Determination of some heavy metal content and chemical properties of chestnut honeys produced in Kastamonu province

As a foodstuff as old as human history, honey has served humanity not only for nutritional purposes but also for medical purposes throughout history. Studies on its composition have increased especially with the technological developments occurring in recent years and with each study an unknown aspect of honey has begun to emerge. Depending on the source of honey is divided into two as secretory honey and flower honey. Bee breed and colony mobility, source density and differences in geographical characteristics are the most important internal and external factors affecting honey formation. In particular, environmental impacts and aquaculture techniques affect the food safety level of beekeeping products such as honey and honey. Honeys are called monofloral and multi-floral according to pollen sources. Chestnut honey is a group of monofloral honeys and is one of the honeys with distinctive features in a certain geography. chestnut honey known in the world and Turkey is of the highest quality honey stands out in recent years with apiterapik properties next to the nutritional properties. In the Black Sea region, Kastamonu is the most important province in the populations of chestnut forests starting from Hopa Artvin to Şile. According to TUIK 2018 data, especially İnebolu Turkey meets 50% of the forests of chestnut production. This is the basis of flowering stage before the flowering , and thus the intensity of nectar formation indicates how intense. Based on this information, in order to make scientific contribution to the recognition of chestnut honey produced intensively in Kastamonu Province, 15 different chestnut honey samples were taken from 6 different districts in İnebolu and Küre Orman operating areas and their heavy metal contents and biochemical properties were examined. According to the location of the honey samples analyzed, indices,% moisture and% dry matter values are very close to each other, index values between 1.4845 and 1.4991, moisture values between 16.48% and 20.80% and dry matter values between 79.20% and 83.52%. The color density of chestnut honey samples was found to be 107.25 mAU as the lowest in the Bozkurt2 sample and 336.00 mAU the highest in Doğanyurt1 sample. In general, all color density values were found to be different from each other, but this difference was statistically significant (p <0.05). The pH values of honey samples varied between 4,682 and 6,115. Honeys were found to have slightly acidic and acidic structure. Based on the electrical conductivity values of honey samples, it was determined that all values comply with the limit values given in the honey communiqué and the TTA values ranged between 13.750% and 31.560%. It was observed that the range of Mg concentration is from 1386 ppm to 18689.3 ppm, Cr concentration is from 508.2 ppb to 11832.2 ppb, Mn concentration is 1336.5 ppb to 20836.8 ppb, Pb concentration is 1696.7 ppb to 9184.9 ppb and Fe concentration is from 9 ppb to 204,36 ppb. When the looking at the change in Ga concentration ıt was found that from 125.33 ppb to 287,50 ppb. Na concentrations on the basis of location was evaluated, it was found that Na concentrations ranged between 1410.0 ppm and 6581.4 ppm. And also the change of Zn concentration on the basis of location is examined, the lowest values are 399.3 ppb and 835.8 ppb, Al concentration is 1317.9 ppb and 9538.2 ppb, Ca concentration is 1386.0 ppm and 18689.6 ppm and K concentration is 508.2 ppm. and 11832.2 ppm. According to the analyzes carried out within the scope of the study, it was determined that chestnut honey obtained from Kastamonu province is suitable for consumption. It is thought that the results obtained from the analysis may contribute to the characteristics of Kastamonu chestnut honey which may be determinative in terms of geographical sign. Key Words: Chestnut (Castanea Sativa Mill.) honey, heavy metal content, antioxidative, DPPH.