J. Agric. Food Chem. 2004, 52, 3441−3445
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Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometric Determination of Minerals in Thyme Honeys and Their Contribution to Geographical Discrimination ANASS TERRAB,† DOLORES HERNANZ,§
AND
FRANCISCO J. HEREDIA*,#
Departamento de Biologı´a Vegetal y Ecologı´a, Universidad de Sevilla, Apartado 1095, 41080 Sevilla, Spain; Departamento de Quı´mica y Ciencia de los Materiales, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain; and A Ä rea de Nutricio´n y Bromatologı´a, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, c/ P. Garcı´a Gonza´lez 2, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
Twenty-four Spanish thyme honey samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Twenty-four minerals were quantified for each honey. The elements Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Pb, S, Se, Si, Sr, and Zn were detected in all samples; seven elements are very abundant (Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, S, and Si), and six are not abundant (Al, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, and Zn). Eleven of them are trace elements (As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Mo, Pb, Se, Sr, and V) at 80000. The most frequent families found are Cistaceae, Fabaceae, and Lamiaceae (present in 100% of the samples), Asteraceae (95%), Boraginaceae and Resedaceae (90%), Myrtaceae (80%), Oleaceae and Scrophulariaceae (75%), Brassicaceae (70%), Fagaceae (55%), and Apiaceae and Salicaceae (50%). The only pollen type present in all of the samples along with Thymus sp. is Genista f. Percentages are always referred to pollen from nectar plants. Thyme honeys contained between 15 and 73% pollen of Thymus, according to under-representing the presence of this pollen type in the honeys. The most
Determination of Minerals in Thyme Honeys
J. Agric. Food Chem., Vol. 52, No. 11, 2004
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Table 3. Descriptive Statistical Data for Mineral Content in Thyme
Honeys mineral
mean (mg kg-1)
range
standard deviation
Al As Ba Ca Cd Co Cr Cu Fe K Li Mg Mn Mo Na Ni P Pb S Se Si Sr V Zn
17.53 0.20 0.63 185.30
