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

 背景

金属是蜂蜜中的次要成分，但它们被认为是根据植物或地理来源表征蜂蜜的潜在工具。

 方法

通过电感耦合等离子体质谱法对来自意大利西北部的单花和多花蜂蜜中的总共 40 种金属进行了分析。主成分分析 (PCA) 和方差分析 (ANOVA) 用于根据不同的花卉类型区分蜂蜜。

 结果

板栗蜂蜜中的微量元素和稀土元素 (REE) 含量最高，而金合欢蜂蜜和杜鹃花蜂蜜中的含量最低。铷和铝是最常见的非必需元素，而锰、铁、锌和铜的必需元素含量最高。潜在有毒元素砷、镉和铅均接近或低于定量限。

 结论

本研究表明，不同蜂蜜花型的金属浓度存在显着差异，反映出植物来源对这种特殊食品的化学成分的强烈影响。