Tropicultura (Jan 2013)
Evaluation des caractéristiques physico-chimiques des miels commercialisés à Cotonou
Abstract
Evaluation of Physiochemical Characteristic of the Honeys Marketed in Cotonou. Honey is the foodstuff produced by honeybees from the nectar or honeydew. In Benin, it is marketed and sold in pharmacies, supermarkets, small shops in some large cities, village markets and even at home. However, the conditions of harvesting, packaging and storage can influence its qualities. To verify the quality of honeys marketed in Cotonou, 36 samples were purchased in supermarkets and pharmacies. The physicochemical quality and polyphenolic nature of samples were determined. The results show that the pH varied from 3.57 to 5.17 with an acidity of between 21.80 and 62,32meq NaOH/ kg. They have high content of proline (169.27-1699.21 mg / kg) and total sugar (81.96-90.06 g / 100 g) with an HMF content of 22.51 to 41.96 mg / kg. They contained 9.84 to 19.76% moisture and 0.19 to 0.62% minerals. Considering all physicochemical parameters, almost half (41.67%) of the samples presented at least one quality parameter exceeding the permitted limit of the 2001 Codex Alimentarius norm. There is a large variability between samples for total phenolic content (27.88-248.80 mg GAE/100 g) and flavonoids (0.30 to 55.17 mg CAT/100 g). A significant correlation was observed between color and total phenolic content. Color and the total flavonoids were correlated too, as were also the polyphenolic compounds.
