Com o objetivo de determinar as características físico-químicas e a origem floral de méis produzidos por Apis mellifera L., 1758, na região da Chapada do Araripe, município de Santana do Cariri/Ceará foram determinados no Laboratório de Apicultura do Setor de Entomologia da Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", USP: os açúcares totais, açúcares redutores, sacarose, umidade, hidroximetilfurfural, proteína, cinzas, pH, acidez, índice de formol, condutividade elétrica, cor, viscosidade e análises polínicas de 21 amostras de méis colhidas em novembro e dezembro de 2001. Os resultados demonstraram que os valores médios dos parâmetros físico-químicos das amostras analisadas encontram-se dentro dos limites estabelecidos pela legislação brasileira. Pelas análises polínicas dos méis, foi verificada a presença do tipo Serjania (cipó-uva) em todas as amostras analisadas, aparecendo como pólen dominante na maioria delas. / This research deals with the determination of the physicochemical characteristics and floral origin of honeys produced by Apis mellifera L., 1758, in the region of Chapada do Araripe, municipality of Santana do Cariri, State of Ceará, Brazil. The experiments were set at the Laboratory of Apiculture, Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Agricultural Zoology, College of Agriculture "Luiz de Queiroz", University of São Paulo, in Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, Brazil. The following parameters were determined: total sugars, reducing sugars, sucrose, humidity, hydroxymethylfurfural, protein, ashes, pH, acidity, formaldehyde index, electrical conductivity, color, viscosity and pollen analysis of 21 samples of honeys collected in November and December, 2001. The results have indicated that the mean values of the physicochemical parameters of the samples are in between the limits required by the Brazilian legislation. The pollen analysis of the honeys showed the presence of the plant Serjania type ("cipó-uva") in all the honey samples.

The diethyl ether-extracted organic compounds of 155 samples of unifloral grade New Zealand kamahi and honeydew honeys, and New Zealand and Norwegian erica honeys, together with a series of active and inactive manuka honeys were analysed using combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. It was found that Kamahi honey is characterized by the presence of 2,6-dimethylocta-3,7-diene-2,6-diol, meliracemoic acid, and kamahines A-C and these compounds were typically present at average levels of 31, 14, and 73 mg/kg of honey, respectively. 2,6-Dimethylocta-3,7-diene-2,6-diol was isolated and the structure of this compound was defined using one- and two-dimensional NMR analyses. The only recognizably distinct peak present in the honeydew honey profile was indole acetic acid. In this honey, a relatively low to moderate level of indole acetic acid, ranging from 0.9 to 9.1 mg/kg honey was detected. In the New Zealand erica honey samples, ericinic acid, isoericinic acid isomers (average levels 363 and 34 mg/kg respectively), trans,cis and trans,trans-abscisic acid isomers (average levels 302 and 224 mg/kg respectively) and benzoic acid (average level 6950 mg/kg) were identified as floral marker compounds. Ericinic acid was isolated and the structure of this acid was defined using one-and two-dimensional NMR analyses. Low levels of ericinic and isoericinic acids (average levels of 1.1 and 0.32 mg/kg respectively) were detected in the Norwegian erica-rich honeys. The results presented here indicate that ericinic and isoericinic acids are likely to be universally present in erica honeys at levels which may range from as low as 1 mg/kg or less, as found in some Norwegian samples, to more than 100 mg/kg in some New Zealand samples. Two groups, namely a fingerprint pattern which characterized active manuka honeys, and a fingerprint pattern that characterized inactive manuka honeys were identified. Some substances contributing to the GCMS profile were found as marker compounds for the presence of unidentified substances responsible for the UMF activity. A statistically significant correlation was found between a small set of marker compounds (i.e. phenylacetic acid, 2-methoxyacetophenone, 2-methoxybenzoic, phenyllactic, octanedioic, cis-cinnamic, trans-cinnamic, nonanedioic, 4-methoxyphenyllactic and decanedioic acids and methyl syringate) and UMF activity of manuka honey. The best-fit marker compound regression equation (R = 0.92) was obtained for a set of pooled 30 moderate to high activity (UMF gt 14.1) samples. It was shown that the marker compound regression equation is capable of predicting the approximate UMF activity in both active and inactive manuka and kanuka honey samples. The leaf oil profiles of manuka (L. scoparium) plants that yielded active and inactive manuka honeys were characterized using an adaption of the micro-scale extraction and GC/FID or GC/MS, technique developed by Brophy et al. (1989). Six major groups of volatile (steam distillable) compounds (monoterpenes, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, oxygenated sesquiterpenes [excluding eudesmols], eudesmols, triketones, and nor-triketones) and 3 groups of non-volatile or semi-volatile compounds (flavonoids, grandiflorone and nor-grandiflorone) were recognized in the leaf oil components. The active manuka honeys do not appear to be derived uniquely, or predominantly, from a single leaf oil chemotype.

Šio darbo tikslas - ištirti ir įvertinti skirtingų Lietuvos regionų medų, jo savybes. Darbe apžvelgiama medaus sudėtis, rūšys. Analizuojamos įvairios medaus savybės. Medaus kaip natūralaus bioprodukto vertingosios savybės priklauso iš kokių augalų ir vietovės jis surinktas. Kiekvieno regiono augalų žieduose yra tik jam būdingas cheminių elementų kokybinis ir kiekybinis santykis. Iš sunkiųjų metalų kiekio meduje galima spręsti apie jo kilmę bei aplinkos užterštumą šiais metalais. Sunkieji metalai per dirvožemį, dulkes, lapų paviršių patenka ant žiedų, iš jų – į nektarą, su juo – į medų. Sunkieji metalai meduje gali būti ekologinis aplinkos taršos indikatorius. Tyrimų rezultatai parodė, žalingųjų mikroelementų kiekis skirtingų Lietuvos regionų meduje įvairuoja: Cd- 0,011-0,013 mg/kg, Pb -0,020-0,075 mg/kg, Cr -0,023-0,045 mg/kg, Cu -0,06-0,76 mg/kg, Zn -1,01-3,54 mg/kg, As- 0,051-0,053 mg/kg, Hg -0,0016-0,0645 mg/kg, bet neviršija Lietuvos higienos normose nurodytos DLK. Vienas svarbiausių medaus kokybės rodiklių – drėgnis. Visų regionų tirti medūs buvo pakankamai subrendę, nes drėgnis neviršijo 20 proc. Svarbus kokybės rodiklis, charakterizuojantis medaus natūralumą, – fermento diastazės aktyvumas. Šis skaičius turi būti ne mažesnis kaip 8 vienetai., todėl galima teigti, kad medus buvo natūralus. Tirti medaus mėginiai atitiko Lietuvos standartą 1466:2004. Redukuojančio cukraus, išskyrus Žemaitijos regiono medų (59,5 proc ) viršijo 60 proc. Sacharozės kiekis meduje buvo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The objective of this work – is to investigate and evaluate honey of different Lithuania regions and its properties. Honey valuable features as a natural product works depends on the origin of the plant and the area it is collected. Only honey is characterized by qualitative and quantitative ratio of chemical elements are in each region to plant flowers. About its origin and environmental pollution in these metals can be inferred from the heavy metal content in honey. Through soil, dust, leaf surfaces heavy metals fall on the flowers. From the flowers falls into the nectar, and with it comes to the honey. Eco-indicator of environmental pollution can be heavy metals in honey. The results showed that a different region of Lithuania harmful trace elements in honey varies: Cd- 0,011-0,013 mg/kg, Pb -0,020-0,075 mg/kg, Cr -0,023-0,045 mg/kg, Cu -0,06-0,76 mg/kg, Zn -1,01-3,54 mg/kg, As- 0,051-0,053 mg/kg, Hg -0,0016-0,0645 mg/kg, but not exceeding Lithuania LSH. One of the most important indicators of quality of the product is moisture. All regions tested honey was mature enough, so that the moisture content does not exceed 20 percent. Diastase enzyme activity is an important indicator of the quality which characterizes the naturalness of honey. This number must be less than 8 units, it can be concluded that honey was a natural. Exploring honey samples matched Lithuania 1466:2004 standard. Reducing sugars, except honey (59.5 percent) from the Žemaitijos region exceeded 60... [to full text]

Com o objetivo de determinar as características físico-químicas e a origem floral de méis produzidos por Apis mellifera L., 1758, na região da Chapada do Araripe, município de Santana do Cariri/Ceará foram determinados no Laboratório de Apicultura do Setor de Entomologia da Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, USP: os açúcares totais, açúcares redutores, sacarose, umidade, hidroximetilfurfural, proteína, cinzas, pH, acidez, índice de formol, condutividade elétrica, cor, viscosidade e análises polínicas de 21 amostras de méis colhidas em novembro e dezembro de 2001. Os resultados demonstraram que os valores médios dos parâmetros físico-químicos das amostras analisadas encontram-se dentro dos limites estabelecidos pela legislação brasileira. Pelas análises polínicas dos méis, foi verificada a presença do tipo Serjania (cipó-uva) em todas as amostras analisadas, aparecendo como pólen dominante na maioria delas. / This research deals with the determination of the physicochemical characteristics and floral origin of honeys produced by Apis mellifera L., 1758, in the region of Chapada do Araripe, municipality of Santana do Cariri, State of Ceará, Brazil. The experiments were set at the Laboratory of Apiculture, Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Agricultural Zoology, College of Agriculture “Luiz de Queiroz”, University of São Paulo, in Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, Brazil. The following parameters were determined: total sugars, reducing sugars, sucrose, humidity, hydroxymethylfurfural, protein, ashes, pH, acidity, formaldehyde index, electrical conductivity, color, viscosity and pollen analysis of 21 samples of honeys collected in November and December, 2001. The results have indicated that the mean values of the physicochemical parameters of the samples are in between the limits required by the Brazilian legislation. The pollen analysis of the honeys showed the presence of the plant Serjania type (“cipó-uva”) in all the honey samples.