Traceability of Satsuma Mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) Honey through Nectar/Honey-Sac/Honey Pathways of the Headspace, Volatiles, and Semi-Volatiles: Chemical Markers

Igor Jerković; Saša Prđun; Zvonimir Marijanović; Marina Zekić; Dragan Bubalo; Lidija Svečnjak; Carlo I G Tuberoso

doi:10.3390/molecules21101302

Traceability of Satsuma Mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) Honey through Nectar/Honey-Sac/Honey Pathways of the Headspace, Volatiles, and Semi-Volatiles: Chemical Markers

Molecules. 2016 Sep 29;21(10):1302. doi: 10.3390/molecules21101302.

Authors

Igor Jerković¹, Saša Prđun², Zvonimir Marijanović³, Marina Zekić⁴, Dragan Bubalo⁵, Lidija Svečnjak⁶, Carlo I G Tuberoso⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry & Technology, University of Split, Ruđera Boškovića 35, HR-21000 Split, Croatia. igor@ktf-split.hr.
² Department of Fisheries, Apiculture and Special Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska 25, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia. sprdjun@agr.hr.
³ Department of Food Technology, Marko Marulić Polytechnic in Knin, Petra Krešimira IV 30, HR-22300 Knin, Croatia. zmarijanovic@veleknin.hr.
⁴ Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry & Technology, University of Split, Ruđera Boškovića 35, HR-21000 Split, Croatia. zekic@ktf-split.hr.
⁵ Department of Fisheries, Apiculture and Special Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska 25, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia. dbubalo@agr.hr.
⁶ Department of Fisheries, Apiculture and Special Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska 25, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia. lsvecnjak@agr.hr.
⁷ Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, via Ospedale 72, IT-09124 Cagliari, Italy. tuberoso@unica.it.

Abstract

Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and ultrasonic solvent extraction (USE), followed by GC-MS/FID, were applied for monitoring the nectar (NE)/honey-sac (HoS)/honey (HO) pathways of the headspace, volatiles, and semi-volatiles. The major NE (4 varieties of Citrus unshiu) headspace compounds were linalool, α-terpineol, 1H-indole, methyl anthranilate, and phenylacetonitrile. Corresponding extracts contained, among others, 1H-indole, methyl anthranilate, 1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one and caffeine. The major HoS headspace compounds were linalool, α-terpineol, 1,8-cineole, 1H-indole, methyl anthranilate, and cis-jasmone. Characteristic compounds from HoS extract were caffeine, 1H-indole, 1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one, methyl anthranilate, and phenylacetonitrile. However, HO headspace composition was significantly different in comparison to NE and HoS with respect to phenylacetaldehyde and linalool derivatives abundance that appeared as the consequence of the hive conditions and the bee enzyme activity. C. unshiu honey traceability is determined by chemical markers: phenylacetaldehyde, phenylacetonitrile, linalool and its derivatives, as well as 1H-indole, 1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one, and caffeine.

Keywords: 1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one; 1H-indole; Citrus unshiu Marc. honey; GC-MS; HS-SPME; USE; caffeine; linalool and its derivatives; phenylacetaldehyde; phenylacetonitrile.