Chemical Composition of Different Botanical Origin Honeys Produced by Sicilian Black Honeybees (Apis mellifera ssp. sicula).
In 2008 a Slow Food Presidium was launched in Sicily (Italy) for an early warning of the risk of extinction of the Sicilian native breed of black honeybee (Apis mellifera L. ssp sicula). Today, the honey produced by these honeybees is the only Sicilian honey produced entirely by the black honeybees. In view of few available data regarding the chemical composition of A. mellifera ssp. sicula honeys, in the present investigation the chemical compositions of sulla honey (Hedysarum coronarium L.) and dill honey (Anethum graveolens L.) were studied with a multimethodological approach, which consists of HPLC-PDA-ESI-MSn and NMR spectroscopy. Moreover, three unifloral honeys (lemon honey (obtained from Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck), orange honey (Citrus arantium L.), and medlar honey (Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl)), with known phenol and polyphenol compositions, were studied with NMR spectroscopy to deepen the knowledge about sugar and amino acid compositions.
†Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie del Farmaco, Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy.|§Istituto di Metodologie Chimiche, Laboratorio di Risonanza Magnetica "Annalaura Segre", CNR, I-00015 Monterotondo, Rome, Italy.
Luisa
L
Mannina
§Istituto di Metodologie Chimiche, Laboratorio di Risonanza Magnetica "Annalaura Segre", CNR, I-00015 Monterotondo, Rome, Italy.
Anatoly P
AP
Sobolev
#Department of Drug Sciences, Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology Section, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
Arianna
A
Di Lorenzo
†Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie del Farmaco, Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy.
Silvia
S
Vista
⊥Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Gian Carlo
GC
Tenore
#Department of Drug Sciences, Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology Section, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
Maria
M
Daglia
D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002957:Citrus / Q000737:chemistry*; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D006722:Honey / Q000032:analysis*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry; D012802:Sicily
D010636:Phenols
Apis mellifera ssp sicula; HPLC-PAD-ESI-MSn; NMR; chemical characterization; honey