Main honey botanical components and techniques for identification: a review

Honey is a natural product which is highly consumed due to its health benefits. Monofloral honeys which are produced mainly from the nectar of single plant species are known as high quality products and they have higher market price. The development and improvement of novel techniques for honey botanical identification is widely discussed. Honey botanical identification is a subject to melissopalynological, chemical (determination of amino acids and proteins, sugars, aroma compounds, mineral elements) and DNA-based techniques. The combination of different analytical methods for honey botanical identification will guarantee the high quality of the product and the absence of pollen from plants producing toxins. New methods and further studies on chemical markers and DNA-based techniques are needed for honey botanical identification. This study is necessary because it summarizes the main components which relate to the botanical origin of honey. This review gives a brief outline of the current information on the main components for determination and DNA-based techniques for honey botanical identification.