Physicochemical differentiation of stingless bee honeys from Costa Rica

Abstract

We characterized Tetragonisca angustula and Melipona beecheii honeys produced in Costa Rica according to their physical and chemical properties. Moreover, we found critical parameters that distinguish the honeys from each other. Forty-eight samples of honey of both stingless bee species were analyzed (T. angustula, n = 32; M. beecheii, n = 16). T. angustula honey is characterized by having significantly higher average values of proline (464.6 mg/kg), ash (0.481 g/100 g), diastase (17.5 Schade units/g), and free acidity (79.4 me/kg); while M. beecheii honey has significantly higher average values for fructose (32.7 g/100g), glucose (28.2- 30.2 g/100 g), water content (23.5 g/100 g), and invertase activity (65.7 U/kg). It was inferred from the results obtained that the honey produced by M. beecheii comes from nectars with a higher sugar concentration compared to the nectars used by T. angustula to produce their honey, which it was in good accordance to previous literature reports.

Keywords:

• stingless bee honey
• Tetragonisca angustula
• Melipona beecheii
• physical-chemical properties

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank CONARE-Costa Rica for their financial support and the Dirección de Investigación of Universidad Nacional of Costa Rica for providing funding for the translation of this paper through their grant “Fondo para Apoyo a la Divulgación del Conocimiento Generado en la Universidad Nacional”.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors declare that CONARE-Costa Rica and the Dirección de Investigación of Universidad Nacional of Costa Rica solely provided financial support.