ABSTRACT
Honey is a sweet natural product produced by bees (Apis mellifera) from the nectar of owers, honeydew, or both. Transformation of nectar or honeydew into honey takes place in bees and afterward in honeycombs. The process is comprised of water evaporation and a number of biochemical changes (e.g., enzymatic decomposition of sucrose to glucose and fructose). Although the main nutritional and health relevant components of honey are carbohydrates, predominantly D-fructose and D-glucose (~95% of honey solids) (Figure 15.1), and about 25 different oligosaccharides (e.g., rafnose), it also contains various other natural compounds (e.g., proteins, enzymes, amino acids, minerals, trace elements, vitamins, aroma compounds, avonoids, and other polyphenols) as well as various contaminants from the soil or environment
Introduction ............................................................................................................ 333 Modern Methods of Analysis ................................................................................. 334
Amperometric Method ...................................................................................... 335 Capillary Electrophoresis .................................................................................. 336 Gas Chromatography ........................................................................................ 338 High-Performance Liquid Chromatography .....................................................340 Immunoassay.....................................................................................................344 Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry ............................................. 345 Infrared Spectroscopy .......................................................................................346 Instrumental Neutronic Activation Analysis .....................................................346 Ion Chromatography ......................................................................................... 347 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Chemometric Methods ............................... 347 Potentiometric Analysis ....................................................................................348 Size Exclusion Chromatography ....................................................................... 349 UV-Visible Absorption Spectroscopy ............................................................... 349 Miscellaneous .................................................................................................... 349
Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 350 References .............................................................................................................. 350
(e.g., pesticides and antibiotics). The ratio of D-glucose to D-fructose is characteristic of certain types of honey. In mixed-ower honeys, they are present in almost equal proportions. On the other hand, unioral honeys contain appreciably more D-fructose than D-glucose.
