Assessing the quality of bee honey on the basis of melissopalynology as well as chemical analysis

Abstract

Melissopalynological and chemical analysis of honey provide us useful and valuable information about the botanical and geographical origin of honey. The data in question is very important for authentication as well as for testing the quality of honey, so this is considered the main method in honey regulation here, we have used chemical analysis and melissopalynology to evaluate different honey samples from two main Iranian hubs of honey. Sampling was carried out on two important poles in Iran’s honey production, the central Alborz region, and the mountainous Zagros ecosystems in the years 2020 to 2021. Therefore, 52 samples from Alborz (Northern Iran), as well as 42 samples from the Zagrosian ecosystems (western Iran) belonging to different ecological habitats, were collected. In addition, samples were taken at 7 altitudes from 0 to 3500 m a.s.l. Furthermore, in this study, various chemical analyses such as the effect of antioxidant activity, the amount of total phenolic content, pH, and moisture content of honey samples were evaluated. Our results showed that all honey samples were classified as polyfloral honey. Based on our findings, 57 honey samples (61%) contained the standard amount of pollen. A total of 42 plant families and 55 genera were identified in the studied samples, with the highest presence of Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae, Apocynaceae, and Apiaceae. Finally, an antioxidant activity ratio of 19% to 98%, total phenolic content from 0.08 to 0.51 ppm, pH from 1.90 to 5.21, and moisture content from 13% to 18.40%.

The amount of antioxidants in honey has a strong relationship with the plants selected by honey bees

“…The ecological results of this study showed that the abundance of Rosaceae and Fabaceae families, which play an effective role in the antioxidant activity of honey, rise with increasing altitude. Therefore, it seems that the increase in antioxidant activity due to the rise in altitude up to 3000 m above the surface of open water 48 is largely influenced by the abundance of these two families. For example, the Rosaceae family grows in high areas 72 .…”

“…Alborz and Zagros are the habitats of many 2597 native vascular plant species in Iran 51 , 52 . The diverse plant communities of Zagros and Alborz and the highlands of Azerbaijan have turned them into hubs of honey production in Iran 48 . Therefore, these areas were chosen to collect honey samples (Fig.…”

“…Accordingly, a wide range of nectar and pollen producing plants were distributed in Iran which has led to the production of about 55 different types of mono-floral and polyfloral honey in Iran 45 , a wide range of which are classified as medical food and medical grades 46 . Melissopalynology is considered as an effective method of identifying and determining the abundance of plants selected by honey bees, which, along with measuring the antioxidant activity of honey, can determine the effect of plants on the antioxidant activity of honey 47 , 48 . In this study, to determine the frequency of the presence of plant families of the antioxidant activity of honey, the method of melissopalynology and the laboratory measurement of the antioxidant activity of honeys produced in the Zagros and Alborz Mountains were used.…”

Detection and Identification of Honey Pollens by YOLOv7: A Novel Framework toward Honey Authenticity

“…Recent studies have highlighted the significant role of pollen analysis in verifying the authenticity of honey. Sniderman et al pioneered the application of pollen analysis to authenticate Australian honeys’ geographical origin, while Shakoori et al emphasized the importance of chemical and pollen analysis in evaluating honey quality and origin, revealing polyfloral compositions across 42 plant families. The origin of Hungarian honey was determined using melissopalynology, physicochemical analysis, and NIR spectroscopy, surpassing NIR’s success rate with over 90% accuracy .…”

Melisopalinologi Madu dari Temanggung

“…Mengacu pada metode melisopalinologi dan analisis kimia yang dijelaskan dalam penelitian dari Shakoori, et al (2023), bahwa dengan mempertimbangkan faktor geografis dan ekologis yang mempengaruhi keanekaragaman tanaman sumber polen. Penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa kondisi ekologis yang berbeda, seperti variasi iklim dan topografi yang kompleks, dapat menciptakan lingkungan lebah yang berharga dan menghasilkan madu yang sangat beragam.…”