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Differentiation of Honey from Melipona Species Using Differential Scanning Calorimetry

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Abstract

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to study the thermal behavior of Colombian honeys produced by the honey-bee Apis mellifera and by three species of stingless bees: Melipona fuscipes, Melipona favosa favosa, and Melipona compressipes. The honey samples were collected every 2 months over the course of year (August 2014 to August 2015). Up to four thermal transitions (trs1–trs4a, trs4b) were found in the honey samples: M. fuscipes (trs1–trs4a), M. favosa (trs1–trs4a, trs4b), M. compressipes (trs1, trs3, trs4a), and A. mellifera (trs1, trs3, trs4a). Statistical analyses showed significant differences in enthalpies of each transition between species; therefore, DSC analysis can be used as a finger-print to differentiate the honeys of species.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Ricola Foundation (Switzerland), within the framework of the project “Stingless bees as alternative pollinators” and the Universidad de Pamplona, Vicerrectoría de Investigaciones.

Funding

This study was funded by Ricola Foundation (Switzerland) and Universidad de Pamplona (grant number NI576).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Química, Grupo de Biocalorimetría, Universidad de Pamplona, km 1 Vía Bucaramanga - Pamplona, Pamplona, Colombia

    Yaneth Cardona, Alexandra Torres & Wolfgang Hoffmann

  2. Free University of Berlin, Institute for Biology, Grunewaldstrasse 34, 12165, Berlin, Germany

    Ingolf Lamprecht

Authors
  1. Yaneth Cardona
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  2. Alexandra Torres
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  3. Wolfgang Hoffmann
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  4. Ingolf Lamprecht
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Correspondence to Alexandra Torres.

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Author Yaneth Cardona declares that she has no conflict of interest. Author Alexandra Torres declares that she has no conflict of interest. Author Wolfgang Hoffmann declares that he has no conflict of interest. Author Ingolf Lamprecht declares that he has no conflict of interest.

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Cardona, Y., Torres, A., Hoffmann, W. et al. Differentiation of Honey from Melipona Species Using Differential Scanning Calorimetry. Food Anal. Methods 11, 1056–1067 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12161-017-1083-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12161-017-1083-z

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