Comparison of physicochemical and biological properties of rock honey obtained from Rize region with chestnut and flower honey

The basis of our work; the quality and biological characteristics of rock honey, which is a type of honey made by bees found in nature in free form (not attached to a hive), by establishing colonies between rocks in their natural environment. In this study, physicochemical and biological propertıes of rock honey harvested in Rize province in 2018 were compared with 2 flowers and 1 chestnut honey obtained from the Eastern Black Sea region. In order to determine the quality characteristics of analyzed honey; moisture, sucrose, glucose, fructose, water insoluble matter, free acidity, electrical conductivity, diastase number, HMF, proline and mineral matter analyzes were made. In order to determine the antioxidant properties of honeys used in the study; total phenolic (polyphenol) substance, total flavonoid substance, DPPH and FRAP methods were used. Antimicrobial activities were determined by agar diffusion method against a total of 11 different microorganisms, 8 bacteriaand 3 yeast-fungi. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) were used to describe the quantitative properties of the physical and chemical parameters applied for honey samples and to get an overview of the main variations. Humidity values of Elevit Flower, Palovit Flower, Palovit Rock and Molleveyis Chestnut honeys obtained from Rize province respectively founded like below %14,20; %16,80; %17,0 and %21,80; sucrose values %0,81; %2,86; %3,80 and %3,40; fructose values %44,87; %42,47; %40,69 and %38,25; glucose values %40,85; %37,03; %40,13 and %29,91; fructose+glucose values %85,72; %79,50; %80,82 and %68,16; fructose/glucose values are %1,10; %1,15; %1,01; %1,28. The amounts of solid matter insoluble in water, %0,06; %0,02; %0,02 and %0,01; free acidity amounts 29,81 meq/kg; 17,19 meq/kg; 25,31 meq/kg and 36,82 meq/kg; electrical conductivity is 0,32 mS/cm; 0,77 mS/cm; 0,99 mS/cm and 1,32 mS/cm; diastase numbers >50; 38,5; >50 and 29,4; HMF amounts 34,44 mg/kg; 17,69 mg/kg; 9,73 mg/kg and 17,79 mg/kg; proline values are 501,92 mg/kg; 380,38 mg/kg; 461,54 mg/kg and 518,08 mg/kg. When the data obtained at the end of the study were evaluated, it was determined that rock honey didn't have an obvious superiority over the compared honey in terms of quality and biological properties. In addition, the results obtained were found to be in accordance with the values specified in the TGK Honey Communique Standard.