Tryptophan and Biogenic Amines in the Differentiation and Quality of Honey

Cristine Vanz Borges; Aline Nunes; Vladimir Eliodoro Costa; Ricardo de Oliveira Orsi; Leticia Silva Pereira Basilio; Gean Charles Monteiro; Marcelo Maraschin; Giuseppina Pace Pereira Lima

doi:10.1177/11786469221102098

Tryptophan and Biogenic Amines in the Differentiation and Quality of Honey

Int J Tryptophan Res. 2022 May 26:15:11786469221102098. doi: 10.1177/11786469221102098. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Cristine Vanz Borges¹, Aline Nunes², Vladimir Eliodoro Costa³, Ricardo de Oliveira Orsi⁴, Leticia Silva Pereira Basilio⁵, Gean Charles Monteiro⁵, Marcelo Maraschin², Giuseppina Pace Pereira Lima⁵

Affiliations

¹ Health Sciences, Universidade Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe (UNIARP), Caçador, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
² Plant Morphogenesis and Biochemistry Laboratory, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
³ Stable Isotope Center, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁴ Center of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁵ Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.

Abstract

Honey is a natural product with beneficial properties to health and has different characteristics depending on the region of production and collection, flowering, and climate. The presence of precursor amino acids of- and biogenic amines can be important in metabolomic studies of differentiation and quality of honey. We analyzed 65 honeys from 11 distinct regions of the State of Santa Catarina (Brazil) as to the profile of amino acids and biogenic amines by HPLC. The highest L-tryptophan (Trp), 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-OH-Trp), and tryptamine (Tryp) levels were detected in Cfb climate and harvested in 2019. Although we have found high content of serotonin, dopamine, and L-dopa in Cfb climate, the highest values occurred in honey produced during the summer 2018 and at altitudes above 900 m. Results indicate that the amino acids and biogenic amine levels in honeys are good indicators of origin. These data warrant further investigation on the honey as source of amino acids precursor of serotonin, melatonin, and dopamine, what can guide the choice of food as source of neurotransmitters.

Keywords: L-dopa; L-tryptophan; dopamine; melatonin; serotonin.