Avaliação físico-quimica do mel produzido por abelhas uruçu nordestinas alimentadas de forma natural e com xarope

Abstract

Honey is a natural product produced from the nectar of flowers, collected by bees that transform, store, and mature it in the honeycomb. This product, provided by the Apis mellifera L. bees, is rich in essential nutrients for human nutrition, such as carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Additionally, it exhibits high antibacterial and antioxidant activity, traditionally used in various areas such as industries, beverages, gastronomy, etc. Currently, interest in honey has grown due to its medicinal and nutritional properties. The composition of honey is influenced by the plant sources from which it is derived, as well as factors such as climate, soil type, bee species, physiological state of the colony, honey ripeness, and meteorological conditions during harvesting, among others. Thus, the floral source of honey plays a fundamental role in its biological properties. The quality of honey in Brazil is described in Normative No. 11, of October 20, 2000, which aims to establish the identity and minimum quality requirements that honey destined for direct human consumption must meet. Knowing this, it is of fundamental importance to perform physicochemical analyses of honey, where one can observe if the feed is adequate for the bees and if the produced honey is of quality and within the parameters set by the legislation, as this honey will be used in many areas in industry, commerce, etc. Therefore, studies aiming to add value and evaluate the quality of the product are of extreme relevance. Based on this scenario, the present study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical quality of honey produced in Paraíba by Northeastern Uruçu bees fed naturally and with syrup. The samples were obtained from rural producers in the municipality of Areia - PB, then transported to the Chemistry laboratories, linked to the Department of Chemistry and Physics of the Agricultural Sciences Center of UFPB, for analysis of moisture content, acidity, pH, ashes, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, as well as Lund, Fiehe, and Lugol reactions. The results obtained revealed that some samples presented values outside the standards allowed by current legislation. Regarding adulteration tests, both honey obtained from naturally fed bees and those fed with syrup showed indications of adulteration. These results highlight the importance of rigorous quality control at all stages of honey production and collection, from its management during collection to transportation for commercialization. Additionally, it emphasizes the need for analyses by beekeepers and supervision by competent authorities to ensure the quality and safety of the final product, ensuring not only its proper commercialization but also the protection of public health.