Canary honeys from Tenerife: 1.Composition of volatile components

Abstract

Tenerife’s melliferous flora is characterised by the presence of a large number of endemic speciesand a distinct zonation of their growth, which determines the local production of unique varietiesof honey not found in other parts of the world. For the first time, the composition of volatile organiccompounds (VOCs) in Tenerife honey was studied through the use of nine samples of monofloral(broom, tajinaste, tedera, relinchon, and barrilla) and four samples of multifloral honeys. The VOCcomposition of the studied samples contained 110 representatives of various classes of organiccompounds identified by headspace microextraction in combination with gas chromatographymassspectrometry (GC-MS): terpenes, alkanes and alkenes, aliphatic and aromatic alcohols andacids, carbonyl compounds, as well as several S-, N- and Cl-containing substances. The chemicalcomposition of the samples turned out to be highly specific; only twenty two compounds weredetected in all nine samples. The distinct zonation of Tenerife’s honey flora is reflected in theVOC composition of the studied samples. For example, syringic acid hydrazide, a rare componentof honey, is completely absent in honey from “high mountain” apiaries but is contained innoticeable quantities in honey from apiaries located at low altitudes. The presence of methyl3,5-dimethoxybenzoate in Tenerife honeys, as well as some norterpenoids, indicates the likelihoodof their high antioxidant and bactericidal activity.