Dados do Trabalho

Título

BRACATINGA HONEYDEW HONEY: DETERMINATION OF SUGARS VIA LC-ESI-MS/MS AND EFFECT OF THERMAL TREATMENT ON FRUCTOSE AND GLUCOSE LEVELS

Introdução

The bracatinga honeydew honey (BHH) with geographical indication from the southern Brazilian plateau must contain a minimum of 45 g/100 g of fructose and glucose, according to Brazilian legislation. This study aimed to analyze the effect of thermal treatment on glucose and fructose levels, as well as the presence of minor sugars in BHH, which have not yet been studied.

Material e Métodos

Twelve samples of BHH collected in 2018 and 2020 from various cities were evaluated, including six commercial samples (BHHC) and six drained from combs in the laboratory (BHHL). Using mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS), nine sugars were identified and quantified by external calibration (1 to 20 µg/mL, 6 levels). Two crystallized and two non-crystallized samples were analyzed after heat treatment (40°C).

Resultados e Discussão

Rafinose, mannose, and arabinose were not found in any sample. Peaks of sucrose+turanose, as well as maltose+trealose, were quantified in three and nine samples, respectively, with values below 1 g/100g. Melezitose was detected in only one sample (1.30 ± 0.1 g/100g) above the limit of quantification. Fructose levels varied from 31.6 ± 0.3 to 46.0 ± 0.8 g/100g, and glucose levels from 13.3 ± 0.3 to 27.7 ± 0.6 g/100g.

Conclusão

The combination of glucose and fructose ranged from 45.6 to 73.1 g/100g, in accordance with legislation and previous studies on BHH. BHHC and BHHL differed (p <0.05) in fructose and glucose levels, possibly due to centrifugation and filtration of BHHC, which remove unwanted components such as wax parts. Heat treatment reduced fructose (6.7 and 11.5 g/100g) and glucose (4.6 and 16.0 g/100g) levels in crystallized samples, while non-crystallized samples showed an increase in fructose (2.0 and 1.4 g/100g) and glucose (1.5 and 0.3 g/100g). These results highlight the influence of processing on the main sugars of honeys, indicating the need for future studies with direct sampling from processing units for a more comprehensive analysis of variations in these compounds.