28th Congress of SCTM

NMR Profiling of European Oak Honeydew Honeys: Saccharide Diversity and Geographical Differentiation

Not scheduled

10m

Metropol Lake Resort

E-poster Analytical and environmental chemistry

Speaker

Svetlana Simova (Bulgarian NMR Centre, Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences)

Description

This study investigates whether the chemical composition of European oak honeydew honeys reflects the geographical origin. Sixty samples from Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Spain were analyzed using semiquantitative 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The protected designation of origin (PDO) Strandzha honey was compared to honey from other regions in Bulgaria. Statistical analysis differentiated country groups through combinations of variables rather than a single marker.

A new pattern that had not previously been observed in European honey was identified: two coordinated saccharide networks showed that minor sugars fluctuate together rather than independently. Conventional honeydew-associated indicators were re-examined and it was found that melezitose is not a necessary component of oak honey. In contrast, 1-kestose was present in all samples. While extended 13C NMR profiling may support geographical characterization, independent validation is required before it can be used for authentication purposes.

Keywords: European oak honey, geographical origin, NMR metabolomics
Acknowledgement: Projects КP-06-COST/10, INFRAMAT and BIORESOURCES BG