honey varieties. The high-quality acacia honey is assessed based on both physical-chemical parameters and melissopalynology. The appearance of rape pollen in acacia honey makes the acacia honey be sorted into the multifloral honey category. Over carrying out melissopalynology, the149 samples of various honeys (acacia, rape and multifloral) have also been analysed by using physical-chemical and elemental analysis. Multivariate data analysis revealed that multifloral honey is much closer to acacia honey than to rape honey, as it can be observed from the examined unique parameters. By the PCA (Principal Component Analysis) analysis based on united set of physico-chemical and melissopalynology results the acacia and rape honey samples are entirely separated for each other, while multifloral honey samples are very close to acacia honey group and partially overlap with it. On ignoring the pollen analysis and based on the rest of the results, the multifloral honey category is almost indistinguishable from the declared and verified acacia honey category.

Analysis of Free Amino Acid Composition and Honey Plant Species in Seven Honey Species in China.

Honey is well-known as a food product that is rich in active ingredients and is very popular among consumers. Free amino acids (FAAs) are one of the important nutritional components of honey, which can be used not only as a nutritional indicator of honey but also as an indicator of plant source identification. In this study, the contents of 20 FAAs in seven types of honey from 11 provinces in China were examined for the first time. The 20 FAAs were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). By analyzing 93 honey samples from seven types of honey, the FAAs were found to range from 394.4 mg/kg (linden honey) to 1771.7 mg/kg (chaste honey). Proline ranged from 274.55 to 572.48 mg/kg, and methionine was only present in some of the linden honey, chaste honey, acacia honey, and rape honey. Evaluated by amino acid principal component analysis, multifloral grassland honey had the highest overall evaluation score, acacia and jujube honey were the most similar, while chaste honey was the least similar to the other types of honey. In addition, DNA was extracted from 174 Xinjiang grassland honey samples and different plant leaves for PCR and sequencing to identify the species of nectar plants. As a result, 12 families and 25 species of honey plants were identified. The results confirmed the diversity of FAAs in dissimilar types and sources of honey. This study provides a reference for expanding honey quality standards and verifying the authenticity of honey.

Honey differentiation with FTIR-ATR spectroscopy – Comparison with physicochemical parameters of a Polish honey sample set

The varietal discrimination of honey is important because its bioactive properties, as well as specific characteristics, depend on the botanical origin. The present study aimed to verify the discriminatory power of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) for differentiating Polish honeys and compare the results with the discrimination power of a model built on the basis of selected physicochemical parameters. For this purpose, buckwheat, rape, acacia, heather, goldenrod, and coniferous honeydew honeys were collected from trustworthy apiaries in different regions of Poland. The samples were further authenticated using pollen analysis and tested by means of FT-IR and the attenuated total reflection (ATR) technique. Basic psychochemical parameters were also assessed. The obtained data were analyzed by means of principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The obtained models were validated with a leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) procedure. PCA analysis confirmed the usefulness of the ATR FT-IR method as a honey differentiation tool. The LDA for the FT-IR model allowed to correctly classify 26 out of 32 samples (81.3% accuracy), which was only slightly lower than for data the model based on the physiochemical characteristics (27 out of 32 samples and 84.4% accuracy), revealing a certain potential of FT-IR as fast evaluation method.

Hydroxymethylfurfural content of old honey samples – Does the sticky treat really last forever?

Honey is thought to be a food source with indefinite shelf life - this statement is questioned in present work by analysing the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content of a unique series of old honeys from 1959 to 2020. Two special series are included where honey was produced and kept yearly by the same beekeeper for 30 years. Application development was carried out for White method by scaling down the volumes for the analysis. The HMF content of acacia honeys vary in a wide range (9–1320 mg/kg honey), but tendentially increase with age. However, rape and sunflower honeys show a remarkably high offset compared to the expected trendline and there is no observable pattern in their HMF level plotted against the year of collection. Even the youngest rape and sunflower honeys exceeded the threshold limit of 40 mg/kg and only acacia samples collected after 2015 remained below the accepted health value.

Physicochemical parameters of Bulgarian monofloral rape and lime honeys

The quality of human life is mainly determined by the quality and safety of consumed food. The purpose of the present study was physicochemical characterization of Bulgarian monofloral bee honeys. A total of 40 honey samples (rape n=14 and lime n=26) were analysed. Botanical origin of the honey samples was determined by mellisopalynological analysis. Color (mm Pfund), water content (%), electrical conductivity (mS.cm-1), specific rotation ([α]20D), pH, diastase (Gothe units), invertase (U.kg-1), proline (mg.kg-1), hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF, mg.kg-1) were assessed in order to provide physicochemical characterization. In the present study monofloral rape and lime honeys meet the quality standards of European legislation for the parameters studied. The results confirmed that physicochemical properties of honeys were closely related to their floral sources. The honeys produced in Bulgaria are of good quality in relation to the studied parameters, confirming the general image of products with high quality. Significant linear correlations were confirmed between diastase and invertase in rape honey and also between color and electrical conductivity in lime honey.

Simultaneous determination of trigonelline and caffeine and its application in the identification of Chinese Citrus, Coffee and Rape honey

Simultaneous determination of trigonelline and caffeine and its application in the identification of Chinese Citrus, Coffee and Rape honey

Comprehensive Investigation of Fluoroquinolone Residues in Apis mellifera and Apis cerana Honey and Potential Risks to Consumers: A Five-Year Study (2014-2018) in Zhejiang Province, China.

As a group of antibiotics largely used in China's animal husbandry, fluoroquinolone (FQ) residues in honey may pose potential threats to human health. This study performed a five-year investigation on the occurrence of FQ residues in honey in 521 Apis mellifera and 160 Apis cerana honey samples collected from Zhejiang Province, China and compared FQ residue profiles in honey with a subgroup of various factors. Deterministic and probabilistic risk assessments of exposure to FQ residues in honey were further conducted. Overall, four FQs were detected in 6.9% (47/681) of analyzed samples; banned norfloxacin with the highest level (7890 μg·kg-1) and detection frequency (4.9%) was the primary safety risk factor associated with honeybees raised in China. FQ detection frequency and concentration of rape honey was highest among four of the largest and most stable honeys (rape, acacia, chaste, and linden) in China. Processed honey from commercial sale channels had a significantly higher detection frequency of FQ residues than raw honey from apiaries. Deterministic assessment showed that the noncarcinogenic hazard quotient (HQ) value of the dietary intake of FQs by the local population was between 4.75 × 10-6 and 1.18 × 10-3, less than 1.0, indicating that FQ residues in honey posed a low risk for consumers. The order of the HQ value was ciprofloxacin > norfloxacin > enrofloxacin > ofloxacin. Probabilistic assessment showed that at P95, the HQ of FQs for the age groups of children, adolescents, adults, and older adults over 65 years ranged from 2.39 × 10-5 to 0.217, less than 1, and the exposure risk for adults was higher than for children and adolescents. Sensitivity analysis showed that FQ concentrations were the major contributors to health risks. Although a low risk was found, a strict hive management is needed for beekeepers regarding troubles of food safety, international trade, and human bacterial resistance.

Simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analyses of volatile components in Chinese honey of six botanical origins using headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Honey aroma is one of its most important properties and it depends on the qualitative and quantitative composition of the volatile compounds. The volatile profile of honey could reveal its botanical origin to avoid a false characterization. Thus, it is of great significance to honey authentication. This study developed and validated a headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) method for simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analyses of 34 volatile components in honey. The developed method was applied to 86 honey samples from six different botanical origins, including linden honey, rape honey, jujube honey, vitex honey, lavender honey and acacia honey. The volatile fingerprints and quantitative results were simultaneously obtained by using the SCAN+SIM mass spectrometry scanning mode. The limits of quantifications (LOQs) and limits of detections (LODs) of 34 volatile compounds were in the ranges of 1-10 ng/g and 0.3-3 ng/g, respectively. And the spiked recoveries ranged between 70.6% and 126.2%, with the relative standard deviations (RSDs) not higher than 45.4%. A total of 98 volatile compounds were found with relative contents determined, and the 34 volatile compounds were determined with absolute concentrations. Based on the volatile fingerprints and the contents of volatile compounds, honey samples from six botanical origins were well classified by principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least-squares discrimination analysis. The HS-SPME-GC-MS method was successfully applied to achieve the volatile fingerprints of six types of honey and to absolute quantitative analyze of 34 volatile compounds with satisfying sensitivity and accuracy. Chemometrics analysis showed significant correlations between honey types and volatiles. These results reveal the characteristics of volatile compounds in six types of unifloral honey and provide some supports for honey authentication. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

C/H/O stable isotope of rape honey and its components combined with machine learning algorithmsto identify geographical origin.

The distribution of rape honey is among the largest and most diverse of all honeys available to humankind with respect to the geographical origin. Accurate isotopic reference values for rape honey are therefore important for precise verification of honey origin and its traceability. New combined rape honey δ13 C, δ2 H, and δ18 O values in combination with values on its compounds (protein and saccharides) were used to complement existing databases to better identify the geographical origin of Chinese rape honey. Traceability methods based on elemental analyzer isotope ratio mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography isotope ratio mass spectrometry were established for geographical origin of rape honey. Rape honey harvested in the high-altitude region (QH; Qinghai) had significantly higher values (1.4 to 5.3‰ for δ13 C, 7.9 to 12.9‰ for δ2 Hprotein ) for the δ13 C of whole honey (-23.8‰), its protein (-24.4‰), fructose (-23.5‰), glucose (-23.6‰), and disaccharide (-24.7‰), and also δ2 H of the protein (103.5‰) than those in low-altitude regions (HB; Hubei, SC; Sicuan, and JS; Jingsu). The δ18 Orape honey was a useful index to differentiate whether rape honey from coastal (JS) or non-coastal (HB, SC, and QH) regions. The δ13 C, δ2 H, and δ18 O values in rape honey are affected by geographical factors, such as temperature and altitude. The δ13 Cprotein and δ13 Crape honey values were better to identify the geographical origin of rape honey than δ13 Csaccharides . The δ18 O and δ2 H values of rape honey protein were more suitable for traceability than those of rape honey. The combination of the δ13 C, δ2 H, and δ18 O values of rape honey and its extracted protein and saccharides improved the precision of three models (linear discriminant analysis, SVM, and random forest) used to discriminate rape honey from different regions in China. The SVM model obtained the best accuracy (93.2%). Stable isotopes could be significant predictors in determining the geographical origin of rape honey.

Honey authentication and adulteration detection using emission – excitation spectra combined with chemometrics

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of emission-excitation matrices for honey authentication and adulteration detection. For this purpose, 4 types of authentic honeys (tilia, sunflower, acacia and rape) and samples adulterated with different adulteration agents (agave, maple, inverted sugar, corn and rice in different percentages – 5%, 10% and 20%) were analysed. Each honey type and each adulteration agent exhibit unique emission-excitation spectra that can be used for the classification according to the botanical origin and for the detection of adulteration. The principal component analysis clearly separated the rape, sunflower and acacia honeys. The partial least squares – discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and support vector machines (SVM) were used in a binary mode to separate the authentic honeys from the adulterated ones, and the SVM proved to separate much better than PLS-DA.

Detection of Low-Level Adulteration of Hungarian Honey Using near Infrared Spectroscopy

Honey adulteration is a worldwide problem; however, its detection is a challenge for researchers and authorities. There are numerous ways of honey counterfeiting; amongst them, direct adulteration is one of the most common methods. Correlative techniques, such as near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), are useful tools in the detection of honey adulteration; however, this method has not been applied to Hungarian honeys. The aim of this research was to investigate the performance of NIRS for the detection of sugar syrup addition to Hungarian honeys at lower concentration levels (<10% w/w). Acacia, rape, forest, sunflower, and linden honeys were mixed with high-fructose-content sugar syrup, rice syrup, or self-made glucose fructose syrup in 3%, 5%, and 10% w/w. NIRS analysis was performed in the spectral range of 950–1650 nm. Principal component analysis was coupled with linear discriminant analysis and partial least square regression models were built for the classification and prediction of adulteration levels, respectively. Our results showed that the performance of NIRS highly depends on both type of syrup and honey. PCA-LDA models provided the 100% correct classification of control in the case of all the models, while PLSR results could predict the added sugar syrup content in the case of rice and F40 syrup models, obtaining >2.2 RPDCV value.

Honey quality detection based on near-infrared spectroscopy

As a natural agricultural product, honey is favored by consumers, and its variety and adulteration have a huge impact on the quality. Acacia honey, red jujube honey and rape honey were used as experimental objects, and their spectral reflectance curves were obtained through a near-infrared spectral image acquisition system. Spectral features were extracted from the preprocessed spectral reflectance curves, and a honey variety classification model based on near-infrared spectral features was established by machine learning. After statistical analysis, Principal Component Analysis Support Vector Machine after processing data through Successive Projections Algorithm (SPA-SVM) is the optimal classification model for three varieties of acacia honey, red jujube honey and rape honey, and the correct rate of honey variety classification reaches 95.83%. The spectral reflectance curve was used to establish a honey adulteration identification model based on the partial least squares-discriiminate analysis (PLS-DA), and the classification accuracy was 97.92% in the test set.

Effect of processing steps on phenolic profile of rape honey (Brassica napus) using HPLC-ECD

To evaluate the effects of processing steps in honey production on physicochemical properties and phenolic profile, the processing treatments of preheating (45/50/55 °C, 30 min), filtration (100/150/200 mesh) and moisture reduction (45/50/55 °C, 20 min, 0.09 MPa) were performed on rape honey (Brassica napus). The results showed that there was a significant decrease in the diastase activity during preheating and a significant increase in the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural content during moisture reduction. As for ten phenolic compounds determined in this study using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD), the process of moisture reduction with the temperature of 55 °C led to the most significant decrease in the content of phenolics. Compared with phenolic acids, thermal treatments had less effect on flavonoids. The concentrations of pollen grains enriched with phenolics reduced from 2.36 ± 0.11 to 0.46 ± 0.10 pollen grains·mm−2 after the process of filtration. Thus, the results indicated that the decrease of pollen concentrations caused by filtration and the temperature change during thermal treatments were considered to be the factors affecting the content of phenolic compounds. Taken together, even the mild processing treatments of honey may decrease the potential functional components and thus affecting the intrinsic quality of honey.

Alternative to Sugar, Honey Does Not Provoke Insulin Resistance in Rats Based on Lipid Profiles, Inflammation, and IRS/PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathways Modulation.

Insulin resistance (IR) is the central link to metabolic syndrome (MS), and IR prevention has become the key to overcoming this worldwide public health problem. A diet rich in simple sugars is an important pathogenic factor in IR development. To investigate the effect of honey on IR compared to the sugar-water diet, we analyzed phenolics and oligosaccharides in jujube honey and rape honey based on LC-MS and silane derivatization/GC-MS. The effects of different diets on glucose and lipid profile, histopathology and IR-related mechanism pathways were analyzed and compared by equal sugar levels intervention of fructose, fructose + glucose and two kinds of unifloral honey (high-/low-dose) in rats. The results suggested that sugar-equivalent honey, which differs from sugar solution, especially 17.1 g/kg BW jujube honey rich in phenolics (1.971 mg/100 g of isoquercitrin) and oligosaccharides (2.18 g/100 g of turanose), suppressed IR via maintaining glucose (OGTT and ITT) and lipid (TC, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, and NEFA) homeostasis, improving histological structural abnormalities of the liver, adipose and skeletal muscle, reducing oxidative stress (GSH-Px and MDA) and inflammation (IL-6 and TNF-α), modulating the NF-κB (NF-κB gene expression was down-regulated to 0.94) and IRS/PI3K/AKT signaling pathways (e.g., AKT and GLUT2 expression in liver increased by 4.56 and 13.37 times, respectively) as well as reshaping the gut microbiota. These revealed a potential nutritional contribution of substituting honey for simple sugar in the diet, providing a theoretical basis for controlling IR development via dietary modification and supplementation.

Antiviral and Antibacterial Effect of Honey Enriched with Rubus spp. as a Functional Food with Enhanced Antioxidant Properties.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of blackberry and raspberry fruits (1 and 4%) and leaves (0.5 and 1%) on the biological activities of rape honey. Honey and plant material extracts were analyzed regarding total phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin contents, HPTLC and HPLC polyphenol profiles, as well as antioxidant activity. The antiviral potential was analyzed against bacteriophage phi 6—a coronavirus surrogate—whereas antimicrobial was tested against S. aureus and E. coli. Blackberry extracts were more abundant in antioxidants than raspberry extracts, with better properties found for leaves than fruits and for cultivated rather than commercial plants. The addition of both Rubus plant additives significantly increased the antioxidant potential of honey by four-fold (for 4% fruits additive) to five-fold (for 1% of leaves). Honey with the addition of fruits possessed higher antiviral potential compared with raw rape honey (the highest for 4% of raspberry fruit and 1% of blackberry leaf additive). Honey enriched with Rubus materials showed higher antibacterial potential against S. aureus than rape honey and effectively inhibited S. aureus biofilm formation. To summarize, honey enriched with Rubus fruit or leaves are characterized by increased pro-health value and can be recommended as a novel functional food.

Effects of various components of artificial diets on survival, development and reproduction of Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

ABSTRACT The ladybird beetle, Coccinella septempunctata, is an important predator of soft-bodied insects. To further optimise an artificial diet for rearing the ladybird beetle, we investigated the effects of juvenile hormone (JH), honey, shrimp, rape pollen, lard, and other factors on the biological characteristics of C. septempunctata. Survival and pupation rates of larvae were decreased when JH and lard were added to the artificial diet; however, the addition of lard increased egg hatching to 73.70%, which was significantly higher than the control diet (50.56%). Adding honeybee pupae to the artificial diet shortened the preoviposition period to 7.64 d, compared to 10.36 d in the control diet. Adding honey, shrimp, and honeybee pupae to the diet resulted in 465.12, 452.35, and 423.01 eggs laid, respectively, which was significantly higher than the control diet. The pupation and emergence rates of C. septempunctata larvae fed an artificial diet without JH were significantly higher than those fed an artificial diet with JH; thus, JH and lard should not be added to artificial diets during the larval stage. During the adult stage, adding rape pollen, shrimp, honey, lard, and honeybee pupae to the diet could improve the fecundity of C. septempunctata. These results will be helpful for optimising artificial diets for the mass production of C. septempunctata.

The rapid detection of acacia honey adulteration by alternating current impedance spectroscopy combined with 1H NMR profile

Honey adulteration is one of the most prominent issues in food production. Herein, the alternating current (AC) impedance spectroscopy combined with 1H NMR profile were used to reveal the adulterants in acacia honey. Variation of electrical parameters such as solution resistance (Rs), double layer capacitance (CD), charge transfer resistance (RCT) and 1H NMR profile for 10%–90% (w/w) syrups or rape honey adulterated acacia honey samples were analyzed. We clearly demonstrate that the difference of the AC impedance between acacia honey and adulterated honey is obvious, and the levels of RCT of acacia honey samples are always smaller than those of syrups and adulterated honey. Furthermore, the relaxation peaks shift toward the lower frequency zone and gradually increase in intensity with increasing proportion of syrup or rape honey. Also, 1H NMR profile can clearly indicate the adulterant and adulteration proportion, supporting the results of the AC impedance spectroscopy measurement. And the effectiveness of impedance measurement can also be proved by principal component analysis. Our results provide new insights into the authenticity identification of acacia honey and prove the AC impedance measurement combined with NMR is a rapid, nondestructive method for honey authenticity verification.