Evaluation of Pollen and Chemical Composition of Honey Samples Sourced from Open Markets in Anambra State, Nigeria to Ascertain their Authenticity

Abstract

Aims:To ascertain the predominant honey plants that served as major sources of nectar and or pollen to the honeybees and to determine the quantitative presence of some physico-chemical components of the honey samples. Study Design: The honey samples were collected from the various locations based on purposive sampling. Place and Duration of Study: The samples were collected from seven towns in three Local Government Areas of Anambra State as follows; Ukpor, Usumenyi and Ezinifite (Nnewi South LGA), Nnokwa, Alor and Nnobi (Idemmili South LGA) and Ezinifite (Aguata LGA) between January and April, 2013. Methodology: The honey samples were dissolved in warm (40ºC) acidified water and subsequently subjected to acetolysis treatment. The recovered residues were suspended in glycerol-alcohol mixture in vials from where samples were collected for routine pollen count and identification. The chemical analysis was carried out according to the analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists with four replicates. The pollen data were converted to percentage, while data from chemical parameters were converted to mean and standard deviation.2 Results: A total of 67 pollen types belonging to 39 families were identified. The honey samples were grouped into two based on the botanical origin: three monofloral and four polyfloral honeys. The predominant honey plants include Hymenocardia acida, Combtretaceae/Melastomataceae, Lannea sp., Alchornea cordifolia and Phyllanthus muellerianus. The chemical analysis showed that the values of all the parameters (moisture, pH, Sucrose, Protein, Hydroxymethyl furfural, etc) tested were within the acceptable limits of international honey standard. However, the sum of glucose and fructose in three honey samples did not meet the 60g/100g recommended as minimum limit for blossom honeys. Conclusion: The chemical analysis showed that the honey samples contained acceptable standard concentrations of all the physicochemical parameters (such as HMF, protein, moisture, sucrose, etc.) tested with exception of the sum of glucose and fructose which did not meet the standard in some samples. The predominant honey plants that served as sources of nectar and pollen in the to the bees include Hymenocardia acida, Lannea sp., Phyllanthus muellerianus and members of the Combretaceae/Melastomataceae families.

Melissopalynological analysis of honey produced by two species of stingless bees in Lombok Island, Indonesia

“…The same case could be deducted for honey from Montong Alung with predominant S. avenis pollen coming from the area of a short distance of 7-10 m from the beehives. Results of this study, therefore, provide confirmation on the role of melissopalynology in the verification of botanical and geographical origin of honey, as well as identifying the pollen marker for honey authentication as has been mentioned by Selvaraju et al (2019) and Njokuocha (2019). Pollen diversity found in honey samples from Genggelang and Karang Bajo which showed the dominance of Polygonum sp.…”

“…(Mohammed et al 2017). The majority of unifloral honey found in this study might result from the local abundance of certain plant taxa surrounding the beehives, the coincidences of flowering time of certain plant taxa with the active period of beekeeping, and preferences of bee species (Njokuocha 2019).…”

Pollen Characterization and Physicochemical Analysis of Six Nigerian Honey Samples; Test for Authenticity

“…Again, most of the pollen recorded for Nsukka, Lokpanta and Okigwe all in south eastern Nigeria especially Elaeis guineensis, Parinari kerstingii, Hymenocardia acida /Combretum spp., Alchornea cordifolia, Daniellia oliveri, Melastomataceae: Dissotis sp., closely resembled those they recovered. Majority of these same pollen were later reported by Njokuocha (2019) from his study of seven honey samples from seven towns in three local governments areas of Anambra state south eastern Nigeria. A critical analysis of the recovered pollen clearly reflected the dominant vegetation and nectar sources of the honey bees.…”

The Bioactive Value of Tamarix gallica Honey from Different Geographical Origins

“…The quantitative and qualitative analyses of the pollen grains present in the honey were carried out by the detection of microscopic specimens [35] and based on the percentage of the pollen grain type that was the most dominant [36]. To classify honey as unifloral, this percentage of pollen type must show the highest counting of grains in the honey sediment, and the honey can be named after the plant these pollen grains come from [37,38].…”