Abstract:
Honey is a naturally thick, sweet, super-saturated sugar solution synthesized by honey bees to
feed their larva. Its physicochemical properties, level of heavy metal, and anti-nutrient values
differ among honey origins. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate physicochemical
properties, selected anti-nutrient value, and level selected heavy metals of honey from Guwagusa
shikudad District collected in the autumn and spring season. The samples were collected
purposively from five Kebeles of the district. The Standard analytical methods like titration and
spectroscopic methods were employed to analyze physicochemical properties and anti-nutrient
value. The results of moisture, pH, ash content, free acidity, HMF, total reducing sugar, reducing
sugar, non-reducing sugar, and total phenol in autumn and spring honey were found to be 20.93
± 0.81% and 18.00 ± 0.58%, 3.55 ± 0.39 and 3.89 ± 0.36, 0.26 ± 0.02% and 0.24 ± 0.01%, 32.80
± 1.25 meq/kg and 26.33 ± 1.80 meq/kg, 19.24 ±1.22 mg/kg and 10.90 ±1.41 mg/kg, 63.58 ±
0.86% and 66.57 ± 0.57%, 60.83 ± 5.92 and 62.29 ± 0.49, 2.61 ± 0.43% and 4.07 ± 0.51%,
744.93 ± 33.47 mg GAE/kg and 736.97 ± 31.29 mg GAE/kg respectively. The studied heavy
metals content were determined by using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Among
the six heavy metals analyzed Cd and Pb were not detected. From the detected metals, the
concentration of of Zn to be the highest 12.07 ± 0.13 and 10.69 ± 0.47 mg/kg in autumn and
spring honey respectively followed by Mn 6.70 and 6.08 mg/kg, Fe 0.62 ± 0.02 and 0.59 ± 0.07
mg/kg, and Cu 0.31 ± 0.02 and 0.23 ± 0.16 mg/kg in autumn and spring honey samples
respectively. Ant-nutrient contents, oxalate and phytate were analyzed and their concentration in
autumn and spring honey samples were 5.41 ± 0.49 and 4.56 ± 0.49 mg/100g, 0.17 ± 0.02 and
0.21 ± 0.02% respectively. The obtained result was subjected to a statistical t-test to evaluate the
difference between autumn and spring honey samples. The results indicate that, the analyzed
honey samples collected from Guwagusa shikudad district satisfy the Ethiopian and Codex
Alimentarius Commission standards except for Zn concentration. From the examined results
spring honey had preferred quality as compared to autumn honey in the study area.
