Floral authentication of Greek unifloral honeys based on the combination of phenolic compounds, physicochemical parameters and chemometrics

Greek unifloral honeys (pine, thyme, fir, orange blossom) were characterized and classified according to botanical origin based on phenolic compound content and conventional physicochemical parameters using MANOVA and Linear Discriminant Analysis. One hundred and nineteen honey samples were collected during the harvesting period 2011 from 14 different regions in Greece known to produce unifloral honey of good quality. The analysis of phenolic compounds quercetin (3,5,7,3′,4′-pentahydroxyflavone), myricetin (3,5,7,3′,4′,5′-hexahydroxyflavone), kaempferol (3,5,7,4′-tetrahydroxyflavone), chrysin (5,7-dihydroxyflavanone), and syringic acid (4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid), was performed by high pressure liquid chromatography. Conventional quality parameter analysis included the determination of: pH, free, lactonic and total acidity, electrical conductivity, moisture, ash, as well as lactonic/free acidity ratio and colour parameters L*, a*, and b*. Using 4 phenolic compounds and 10 conventional quality parameters honey samples were satisfactorily classified (96.6% correct prediction) according to botanical origin.