Physico-chemical characteristics of some bulgarian honeys

Abstract

Eight honey samples from Bulgaria with different geographical and botanical origin have been studied in terms of their quality characteristics and element composition. The moisture, determined by a moisture analyzer was found to be 19.0 g 100g-1 at maximum. The ash content was quantified by incineration in a muffle furnace varied from 0.23 to 0.89 g 100g-1. The protein, carbon and nitrogen were defined by combustion at 949 oC TruSpec CN. The protein in honey was found to be between 0.17 and 0.40 %, where as carbon exceeded 19 %, and nitrogen was not more than 638 mg kg-1. In addition, another four macroelements i.e. potassium, sodium, phosphorus, and magnesium, were quantified. The most abundant appeared to be potassium achieving values of 1044 mg kg-1, followed in almost all samples by sodium, hosphorus and magnesium. In three samples magnesium was not detected. From the microelements, zinc was quantified (0.6ч4.9 ppm).