Stručni rad
Characteristics of Croatian Oak Honeydew Honey from the Požega Valley
Davorin Krakar
Sažetak
REVISED CODEX STANDARD FOR HONEY
CODEX STAN 12-1981, Rev.1 (1987), Rev.2 (2001)1
Honeydew Honey is the honey which comes mainly from excretions of plant sucking insects (Hemiptera) on the living parts of plants or secretions of living parts of plants.
Oak tree (Quercus frainetto Ten.) is distributed throughout southeast Europe and Asia Minor, while the western border is in Požega valley, Kutjevo, Croatia. Oak honeydew honey is specifically produced only here. Sweet sap with foam formed at the places where the green acorns were discarded, is gathered by the bees and processed into dark honey. The specific production of the sap results in specific physiochemical characteristics of this honeydew honey.
Objective of the studies was to determine melissopalynological (pollen spectrum and content) and physicochemical characteristics of the oak honeydew honey. The study was carried out during last 8 years. Physicochemical characteristics: moisture, electrical conductivity, HMF content, diastase activity, specific rotation and sugar profile were analysed in collected honeydew honey samples. Colour was determined by Lovibond Honey Color- Pod. Antioxidant capacity was measured by FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power) and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) methods. Modified Folin-Ciocalteu method was used for determination of the total polyphenol content. The results showed a high antioxidant capacity and the total polyphenol content as well as the atypical, negative values of specific rotation.
The small differences between samples can be a result of the accompanying spontaneous flora (more or less Conifers, Ulmus sp., Fraxinus sp. and Q. pubescens) within harvesting area. The time of extraction (middle or the end of August), was not significant. The of the results performed within the collaborative studies of the author and European’s beekeeping and honey expert’s reports and laboratories from Austria, Germany, Swiss, Italy, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Croatia is given in this paper.
Ključne riječi
honeydew honey; oak; antioxidant activity; polyphenols
Hrčak ID:
97388
URI
Datum izdavanja:
15.11.2012.
Posjeta: 4.528 *