Physicochemical properties and Levels of Selected Heavy Metal of Honey Bee Produced In Guwagusa Shekudad District, Amahara Regional State, North West Ethiopia

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.