| Linden, mainly Tilia amurensis and Tilia mandschurica, is a kind of plants from Tilia, one of the peculiar nectariferous plants in Northeast China. Linden honey ranks as first class honey, for its properties of light amber or pale light amber color, strong fragrance, and easily crystallized. As its popularity among consumers and rare collection in the forestry, it is cherished for the functions of nurturing blood and improving weakness, reducing body heat, neutralizing poison, relieving dryness, and tranquilizing spirit. The forests in Heilongjiang and Jilin Provinces serve as the major Linden honey sources.Vetch honey, belonging to Leguminosae, includes Vicia cracca L. and Vicia Villosa Roth L., which are defined as nectariferous plants of Vicia spp. honey. Rare produced in Yunnan-Kweichow Plateau, Vicia spp. honey bears not only the property of common honeys, such as poison neutralization and dryness-syndrome relief, but also the peculiar function of muscle and skin moisturizing, and reinforcement elasticity of skin as well. In light of its property, Vetch honey is especially popular with women consumers.Robinia pseudoacacia L., a kind of plants from Leguminosae, also named as locust, is one of the main nectariferous plants in China. With the features of white, or water-like white color, transparent, creamy liquid and unique flower fragrance of Robinia pseudoacacia L.. Acacia honey boasts as the first class honey.In this experiment, Linden honey, Vetch honey, and Acacia honey are chosen as subjects to further the research on their quality appraisal measures. The article focused on the investigation of three kinds honey and the development of the antioxidant and sunscreen medicine. Meanwhile, the relationship of honey and nectariferous plants was studied with high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC), ultraviolet spectra (UV) and infrared spectra (IR). In light of honey sources, quality appraisal measures were ascertained for the three kinds of honeys. Then, the antioxidant activities of three honeys were appraised by comparing their reducing power and the diversity on scavenging effects on DPPH-free radical, hydroxyl radical, NO2 radical and superoxide radical. The study may serve as reference for honey's wellbeing function and quality security.The study established the common infrared spectrum (FTIR) fingerprint and second derivative infrared spectrum fingerprint of Linden honey, Vetch honey, and Acacia honey. It proved that second derivative infrared spectrum fingerprint efficiently distinguished Linden honey, Vetch honey, and Acacia honey from other kinds of honeys of different sources and types in the market. Cluster analysis method was used along with IR fingerprint to analyze original honey against the honey sold in market, which can separate original honey and the processed ones. By cluster analysis, colour, botanic or geographic differences of three kinds honeys were also clarified to give light to quality evaluation measures for honeys.A reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic method was utilized for simultaneous determination of 17 free amino acids in Panax quinquefolium L.. The amino acid samples were mixed with norleucine as internal standard, derivatized with Phenylisothiocyanate (PITC), and then were separated on a Venusil-AA (5μm,4.6 mm X 250 mm) column specially for analysis amino acid using NaAC buffer solution (PH6.5)-acetonitrile solution and 80% acetonitrile solution as a mobile phase with gradient elution technique. Flow rate:1 ml/min, column temperature:40℃, The UV detector at 254 nm was utilized for amino acid quantification. All 17 amino acid concentration was set at the range of 0.5μmol-0.0125μmol, the linear correlation coefficients of the amino acids were above 0.99. The average recoveries of amino acids were 91.3%～103.1%. This technique was simple, accurate, and eligible for qualitative analysis of amino acid in honey. The research targeted 36 honey samples of 16 geographic sources of different colors and bionic sources. They were:Acacia, Codonopsis, Astragalus, Eriobotrya, Vetch, Red date, Coptidis and Eucalyptus honey, and so on. The result indicated that proline was the major element in free amino acid and constituted over 69.82%, averaging about 543 mg/kg in the honey samples. The finding may serve as the presupposition for further study of honey nutrition.Scavenging effects on DPPH free radical, hydroxyl radical, NO2- radical and superoxide radical have indicated that there exists certain scavenging effects in honey, and the effects of scavenging DPPH free radical and superoxide radical are better than scavenging hydroxyl radical and NO2- radical. Duncan's multiple range test was applied to analyze 36 honey samples of 16 geographic sources on their diversity of scavenging effect on DPPH free radical, hydroxyl radical, NO2- radical and superoxide radical. The result of the experiment indicated that there existed large difference of antioxidant activities within honeys of bionic sources, and even within the honeys of same bionic source but different geographic source.Folin-Ciocalteu method was used to determine the content of total phenolic acid in 36 honey samples of 16 geographic sources. Contents of total phenolic acid ranged from 10.43±0.69mg/100g to 168.9±0.04 mg/100g, Eucalyptus honey (Canton) ranking the highest and Acacia honey (Kunming) the lowest. It showed the difference of total phenolic acid contents in honeys was due to the effects of color, bionic and geographic aspects. Total flavonoid contents and reducing power were determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry and the results showed that 36 samples ranged from 9.410±0.06 mg/kg to 99.63±0.04 mg/kg, the dark colored Eucalyptus honey (Guangxi) ranking the highest and the light colored Acacia honey (Kunming) the lowest. Significant differences total phenolic acid and total flavonoid contents within 36 honey samples were made by using Duncan's multiple range test. The relevance between reducing power and total phenolic acid contents, total flavonoid contents respectively were R=0.940368 and R=0.79281. It indicated that there existed linear relations between reducing power and total phenolic acid contents, total flavonoid contents respectively. The darker the honey appeared, the higher reducing power, total phenolic acid contents, and total flavonoid contents were, and vice versa. The results also indicateed that the relevance between total phenolic acid contents and scavenging effects on DPPH-free radical and superoxide radical respectively were R=0.88783 and R=0.86443. Meanwhile, the relevance between total flavonoid contents and scavenging effects on DPPH-free radical and superoxide radical respectively were R=0.71286 and R=0.73946. The findings indicate that the antioxidant capacities of honey rely on their contents of phenolic compounds. The antioxidant capacities differ in honeys of various bionic sources, and are also affected by geographic differences. Positive correlations are found in total phenolic acid contents and total flavonoid contents to reducing power and antioxidant capacities respectively. Darker colored honeys have more effects on its antioxidant capacities, and higher total phenolic acid contents and total flavonoid contents than their lighter colored counterparts.Microscopical techniques were applied to investigate and compare the morphological properties of pollen, an obvious indicator of honey. In light of sensory features of honey in honey samples, i.e., floral origin, color, aroma and taste, the quality of honey was appraised. In use of infrared spectra device, it set up the common IR infrared spectrum fingerprint and second derivative infrared spectrum fingerprint of Linden honey, Vetch honey, and Acacia honey. The quality evaluation measures for honeys were established as the touchstone for honey sold in market.36 honey samples of 16 geographic sources were compared in their antioxidant performance to prove that the antioxidant activities of phenolic compounds in dark color honeys were better than that in the light color ones. The antioxidant performance functioned in reducing power and scavenging effect. It has been proved the quality of honey relies on its chemical properties and bionic sources, and is also affected by geographic differences. Therefore, it is significant to appraise and measure the chemical matters in honey. |
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