Chemical characterization complemented with chemometrics for the botanical origin identification of unifloral and multifloral honeys from India

Chemical fingerprints based on FTIR spectra, phenolics and volatiles were studied for a total of 30 honey types of eight different botanical origin i.e. litchi, neem, ginger, eucalyptus, lemon (unifloral) and Kashmiri white, BR Hills & Pan India honey (Multifloral). Chemometrics based on principal component analysis (PCA) was used as a complementary tool for chemical fingerprint of honey. ATR-FTIR had a good predictive capability to discriminate among honey when conjugated with chemometric tools, providing the rapid first-line of classification for honey. The specific phenolic compounds identified were homovanillic acid for neem, zingerone and gingerol for ginger, tricetin for eucalyptus, hesperitin and naringenin for lemon honey. Analysis of volatiles led to identification of odor active compounds such as azadirachtin for neem and zingiberene in ginger honey for the first time, whereas cis-rose oxide for litchi, 2-hydroxycineole for eucalyptus and methyl anthranilate & limonene diol for lemon honey as per previous studies which were well correlated with PCA of phenolics and volatiles.