Abstract Honey has different physical and chemical properties because it is produced from the nectar of plants. The present work had the objective of analyzing laboratory tests on honey bee Melipona subnitida D. from Ceará, in comparing them with other honeys from the Northeast Region, making it possible to know better the standards of these honeys, in order to verify their suitability to the Brazilian legislation and contribute to a future more appropriate and specific legislation for the honey of the native bees, since the existing legislation only addresses bee products from Apis mellifera L. Studies were correlated with Fiehe/hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in addition to pH/acidity, Lund, lugol, moisture, ash, soluble solids (°Brix) and coloring. For the moisture test there’s a 100% failure rate to the standards established by current Brazilian legislation, 38.46% in relation to the acid test and 29.03% for HMF. Inadequacies to the legislation occur due to the different floral origins and edaphoclimatic factors. However, the most relevant factor is the difference between the bees’ species Apis mellifera L. and Melipona subnitida D. that originate the honeys, each species conferring specific characteristics to its product.

Este trabalho avaliou propriedades físico-químicas, teores de proteína e minerais em méis do Ceará, um dos principais exportadores do País. Também foi analisada a importância nutricional com relação aos minerais detectados. As propriedades físico-químicas foram determinadas pelos métodos da AOAC e CAC, o conteúdo de proteína pelo método de Bradford e os minerais por espectrometria de absorção atômica. Todas as análises foram feitas em triplicata. Os níveis dos macrominerais sódio (Na), potássio (K), cálcio (Ca), e magnésio (Mg) variaram de 1,80-47,20, 21,30-1513,30, 14,58-304,82 e 2,48-28,33 mg/kg, respectivamente, e os elementos traços ferro (Fe), cobre (Cu), manganês (Mn), zinco (Zn), selênio (Se), e cromo (Cr) variaram de 0,12-8,76, 0,07-1,29, 0,06-1,96, 0,07-1,85 mg/kg, 0,36 × 10-3-62,00 × 10-3 e 22,50 × 10-3-170,33 × 10-3 µg/kg, respectivamente. A amostra de Myracrodruon urundeuva apresentou altos teores dos principais minerais (Na, K, Ca, e Mg). O teor de proteínas para o mel de Anacardium occidentale foi o maior (1121,00 µg/g) entre as amostras de méis analisadas. Entre os minerais, detectados, K apresentou a maior concentração seguido por Ca, Na, e Mg. A pesquisa de elementos traços pode indicar contaminação ambiental. As amostras de méis estudadas apresentaram-se livres de contaminação por elementos traço, excetuando-se quanto ao Mn, em que apenas a amostra proveniente de Piptadenia moniliformis apresentou-se dentro da legislação. As variações dos constituintes químicos devem-se provavelmente às variadas origens florais e os teores de proteínas e minerais ratificam a importância nutricional dos méis do Ceará.

This study evaluated the physicochemical properties and protein and mineral content of honey samples from Ceará State, Northeastern Brazil, one of the major honey exporters in the country. Nutritional importance of the minerals detected was also analyzed. Physicochemical properties were examined according to the AOAC and CAC official methods; the protein content was determined using the Bradford method, and the minerals were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry. All analyses were performed in triplicate. The levels of macrominerals sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) varied from 1.80-47.20, 21.30-1513.30, 14.58-304.82, and 2.48-28.33 mg/kg, respectively, and the trace elements iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), and chromium (Cr) varied from 0.12-8.76, 0.07-1.29, 0.06-1.96, 0.07-1.85 mg/kg, 0.36 × 10-3-62.00 × 10-3 and 22.50 × 10-3-170.33 × 10-3 µg/kg, respectively. Myracrodruon urundeuva honey sample had high contents of macrominerals (Na, K, Ca, and Mg). Protein content of the Anacardium occidentale honey sample was the highest (1121.00 µg/g) among the samples analyzed. Among the minerals detected in the honey samples, K showed the highest concentration, followed by Ca, Na, and Mg. The presence of trace elements can show environmental contamination. The honey samples studied were free of trace elements contamination, except for Mn; the Piptadenia moniliformis was the only honey sample that was in compliance with the law requirements. The variations of the chemical constituents in the honey samples are probably related to differences in the floral origin and mineral and protein contents and confirm the nutritional importance of Ceará State honey.