Abstract
In order to find out biochemical markers for the botanical origin of heather (Erica) honey, the phenolic metabolites present in heather floral nectar, collected from the honey-stomach of bees gathering nectar from these flowers, were analysed. The flavonoid fraction of nectar contained four main flavonoids. Two of them were quercetin and kaempferol 3-rhamnosides, and the other two were tentatively identified as myricetin 3′-methyl ether and isorhamnetin 3-rhamnosides. Since the natural glycosides are hydrolysed by bee enzymes to render the corresponding aglycones, which are the metabolites detected in honey, acid hydrolysis of the nectar glycosides was achieved. The aglycones quercetin, myricetin 3′-methyl ether, kaempferol and isorhamnetin were identified, as well as the gallic acid derivative ellagic acid. The analysis of Portuguese heather honey samples showed that ellagic acid was present in all the samples in significant amounts ranging between 100 μg and 600 μg per 100 g honey. The other nectar-derived flavonoids were also present, although some of them in very variable amounts. Ellagic acid and myricetin 3′-methyl ether, which have not been detected in any of the monofloral honey samples investigated so far, with the only exception being a French honey sample of the botanically relatedCalluna (Ericaceae) which also contained ellagic acid, seem to be the most useful potential markers for the floral origin of heather honey. However, more detailed and extensive investigations are needed to prove the utility of these markers.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Tomás-Barberán FA, Ferreres F, Ortiz-Valbuena A, Fernández-Maeso MC (1994) Estudio sobre el contenido en flavonoides de las mieles de La Alcarria. CSIC, Madrid
Maurizio A (1951) Bee World 32: 1–5
Louveaux J, Maurizio A, Vorwohl G (1978) Bee World 59: 139–157
Bonaga G, Giumanini AG (1986) J Apic Res 25: 113–120
Ferreres F, García-Viguera C. Tomás-Lorente F, Tomás-Barberán FA (1993) J Sci Food Agric 61: 121–123
Ferreres F, Giner JM, Tomás-Barberán FA (1994) J Sci Food Agric 65: 371–372
Ferreres F, Andrade P, Tomás-Barberán FA (1994) Z Lebensm Unters Forsch 199: 32–37
Ferreres F, Tomás-Barberán FA, Gil MI, Tomaś-Lorente F (1991) J Sci Food Agric 56: 49–56
Ferreres F, Tomás-Barberán FA, Soler C, García-Viguera C, Ortiz A, Tomás-Lorente F (1994) Apidologie 25: 21–30
McGhie TK (1993) J Chromatogr 634: 107–112
Harborne JB (1967) Phytochemical methods. Academic, London
Rommel A, Wrolstad RE (1993) J Agric Food Chem 41: 1951–1960
Mandal S, Stoner GD (1990) Carcinogenesis 11: 55–61
Mukhtar H, Das M, DelTito BJ, Bickers DR (1984) Biochem Biophys Res Commun 119: 751–757
Tomás-Barberán FA, Ferreres F, García-Viguera C, Tomás-Lorente F (1993) Z Lebensm Unters Forsch 196: 38–44
Soler C, Gil MI, Garcia-Viguera C, Tomás-Barberán FA (1995) Apidologie 26: 53–60
Haslam E (1982) In: Harborne JB (ed) The flavonoids: advances in research. Chapman and Hall, London
Okuda T, Yoshida T, Hatano T (1993) Phytochemistry 32: 507–521
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ferreres, F., Andrade, P., Gil, M.I. et al. Floral nectar phenolics as biochemical markers for the botanical origin of heather honey. Z Lebensm Unters Forch 202, 40–44 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01229682
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01229682