Quality analysis of Apis cerana and Apis mellifera honey from Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

The honey of hive bees Apis cerana and Apis mellifera collected from different locations of Himachal Pradesh, India was analyzed for quality characteristics viz., pH, colour, moisture, sucrose, fructose to glucose ratio, acidity, phenols and hydrogen peroxide content. The analyzed honey was of good quality as it met the required standards of Indian and International markets. Comparative analysis confirmed that A. cerana honey had highest moisture (17.38%), OD (0.50), sucrose (3.33) and H2O2 (201.92 mg/kg) content as compared to A. mellifera honey. However, significantly highest acidity (36.32 meq/kg) and phenol content (82.40 mg/100g) was recorded for A. mellifera honey. Principal component analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was perceived as an efficient tool for classifying and discriminated the tested honeys based on their analyzed physico-chemical parameters.