Background

Metals are a minor constituent in honey, but they have been suggested to be a potential tool to characterize honeys according to their botanical or geographical origin.

Methods

A total of 40 metals were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry in monofloral and multifloral honeys from Northwestern Italy. PCA and ANOVA were used to discriminate honeys according to the various floral types.

Results

The highest levels of trace elements and rare earth elements (REEs) were found in chestnut honey, while the lowest concentrations were recorded in acacia and rhododendron honeys. Rubidium and aluminum were the most represented nonessential elements, while manganese, iron, zinc and copper had the highest values of the essential elements. Potentially toxic elements arsenic, cadmium and lead were close to or below the limit of quantification.

Conclusions

The present study showed significant differences in metal concentrations according to honey floral type, reflecting the strong influence of botanical origin on the chemical composition of this particular food.

中文翻译：

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意大利西北部的单花和多花蜂蜜中的微量和稀土元素；通过多元素轮廓进行表征的首次尝试。

背景

金属是蜂蜜中的次要成分，但有人建议将其作为根据蜂蜜的植物来源或地理特征对其进行表征的潜在工具。

方法

通过电感耦合等离子体质谱法对意大利西北部的单花和多花蜂蜜中的40种金属进行了分析。PCA和ANOVA用于根据各种花卉类型来区分蜂蜜。

结果

板栗蜂蜜中的痕量元素和稀土元素（REE）含量最高，而相思和杜鹃花蜂蜜中的痕量元素和稀土元素含量最低。represented和铝是最重要的非必需元素，而锰，铁，锌和铜的必需元素含量最高。砷，镉和铅的潜在有毒元素接近或低于定量极限。

结论

本研究表明，根据蜂蜜花的类型，金属浓度存在显着差异，反映出植物来源对该特定食品化学成分的强烈影响。