SUGAR PROFILES OF SPANISH UNIFLORAL HONEYS

The levels of various sugars (fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, mal tulose, kojibiose, isomaltase, raffinose, erlose and melezitose) as we ll as the glucose/fructose and glucose/water ratios were determined in different Spanish unifloral honey types (rosemary, orange blossom, la vender, sunflower, eucalyptus, heather, honeydew). Sugars were determi ned by gas chromatography of the trimethylsilyloxime derivatives. Ther e were significant differences among the honey types in relation to su gar composition. Fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose and the glucose/w ater ratio were selected by discriminant analysis as the better parame ters for the correct classification of the honey samples into their pa rent types. These sugars appear to be very valuable as characterizatio n parameters for honeydew honey, followed by sunflower, heather and eu calyptus honeys, with 100%, 92.9%, 83.3% and 75.0% correct classificat ions, respectively. For the remaining honey types the percentages of s uccessful classifications ranged from 53.8% to 69.2%. (C) 1997 Elsevie r Science Ltd.