Authentication of Ziziphus lotus Honey from the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco: Physicochemical Properties, Mineral Content, Sugar, Polyphenol Profiles, and Antioxidant Capacity

Abstract

The jujube honey from the Moroccan Middle Atlas area is thoroughly described in this study, which takes into account melissopalynological, physicochemical, antioxidant, mineral, and phytochemical characteristics. Twelve samples of jujube honey underwent in-depth analyses between 2019 and 2021. The honey's unifloral origin was confirmed by pollen analysis, which revealed that Ziziphus lotus pollen predominated along with pollen from 21 other species. The honeys meet Codex Alimentarius criteria and displayed a variety of characteristics, including moisture content (13.7% to 18.6%), pH (3.9 to 6.4), electrical conductivity (406 to 713 μs/cm), ash content (0.31 to 1.21%), and the Invertase Index (7.1 to 26.4 U/kg). Hydroxymethylfurfural levels spanned from 1.1 to 40 mg/kg, indicating freshness. No significant differences were observed between honey groups for fructose and glucose profiles determined via GC-MS analysis. The honey samples, which varied in total phenolic content (TPC) from 48.3 mg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100 g to 91.8 mg of GAE/100 g, showed strong antioxidant capacity, indicating possible health advantages. This study also revealed principal phenolic substances including gallic acid (1.18 to 6.36 mg/ 100 g), caffeic acid (0.07 to 3.25 mg/100 g), and p-coumaric acid (0.49 to 5.04 mg/100 g). Next, the bactericidal concentrations and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MBC and MIC) of each jujube honey were additionally examined and compared with two representative bacterial strains species Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium using broth microdilution, with MIC values ranging between 0.03 and 0.3 mg/mL for Listeria monocytogenes and 0.003 to 0.03 mg/mL for Salmonella typhimurium. There is a correlation between various parameters and the monofloral pollen content in honey, as determined by PCA analysis.