Physicochemical properties of Scaptotrigona mexicana honey from the Highlands of Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract

Stingless bees play an important role in maintaining the balanceof the ecosystems they inhabit by actively participating in the pollinationof most flowering plants. The objective of this study was to characterizephysicochemically honey from the stingless bee speciesScaptotrigonamexicanafrom Fortín de las Flores, Cañada Blanca, and Manuel León, inVeracruz, Mexico, collected in 2017 and 2018. The experimental design wascompletely randomized, with two factors: location and year of sampling. Theanalysis of variance showed that the interaction of factors affected wateractivity, but not hydroxymethylfurfural content. In honey from Fortín de lasFlores, greater values for color, electrical conductivity, pH, lactone acidity,and total acidity were observed. The year with the highest recorded valuesof the measured parameters was 2017. The data obtained indicate goodquality of young honey and that the highest values of the measured variableswere observed in Fortín de las Flores.