Comparison of physicochemical properties and effects of heating regimes on stored Apis mellifera and Apis florea honey

• Published in: Saudi journal of biological sciences Vol. 26; no. 4; pp. 845 - 848
• Main Authors: Al-Ghamdi, Ahmad, Mohammed, Seif Eldin A., Ansari, Mohammad Javed, Adgaba, Nuru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Elsevier B.V 01-05-2019; Saudi Biological Society; Elsevier
• Subjects: HMF; Honeybee species; Thermo-generation tolerance; التحليل المقارن; الخواص الفيزيائية; الخواص الكيميائية; النحل القزم; نحل العسل; Honeybee species; HMF; Thermo-generation tolerance
• ISSN: 1319-562X; 2213-7106
• DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2017.06.002

Many of the components, which render honey its specific aroma, flavor, and biological activity, are unstable over time and thermolabile. This study was aimed to compare the chemical composition, effect of heating as well as the time of heat exposure, and storage period on the quality of honey samples from Apis mellifera (A.m.) and Apis florea (A.f.). Methods of the Association of the Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) were used in this study. The mean values for both A.m. and A.f. honeys were, respectively: moisture (18.5, 13.7%); glucose (35.2, 36.3%); fructose (33.7, 33.8%); sucrose (7.3, 2.9%); invert sugar (68.9, 70.4%); ash (0.26, 1.1%); acidity (51.8, 98.4meq/kg); pH (3.6, 4.4) and Hydroxy methyl furfural (HMF) (3.78, 3.17mg/100g). Honey from A. florea contained less moisture, have higher acidity and ash contents than A. mellifera honey. Significant alterations (P<0.05) in glucose, fructose, sucrose, and acidity were noticed after six months. Honeys exposed to heating for 15 and 30min at 50 and 80°C have shown increased thermo-generated HMF after 15, 30, and 45days. HMF reached 16.30±1.1 in A. mellifera and 7.41±1.4mg/100g in A. florea honeys that exposed for 30min at 80°C. Honey from A. florea showed more heat tolerance to thermo-generation of HMF than honey from A. mellifera.