Apidologie 22 (1991) 371-380
DOI: 10.1051/apido:19910402

Die physiko-chemischen Eigenschaften philippinischer Honige

V.T. Laude^a, L. Naegel^a and H. Horn<sup>b

a</sup>  University of the Philippines at Los Baños, College of Agriculture, College, Laguna, Philippines, Farming Systems and Soil Resources Institute
^b  Universität Hohenheim, Landesanstalt für Bienenkunde, 7000 Stuttgart 70, Deutschland

Abstract - The physico-chemical properties of some Philippine honeys
Fifty-five honeys were collected from local apiaries and commercial outlets and analyzed for their physico-chemical properties so that the honeys could be characterized. The samples were grouped according to 3 different honey bee species: Apis mellifera (27 samples), Apis dorsata (5 samples) and Apis cerana (9 samples). Honeys of unknown honey bee source were categorized as commercial (14 samples). The following parameters were analyzed: - moisture content, based on the method of Chataway (1932); - electrical conductivity, based on the method of Vorwohl (1964); - ash content, determined by heating the honey at 600 °C to constant weight; - pH value; - free acidity, lactone and total acidity, via the method described to the Codex Allmentarius Commission (1969); - glucose, fructose and sucrose content, via the UV-test of Boehringer. All absorbance readings were carried out at 340 nm; - HMF determination, by the method of Winkler (1955); - invertase activity according to the method of Siegenthaler (1977). The results indicated that there were no significant differences in the physico-chemical properties of some Philippine honeys from different bee species except the moisture content, which is high in honeys from local bees Apis dorsata and Apis cerana, and low in honeys from colonies of Apis mellifera and in "commercial" samples. All other differences in HMF content, invertase activity, glucose content, ash and electrical conductivity seem to be influenced by different methods of beekeeping or treatment of honey by the beekeeper, and not due the different usage of honey sources by the bee species. The results show that the standard of quality of Philippine honeys is not high. By comparing the parameters -moisture, ash, glucose, free acidity and HMF- with the limits proposed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, conformity to single parameters were as follows; moisture content 41, ash content 53, sucrose content 35, free acidity 26 and HMF content 31. Only 6 out of 55 samples conformed to all 5 parameters.

Key words: honey / physico-chemical property / Apis dorsata / A cerana / the Philippines