Identification of the maturity of acacia honey by an endogenous oligosaccharide: A preliminary study

Mature honeys that brew naturally in the hive develop distinct bioactive components, and thus carry a higher premium due to their superior quality. However, how to identify mature honeys remains difficult. Trace oligosaccharides are a likely source of biomarkers to indicate maturity. Here, we profiled trace oligosaccharides in acacia honey by GC-MS and used a metabolomics strategy to screen oligosaccharides that distinguish honeys with different maturities. Turanose content increased gradually in acacia honey samples and was closely related to the days stored in the hive (p < 0.05). To accurately quantify turanose, a UPLC-ELSD method was developed. Using the established method, honeys with ≥1.20 g/100 g of turanose could be classified as mature acacia honey. Based on the preliminary study, 500 commercial acacia honeys were analyzed, and only 77.2 % of these samples had a satisfactory level of turanose. This work offers a potential method to evaluate the quality of honeys.