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Indication of the geographical origin of honey using its physicochemical characteristics and multivariate analysis

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Abstract

Honey from different botanical sources presents a great variability in chemical composition, physical properties, and sensorial attributes. The association between honey qualities and its geographical origin allows the recognition of honey, and beekeepers are economically benefited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of honey produced in Ortigueira, Brazil and to compare it with the honey produced in the neighboring localities for the request of geographical indication certification. In the 112 honey samples collected between 2010 and 2013 from Ortigueira and the neighboring localities, moisture acidity, pH, hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF), diastase activity (DA), sugars, proline (Pro), electrical conductivity (EC), color absorbance at 635 nm (C635), and Cielab color parameters were evaluated. HMF, reducing sugars (RS), total sugars (TS), proline, and color parameters (L*, a* and b*) were significantly different in Ortigueira 2010 honey seasons. Principal component analysis separated assapeixe (Vernonia sp) and capixingui (Croton floribundus) honeys from wild honeys (polyfloral). In addition, HMF, RS, L*, and lactonic acidity values promoted the separation between assapeixe and capixingui honeys. Ortigueira honey differs significantly from honeys from neighboring locality in pH, proline, HMF, DA, EC, RS, sucrose, TS, free and total acidity, and color parameters (C635, L*, a*, b*). The multivariate analysis applied to variables was efficient to discriminate honeys from different botanical sources and different locals, and is recommended for studies on the geographical indication of honey.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Secretaria de Estado de Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior—SETI (TC 30/10), and Fundação Araucária de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico for financial suportes. We also thank beekeepers who kindly provide the honey samples for the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Área de Ecofisiologia-Laboratório de Fisiologia Vegetal, IAPAR- Instituto Agronômico do Paraná, Rod. Celso Garcia Cid, km 375, Londrina, PR, 86047-902, Brazil

    Maria Brígida dos Santos Scholz & Cintia Sorane Good Kitzberger

  2. Universidade Tecnológica do Paraná, UTFPR, Av. Dos Pioneiros, 3131, Londrina, PR, 86036-370, Brazil

    Alécio Quinhone Júnior, Bruna Haas Delamuta, Jessika Marie Nakamura, Marianne Cristina Baudraz, Mônica Oliveira Reis, Talita Kato, Mayka Reghiany Pedrão & Lucia Felicidade Dias

  3. Centro Universitário Campos de Andrade (Uniandrade), Rua João Scuissiato, 01, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

    Dalton Tadeu Reynaud dos Santos

  4. Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas-Sebrae, Av. Santos Dumont, 1335, Londrina, PR, Brazil

    Fabrício Pires Bianchini

  5. Instituto Agronômico do Paraná – IAPAR, Rod. Celso Garcia Cid, Km 376, P.O. 10 030, Londrina, Paraná, PR, Brazil

    Maria Brígida dos Santos Scholz

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  1. Maria Brígida dos Santos Scholz
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  2. Alécio Quinhone Júnior
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  3. Bruna Haas Delamuta
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  6. Mônica Oliveira Reis
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  8. Mayka Reghiany Pedrão
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  9. Lucia Felicidade Dias
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  10. Dalton Tadeu Reynaud dos Santos
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  11. Cintia Sorane Good Kitzberger
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  12. Fabrício Pires Bianchini
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Correspondence to Maria Brígida dos Santos Scholz.

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Scholz, M.B.S., Quinhone Júnior, A., Delamuta, B.H. et al. Indication of the geographical origin of honey using its physicochemical characteristics and multivariate analysis. J Food Sci Technol 57, 1896–1903 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-019-04225-3

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