Influence of beeswax adulteration with paraffin on the composition and quality of honey determined by physico-chemical analyses, 1H NMR, FTIR-ATR and HS-SPME/GC-MS.

Analytical parameters were determined for the first time in honey produced in the honeycomb constructed on comb foundations adulterated with 90% of paraffin (PF-H) and compared to honey ripened in genuine beeswax (BWF-H) using physico-chemical and spectroscopic techniques (1H NMR, FTIR-ATR, HS-SPME/GC-MS). Water content was significantly higher (SH) and glucose/water ratio significantly lower in PF-H samples. The contents of acetic and citric acid were marginally significantly higher (MSH) in PF-H samples. These findings suggest that adulterated beeswax affects composition of honey as the set of altered parameters indicate chemical changes leaning towards fermentative processes. Moderately changed headspace chemical profile of PF-H honey was determined depending on the floral source (pentanal, α-pinene and benzaldehyde were SH in BWF-H sunflower honey; butanal was MSH, and 2-phenylethanol was more abundant in BWF-H black locust honey). Higher percentage of nonanal, octane and ß-damascenone were found in PF-H samples that could indicate more intensive oxidation.

Characterization of Satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) nectar-to-honey transformation pathway using FTIR-ATR spectroscopy.

Samples of Satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) nectar, honey sac content and honey were analyzed by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy and reference methods. The spectral analysis allowed detection of the major chemical constituents in C. unshiu nectar-to-honey transformation pathway thus providing information on the intensity and location of the compositional changes occurring during this process. The preliminary results showed that in average more than one-third of sugar-related nectar-to-honey conversion takes place directly in the honey sac; the average sugar content (w/w) was 17.93% (nectar), 47.03% (honey sac) and 79.63% (honey). FTIR-ATR results showed great spectral similarity of analyzed honey samples and small degree variations in both sugar and water content in nectar samples. The spectral data revealed distinctive differences in the chemical composition of individual honey sac contents with the most intensive and complex absorption envelope in the spectral region between 1175 and 950cm-1 (glucose, fructose and sucrose absorption bands).