Unlocking honey's secrets with analytical chemistry Roberta Angioi, Aoife Morrin, Blánaid White School of Chemical Sciences, National Centre for Sensor Research, Ireland
Honey's compositionis mainlyrepresented bysugars. However, the compounds that determine its organoleptic features, dictating the consumer’s preference, are present in very small quantities. Compounds such as polyphenols and organic acids are responsible for the distinctive aroma of unifloral honey (at least 45% of the pollen from one botanical source)(1). Together with colourimetric methods (such as Folin-Ciocalteu)to quantify the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of honey, screeningits volatile fraction is relevant to identify signature chemical markers specific to one variety, or present at a significantly higher abundance than in other varieties, and used with melissopalynological analysis to confirm honey’s botanical origin. This screening can be carried out using Gas Chromatography (GC), sampling honey's headspace to trap the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) onto a Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) fibre, and desorbing them for analysis with a Mass Spectrometry (MS) detector (2). The data collected constitute a database of honey VOCs with a recognisable molecular fingerprint based on the variety. Botanical origin determination and instrumental analysis of honey composition are frequently deployed safety measures to protect consumers from adulteration and false claims, particularly for rare honey varieties that are more profitable. However, an in-depth characterisation of honey is not only of relevance for its commercialisation as a food product. Honey is renowned for its diverse medical applications, and the correlation between its physicochemical composition and therapeutical effect has been widely investigated (3,4). Notably, as previously reported by our group (3), Irish heather honey ( Calluna/Erica spp .) shows a TPC comparable to that of Manuka honey, considered the gold standard for honey in medical applications (up to 107.42 ± 3.87 and 95.29 ± 2.18 mg GAE/100g honey, respectively). Analytical and biomedical sciences are both crucial and strongly interdependent in unlocking honey’s full potential and represent the focus of my research. After the analytical screening of honey samples to detect compounds of interest, the research question for my project is whether Irish honey can accelerate wound healing and reduce infections. Furthermore, honey-based alginate hydrogels have been designed and optimised regarding swelling degree and release rate, showing robust and reproducible performance indicating good potential for absorbance of wound exudate and honey release. References 1. Codex Alimentarius Commission. Standard For Honey Codex Stan 12-1981. Codex Stan. 2001;12:1–8. 2. Kuś PM, Jerković I, Marijanović Z, Kranjac M, Tuberoso CIG. Unlocking Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth. honey characterization through melissopalynological analysis, color determination and volatiles chemical profiling.Food Research International 106 (2018) 243–253 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2017.12.065 3. Kavanagh S, Gunnoo J, Marques Passos T, Stout JC, White B. Physicochemical properties and phenolic content of honey from different floral origins and from rural versus urban landscapes.Food Chem. 2019, 272, 66–75.https://doi.org/10.1016/j. foodchem.2018.08.035 4. Angioi R, Morrin A, White B. The Rediscovery of Honey for Skin Repair: Recent Advances in Mechanisms for Honey- Mediated Wound Healing and Scaffolded Application Techniques.Appl. Sci.2021, 11, 5192. https://doi.org/10.3390/ app11115192
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