Honey phenolic compounds and origin markers studied
What it found
In 51 honey samples from Greece and Poland, the amounts of phenolic compounds varied widely by flower source.
The study also found 10 chemical markers that could tell Greek and Polish honeys apart.
What they found
Phenolic levels vary
The amounts of 11 phenolic compounds ranged from 0.05 mg/kg (cinnamic acid in rape honey) to 15 mg/kg (4-hydroxybenzoic acid in buckwheat honey).
Buckwheat honey compounds
Buckwheat honey had the highest levels of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-coumaric acid and salicylic acid.
Abscisic acid in arbutus
Abscisic acid isomers were most abundant in arbutus honey. They were also found in all 51 samples.
Origin markers found
The study identified 10 markers that could tell Greek honey from Polish honey. Six were more abundant in Greek honey and four in Polish honey.
Heather honey differences
Polish heather honey had higher levels of dehydrovomifoliol and phenyllactic acid than Greek heather honey.
What the authors conclude
“The developed method highlights the analytical capabilities provided by HRMS and the importance of determining phenolic compounds in honey for their dietary impact and exploitation as authenticity markers.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the method can accurately and sensitively measure phenolic compounds and discriminate honey origin.
- They highlight the importance of determining phenolic compounds in honey for dietary impact and as authenticity markers.
- They note that the marker identification level varied, showing the need for comprehensive chemometric tools to find authenticity markers.
How it was done
Honey's price and quality depend on where it comes from, and fraud is a problem. The authors wanted a method that could both measure phenolic compounds and check honey's geographical origin.
They collected 51 honey samples from 10 different flower sources in Greece and Poland. They used a high-resolution mass spectrometry method to measure phenolic compounds and look for origin markers.
What it can’t tell you
- This study looked at chemical composition, not health effects in people.
- The markers found are based on samples from Greece and Poland, so they may not apply to honey from other regions.
- The method cannot prove where a honey comes from on its own; it needs a trained model with known samples.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece; University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Czech Republic; Agricultural University of Athens, Greece
The paper
- Title
- Honey Phenolic Compound Profiling and Authenticity Assessment Using HRMS Targeted and Untargeted Metabolomics
- Type
- Study
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Koulis GA, Tsagkaris AS, Aalizadeh R, et al (2021). Honey Phenolic Compound Profiling and Authenticity Assessment Using HRMS Targeted and Untargeted Metabolomics. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). doi:10.3390/molecules26092769Free full textPubMed 34066694DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error