Physicochemical properties of some honeys produced from different plants in Morocco

Abstract

Seventy-three Moroccan honey samples were collected between 2005 and 2008. In this study, water content, pH, acidity (free, lactone and total acidity), electrical conductivity (EC), colour, diastase, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and sugar content were all determined in different types of bee honey which include multifloral, honeydew and nine types of unifloral honeys (Euphorbia resinifera, Euphorbia echinus, Citrus, eucalyptus, carob, thyme, lavender, Ziziphus and rosemary). The moisture shows values of 14.3% and 20.2%, pH between 3.52 and 5.13, the total acidity ranges between 11.94 and 58.03 meq kg−1, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content shows values between 0.09 and 53.38 mg kg−1; diastase values were between 4.3° and 24.6° Gothe; electrical conductivity between 119.9 and 1741 μs cm−1 and fructose, glucose and sucrose values range between 35.07–46.26%, 23.7–39.3% and 0.42–2.98%. A statistical analysis was carried out to classify 10 types of honeys, and identified the most significant parameters, using analysis of variance, principal component analysis (PCA) and stepwise discriminant analysis (SDA). PCA showed that the cumulative variance was 74.97% and about 88.9% of samples was correctly classified. The principal aim of this study was to contribute more to the knowledge of the Moroccan honeys by means of the analysis of chemical composition and of physical parameters. Seventy-three Moroccan unifloral, multifloral and honeydew honey samples, including types that have never been studied before, produced in different regions in Morocco (Tables 1 and 2), were analysed to define its main features. As a consequence, we present data on water content, electrical conductivity, pH, free acidity, lactone acidity, total acidity, diastase, 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furaldehyde (HMF) amounts, fructose, glucose and sucrose.

Keywords

• Moroccan honey
• Physicochemical properties
• PCA
• SDA