title: Rapid honey characterization and botanical classification by an electronic tongue.
abstract: In this paper a commercial electronic tongue (αAstree, Alpha M.O.S.) was applied for botanical classification and physicochemical characterization of honey samples. The electronic tongue was comprised of seven potentiometric sensors coupled with an Ag/AgCl reference electrode. Botanical classification was performed by PCA, CCA and ANN modeling on 12 samples of acacia, chestnut and honeydew honey. The physicochemical characterization of honey was obtained by ANN modeling and the parameters included were electrical conductivity, acidity, water content, invert sugar and total sugar. The initial reference values for the physicochemical parameters observed were determined by traditional methods. Botanical classification of honey samples obtained by ANN was 100% accurate while the highest correlation between observed and predicted values was obtained for electrical conductivity (0.999), followed by acidity (0.997), water content (0.994), invert sugar content (0.988) and total sugar content (0.979). All developed ANN models for rapid honey characterization and botanical classification performed excellently showing the potential of the electronic tongue as a tool in rapid honey analysis and characterization. The advantage of using such a technique is a simple sample preparation procedure, there are no chemicals involved and there are no additional costs except the initial measurements required for ANN model development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Quality Control and Nutrition, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Nikola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Major
authors.forename: Ksenija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Marković
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krpan
authors.forename: Goran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sarić
authors.forename: Mirjana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hruškar
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vahčić
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids / Q000032:analysis; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004566:Electrodes; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry*; D005504:Food Analysis / Q000379:methods; D006722:Honey / Q000032:analysis* / Q000145:classification; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011199:Potentiometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000143:Acids; D002241:Carbohydrates; D014867:Water