Mineral Content of Honey from Serbia: Analysis of Essential and Toxic Elements

АУТОР(И) / AUTHOR(S): Dušan V. Trajković, Jelena D. Božović, Dragana Z. Živojinović

Download Full Pdf   

DOI:  10.46793/ICCBIKG25.549T

САЖЕТАК / ABSTRACT:

Honey is a natural, sweet, and complex substance produced by honey bees from nectar collected from various plants. After processing, nectar is stored in wax honeycombs, forming honey, which contains several hundred chemical compounds responsible for its diverse biological activities. Traditionally consumed as a nutritious food, honey also exhibits antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antitumor, and probiotic effects, making it significant for both nutritional and therapeutic purposes. In this study, the mineral composition of honey was analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) to determine the concentrations of micro- and macroelements, some of which are essential for human health, while others are potentially toxic even at low levels. More than 20 elements were quantified, including Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, P, Pb, S, Se, Sr, and Zn. Six honey samples from different geographical regions available on the Serbian market were examined: three domestic samples collected from small family farms and three purchased from retail outlets. Due to the complex honey matrix, sample preparation involved dry digestion with mineral acids to enable efficient metal extraction. Cluster analysis was applied to investigate the relationship between the elemental composition and the geographical origin of honey, providing insights into honey quality, authenticity, and potential health risks associated with toxic element content.

КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ / KEYWORDS:

microelements, dry digestion, ICP-OES, Cluster analysis

ПРОЈЕКАТ / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

This research has been financially supported by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia (Contract No: 451-03-136/2025-03/200287 and 451-03-136/2025-03/200135)

ЛИТЕРАТУРА / REFERENCES:

• R. Ullah, F.A. Jan, H. Gulab, S. Saleem, N. Ullah, Wajidullah, Metals contents in honey, beeswax and bees and human health risk assessment due to consumption of honey: A case study from selected districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol., 82 (2022) 341–354.
• M. Jovetić, J. Trifković, D. Stanković, D. Manojlović, D. Milojković-Opsenica, Mineral content as a tool for the assessment of honey authenticity, J. AOAC Int., 100 (2017) 862–870.
• H. Bayir, A. Aygun, Heavy metal in honey bees, honey, and pollen produced in rural and urban areas of Konya Province in Turkey, Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., 29 (2022) 74569–74578.