Characterization of Turkish Pine Honey and Differentiation from Floral Honeys by NMR Spectroscopy and Chemometric Analysis

Abstract

Honey is a viscous, supersaturated sugar solution produced by bees through the enzymatic transformation of nectar from flowers, containing a complex mixture of carbohydrates, organic acids, enzymes, and other minor constituents. Although honey has been used for thousands of years for its nutritional and medicinal properties, it has been the subject of increasing attention in recent years due to increasing adulterated honey production. Consequently, assessment of honey quality and authenticity has become essential to ensure consumer confidence of regional honey and to perverse the practice of authentic honey production. In this study, we employed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and chemometric analysis to characterize Turkish Pine honey and compare it to flower honey originating from the Oceania, Aegean, and West Coast of North America regions. Utilizing 1H NMR spectroscopy, the chemical profile of Turkish Pine honey was characterized, and unique peaks were found. Additionally, PLS-DA statistical analysis was employed to further investigate the distinction of Turkish Pine honey among other floral and regional honeys. Upon completion of our statistical analysis, we were able to effectively distinguish Turkish Pine honey from other regional honey types, allowing us to formulate a universal test for authenticity of Turkish Pine Honey.