Studying and comparing the chemical composition of two types of Syrian honey

Abstract

The study examined several physical and chemical properties, along  with the chemical composition, of two types of Syrian honey: citrus honey and mountain honey. Samples were collected from citrus honey produced in the Syrian coastal region and mountain honey from the Slunfeh area (Husamo) in the Syrian Arab Republic. Volatile and semi- volatile organic compounds were extracted using appropriate organic solvents- methanol,  chloroform, and acetone. Gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to identify the compounds by comparing their mass spectra with reference data from the instrument’s library. The results revealed significant variation in the chemical composition of the two honey types. Twenty compounds were identified in the mountain honey sample, while twenty- two were found in the citrus honey. These compounds represented a large proportion of the total volatile and semi- volatile content in each sample.

The identified compounds included esters(10.6% in mountain honey and 9.3% in citrus honey), hydrocarbons (10.0% and 7.1%, respectively), and other oxygenated compounds (2.7% and 10.0%, respectively). Notably, the mountain honey contained bioactive compounds such as Anethole, known for its strong antimicrobial properties. Citrus honey had higher levels of moisture, ascorbic acid, fructose, and glucose compared to mountain honey. On the other hand, mountain honey showed a higher phenolic content than citrus honey.