Floral Origin and Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Honey from Africanized Bees in Apiaries of Ubiratã and Nova Aurora, State of Paraná

Abstract

Physical and chemical characteristics of honey may vary due to the diversity of flora and soil characteristics, or seasonal factors. This study was carried out in two counties, Nova Aurora and Ubiratã, located in the West and Center-West regions of the State of Paraná. The objective of the study was to verify if the physical and chemical parameters of Apis mellifera (L.) honey are in accordance with the national standard, as well as to verify how the 21 samples collected in the two localities are grouped, based on the physical, chemical and pollen characteristics. Honey was analyzed for sugar, ash, protein, moisture, color, electrical conductivity, formaldehyde index, diastase and viscosity. Samples of honey containing the dominant pollen types Glycine max (L.) Merr. and Eucalyptus sp. formed groupings similar to those based on physical and chemical characteristics, however, the multivariate classification of honey samples in groups based on pollen types was not an efficient method to group samples of polyfloral honey.

Physicochemical, bioactive properties and antioxidant of Apis mellifera L. honey from western Paraná, Southern Brazil

“…Nascimento et al (2018) found out that monofloral honey of this species has light shades, as well as a total phenol content of 30.5 mg GAE/100 g -1 and 0.2 mg EQ/100 g -1 of flavonoids. Between December and March, the honey got darker, which may be linked to the Eucalyptus flowering, quite prevalent in the region (Sekine et al, 2019;Camargo et al, 2014) and significantly present in the honey samples of the region (Sekine et al, 2019;Moraes et al, 2019). It causes an increase in the bioactive compound contents and antioxidant activity.…”

“…This quality presents variations in quantity and type of phenolic compounds, as well as in flavor and aroma. The country has a vast geographical area, with great diversity of honey bee species for apiculture products, which reflects on the wide variety of honey (Moraes et al, 2019;Sekine et al, 2019;Nascimento et al, 2018). Furthermore, its quality is also attributed to the resistance of Africanized bees to diseases and pests, so there is no need to use chemicals that contaminate honey to maintain hives.…”

Pollen analysis of honey samples produced in the counties of Santa Helena and Terra Roxa, western Region of Paraná, Southern Brazil

“…In the Western region of Paraná, studies carried out with physical-chemical and pollen analyses of honey by Sekine et al (2013), Camargo et al (2014), Moraes et al (2014) and Sekine et al (2019) have characterized the region's honey. For the implementation of the Geographic Information System (GIS) by Camargo et al (2014), 383 apiaries of 126 beekeepers were mapped in eight counties of the microregion of Toledo, characterizing the activity composed of small, medium, and large producers (46%, 29%, and 25%, respectively), with a production representativity of 9%, 20%, and 71%, respectively.…”