Activity of enzymes and trace element content in bee honey

The objective of this study was to assess the relation between the activity of enzymes (invertase and diastase) and the contents of trace essential elements (Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu) and risk elements (Pb, Cd and Hg). A collection of thirty honey samples from various regions of the Czech Republic was arranged into three groups by the botanical origin of honeys (blossom-rape, blossom-multifloral and honeydew), and analysed. The differences in copper content reached high significance (P < 0.01) between honeydew(1.5 +/- 0.4 mg(.)kg(-1)) and blossom-multifloral (0.7 +/- 0.5 mg(.)kg(-1)) or blossom-rape honey (0.3 +/- 0.2 mg(.)kg(-1)) samples, and (P < 0.05) between blossom-multifloral and blossom-rape honey samples. A significant correlation was found between the activity values of invertase and diastase (r = 0.8072, P < 0.01), and between the enzyme activity and the copper content (invertase/Cu r = 0.5192, P < 0.05; diastase/Cu r = 0.4868, P < 0.05). No significant correlation was found between the enzyme activity and the content of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). Honeydew contained higher concentrations of essential and risk elements and simultaneously showed higher enzyme activity than honey blossom.