Integrated compositional characterization of hungarian monofloral honeys for assessing the effects of botanical origin, geography and harvest year
摘要
The present study investigated the compositional characteristics of Hungarian monofloral honeys (acacia, linden, and sunflower) originating from different apiaries and harvested over two consecutive years. Melissopalynological analysis, HPLC-DAD-MS phenolic profiling, ICP-AES macroelement determination, and multivariate statistical analysis were combined to evaluate the effects of botanical origin, harvest year, and geographical site on honey composition. Pollen analysis confirmed the unifloral origin of all honey samples. Acacia honeys were characterized by relatively high flavonoid contents (22.9–50.9 µg g− 1) and low mineral concentrations (171–215 mg kg− 1), while sunflower honeys exhibited higher levels of phenolic acids (20.3–41.9 µg g− 1) and macroelements (421–553 mg kg− 1). The macroelement concentrations of linden honeys varied markedly between apiaries. Samples from one apiary fell within the range defined by acacia and sunflower honeys, whereas those from the other apiary exceeded this range considerably (1091–1096 mg kg− 1). Phenolic composition showed stronger year-dependent variation, whereas mineral profiles reflected geographical origin more markedly. Principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses clearly discriminated honey samples according to botanical origin and revealed characteristic compositional patterns among honey types. The results demonstrate that integrated phenolic, mineral, and chemometric analyses provide an effective approach for the characterization and authentication of monofloral honeys and contribute valuable chemical data on Hungarian honey varieties.