Quality characteristics and antioxidant activities of flower honey of Gümüşhane region

Honey is a natural product produced by the secretions of the living parts of the plant nectars or the secretions of the plant insects living on the alive parts of the plants, after being collected by honey bee, modified by combining them with unique substances, decreasing the water content and storing in the honeycomb. Honey is one of the basic food materials that people consume. According to Turkish Food Codex honeys are divided into two groups as flower honey and secretion honey. Honey contains phytochemicals such as carbohydrates (glucose, fructose), proteins, enzymes (α-glucosidase, β-glucosidase, catalase, phosphatase), amino acids, organic acids (gluconic acid, ferulic acid), lipids, vitamins, minerals and flavonoids and phenolic compounds. In our country; there are many types of honey known as oak and sunflower honey in the Trakya region, delibal in the Eastern Black Sea, citrus and chit honey in the Mediterranean region, lavender honey in the Eastern Mediterranean, acacia honey in the Artvin region and Anzer honey in the Anzer region. There are many academic studies on these types of honey. To determine the quality properties of honey; moisture, sucrose, fructose, glucose, fructose + glucose, water insoluble solids, free acidity, electrical conductivity, diastase count, HMF, proline and mineral analyzes are performed. In our study; The quality characteristics of 3 honey samples (15 in total) from 5 districts of Gumushane province, which have a rich flora, will be analyzed in accordance with the rules of Turkish Food Codex Regulation and mineral content, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties will be investigated. The results obtained will be compared with the values determined in the Turkish Food Codex Honey Communiqué and TS 3036 Honey Standard.