title: Biochemical and nutritional components of selected honey samples.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of biochemical (enzymes) and nutritional components in the selected honey samples from Malaysia. The relationship is important to estimate the quality of honey based on the concentration of these nutritious components. Such a study is limited for honey samples from tropical countries with heavy rainfall throughout the year.
  
  
  METHODS
  A number of six honey samples that commonly consumed by local people were collected for the study. Both the biochemical and nutritional components were analysed by using standard methods from Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). Individual monosaccharides, disaccharides and 17 amino acids in honey were determined by using liquid chromatographic method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the peroxide activity was positively correlated with moisture content (r = 0.8264), but negatively correlated with carbohydrate content (r = 0.7755) in honey. The chromatographic sugar and free amino acid profiles showed that the honey samples could be clustered based on the type and maturity of honey. Proline explained for 64.9% of the total variance in principle component analysis (PCA).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The correlation between honey components and honey quality has been established for the selected honey samples based on their biochemical and nutritional concentrations. PCA results revealed that the ratio of sucrose to maltose could be used to measure honey maturity, whereas proline was the marker compound used to distinguish honey either as floral or honeydew.
authors.affiliation: honey, sugar, amino acid, peroxide activity, diastase number.
authors.forename: Lee Suan
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.affiliation: honey, sugar, amino acid, peroxide activity, diastase number.
authors.forename: Nur Ardawati
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Adnan
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004187:Disaccharides / Q000032:analysis; D006722:Honey / Q000032:analysis*; D009005:Monosaccharides / Q000032:analysis; D009753:Nutritive Value
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D004187:Disaccharides; D009005:Monosaccharides