Systematic Review of the Characteristic Markers in Honey of Various Botanical, Geographic, and Entomological Origins

Abstract

Honey has become a highly demanded product for consumers worldwide due to its unique taste and rich nutritional and medicinal values. However, it remains challenging to identify honey’s origin as well as determine its authenticity. This review aims at summarizing the progress of research carried out in the last decade toward discriminating honeys by using characteristic markers. Studies that illustrated melissopalynology, phytochemical substances, and biomacromolecular substances to identify honey origins are discussed. Characteristic markers can be used for the identification of honey origins with main advantages of high sensitivity and accuracy. The compositions of honey are influenced by several factors including plant sources, harvest season, storage period, and maturity status. Discrimination of honey can be achieved by combining multiple parameters along with the applications of multivariate statistical analysis and machine learning.