How soil type (gypsum or limestone) influences the properties and composition of thyme honey

Abstract

Background and aimsThe objective of this work was to determine the influence of the soil substrate on the characteristics and properties of a specific type of honey. As such, we analysed the features of a typical single-flower honey, thyme honey, produced in a specific Mediterranean region. Thymus is a genus of aromatic perennial plants that are native to Europe, North Africa and Asia.MethodsA total of 70 honey samples from hives situated on limestone (38 samples) or gypsum soils (32 samples) were studied. The physical and chemical properties of each samples were analyzed using standard assays.ResultsWithin the same geographical area and despite a similar thyme pollen content, we observed variation in the physicochemical, antioxidant and sensorial characteristics of monofloral honeys. The quantification of certain physicochemical parameters of the honey indicated these features were influenced by the soil type. Indeed, the soil type of the hives’ settlement area, limestone or gypsum, influences the conductivity, antioxidant capacity, colour and floristic composition.ConclusionsThe present work demonstrates that soil type (gypsum or limestone) influences the characteristics of honey, potentially providing added market value to these products.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40064-016-3243-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Physical characteristics and antimicrobial properties of Apis mellifera, Frieseomelitta nigra and Melipona favosa bee honeys from apiaries in Trinidad and Tobago

“…(stingless bees) and 4.24 ± 0.20 for Apis mellifera from Nsukka, Nigeria. The variations between studies can be attributed to differences in geographical location, climate, botanical source, maturity of hive, harvest season and soil type, all of which influence the concentrations of the various acids present in honey [23][24][25][26].…”

“…It protects the bee against American Foulbrood and has potent antimicrobial activity [15,22]. Although honey may contain these compounds and enzymes, there is immense variability in the antimicrobial activities of honeys of different origins due to factors such as the species of bee [12,14], geographical location [23], soil type [24], floral source [25], season [26] and age of honey [11,27].…”

Effectiveness of nursing interventions in preventing and treating radiotherapy side effects in cancer patients: a systematic review

“…The study included in this review affirm as quality control of thyme honey a single supplier but does not mention if the beekeepers and their associations to produce honey with a geographically defined label of origin were considered in the chemical analysis of main species and families of plant. This condition maybe can impact on the effectiveness of use in skin care and mouth (28) .…”

Comparison of Biochemical Constituents and Contents in Floral Nectar of Castanea spp.

“…According to Burquez and Corbet [ 24 ] that are differences in the nectar volume in the same species depending on the tree’s age, the location of flowers, the size of flowers, and environmental factors. Also, there was a difference in nectar volume according to soil type and moisture content [ 25 ]. In this study, the environmental variation was minimized by planting each species in the same location.…”