APPLICATION OF SPECTROSCOPY IN ANALYSIS OF SOME FLORAL HONEY SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM FOUR SOUTH ROMANIAN COUNTIES IN 2021

Honey is a concentrated aqueous solution of sugars, especially glucose and fructose, and minor amounts of dextrin, enzymes, volatile oils, organic acids, ethers, and minerals. Honey samples vary in quality according to various factors, such as climate diversity, geographical characteristics, floral supply period, and packaging and storage conditions, which can compromise the quality of the hive's final product. The assessment of honey quality is a major concern that has gained interest internationally because honey has always been subjected to various fraudulent practices which become more sophisticated in the present day. Consumers, beekeepers, and regulatory bodies are interested to have reliable analytical tools and information to allow the detection of adulterated honey. The UV-VIS spectroscopy and FTIR spectroscopy techniques are two analytical methods used to analyze the honey quality nowadays, with hydroxymethylfurfural being used as a standard for testing honey's freshness. The present study was conducted to assess the quality of some floral honey samples (rapeseed, acacia, and polyfloral honey) produced in Argeș, Călărași, Giurgiu, and Teleorman counties from the south of Romania. Differences between honey botanical and geographical origins were analyzed and highlighted with One-way ANOVA (p˂0.05), followed by Duncan`s Multiple Range Test. Our results indicated that honey is a valuable source of bioactive compounds.