Characterization of Traditional Korean Unifloral Honey Based on the Mono-, Di-, and Trisaccharides

Abstract

Sugar profiles of 45 Korean honey samples (15 acacia, 15 multi-floral, 10 chestnut, and 5 artificial honey samples), which are commercially available in the Korean markets, were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) through TMS-oxime and TMS-methoxime derivatization. The average invert sugar contents in acacia, multi-floral, chestnut, and artificial honey samples were 71.2±1.05, 68.7±3.26, 63.2±1.85, and 68.0±2.10%, respectively. Fourteen disaccharides were detected from the samples, and the average content of major disaccharides was higher in order of turanose, maltulose, maltose, trehalulose, kojibiose, isomaltose, and nigerose. The average content of total disaccharides was highest in chestnut and lowest in acacia. Seven trisaccharides were detected from the samples, and the average content of trisaccharides was the highest in artificial honeys, which had high erlose content. The total content of disaccharides and trisaccharides was highest (16.0±2.03%) in chestnut honey and lowest (9.70±1.75%) in acacia honey.

Impact of genus (Geotrigona, Melipona, Scaptotrigona) on the targeted 1H-NMR organic profile, and authenticity test by interphase emulsion of honey processed in cerumen pots by stingless bees in Ecuador

“…Including also 11 unknown sugars, these authors suggested characteristic sets as identity cards for the Italian honeys: acacia (sucrose, turanose, fructose), chestnut (nigerose, kojibiose, raffinose, isomaltose, isomaltotriose, gentiobiose), rhododendron (melezitose, α-glucose, maltose, erlose, kestose), multifloral (β-glucose), and mountain (melezitose, α-glucose). Jang et al (2016) studied 23 sugars (16 disaccharides and 8 trisaccharides) in Korean acacia, chestnut, multifloral, and artificial honey. Raffinose was more frequent and abundant in chestnut honey (0.01–0.17) mg/100 g.…”

“…7 B). However, raffinose also was in the sugar spectra (0.01–0.17 g/100 g) of A. mellifera honey from Korea ( Jang et al, 2016 ), (0.03–0.08 g/100 g) from Spain ( Pascual-Matéa et al, 2018 ), and (0.65 g/100 g) of M. ferruginea from Tanzania ( Popova et al, 2021 ). Therefore, it was not an entomological marker specific for Geotrigona , but it was a discriminant sugar compared to Melipona and Scaptotrigona honeys from Ecuador in this study.…”

Impact of genus (Geotrigona,Melipona,Scaptotrigona) in the1H-NMR organic profile and authenticity test of honey processed in cerumen pots by stingless bees in Ecuador

“…(See Figure 1B). However, raffinose also was in the sugar spectra (0.01-0.17 g/100 g) of A. mellifera honey from Korea (Jang et al, 2016), (0.03-0.08 g/100 g) from Spain (Pascual-Matéa et al, 2018), and (0.65 g/100 g) of M. ferruginea from Tanzania (Popova et al, 2021). Therefore, it is not an entomological marker specific for Geotrigona , but it was a discriminant sugar compared to Melipona and Scaptotrigona honeys from Ecuador in this study.…”