Honey Phenolic Compound Profiling and Authenticity Assessment Using HRMS Targeted and Untargeted Metabolomics
Georgios A. Koulis,
Aristeidis S. Tsagkaris,
Reza Aalizadeh,
Marilena E. Dasenaki,
Eleni I. Panagopoulou,
Spyros Drivelos,
Michał Halagarda,
Constantinos A. Georgiou,
Charalampos Proestos,
Nikolaos S. Thomaidis
Affiliations
Georgios A. Koulis
Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, Chemistry Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zographou, 15771 Athens, Greece
Aristeidis S. Tsagkaris
Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, Chemistry Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zographou, 15771 Athens, Greece
Reza Aalizadeh
Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, Chemistry Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zographou, 15771 Athens, Greece
Marilena E. Dasenaki
Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, Chemistry Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zographou, 15771 Athens, Greece
Eleni I. Panagopoulou
Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, Chemistry Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zographou, 15771 Athens, Greece
Spyros Drivelos
Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
Michał Halagarda
Department of Food Product Quality, Cracow University of Economics, ul. Sienkiewicza 5, 30033 Krakow, Poland
Constantinos A. Georgiou
Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
Charalampos Proestos
Food Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zographou, 15771 Athens, Greece
Nikolaos S. Thomaidis
Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, Chemistry Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zographou, 15771 Athens, Greece
Honey consumption is attributed to potentially advantageous effects on human health due to its antioxidant capacity as well as anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity, which are mainly related to phenolic compound content. Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites of plants, and their content in honey is primarily affected by the botanical and geographical origin. In this study, a high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) method was applied to determine the phenolic profile of various honey matrices and investigate authenticity markers. A fruitful sample set was collected, including honey from 10 different botanical sources (n = 51) originating from Greece and Poland. Generic liquid–liquid extraction using ethyl acetate as the extractant was used to apply targeted and non-targeted workflows simultaneously. The method was fully validated according to the Eurachem guidelines, and it demonstrated high accuracy, precision, and sensitivity resulting in the detection of 11 target analytes in the samples. Suspect screening identified 16 bioactive compounds in at least one sample, with abscisic acid isomers being the most abundant in arbutus honey. Importantly, 10 markers related to honey geographical origin were revealed through non-targeted screening and the application of advanced chemometric tools. In conclusion, authenticity markers and discrimination patterns were emerged using targeted and non-targeted workflows, indicating the impact of this study on food authenticity and metabolomic fields.
