Botanical Affinity and Physico-chemical Parameters of Honey Samples Obtained from Bee Hives in Cross River State Nigeria

Botanical and physico-chemical parameters were used to assess honey quality obtained from eleven beehives across Cross River State, Nigeria. Possible nectar sources from plant species within 3 km base radius from each hive was enumerated using line transect. The obtained honey samples were subjected to non-acetolytic method of preparation. Of the 69 plant species whose nectar were available for foraging by the bees, only 31 species had their pollen represented in the honey samples. Honey samples 2 and 8 fulfilled the CODEX requirements for unifloral honey. When pH, moisture content, sugar content (fructose and sucrose), free lactic and total acidity content, HydroxyMethylFurfural (HMT), protein and diastase were used to evaluate the quality, only honey sample 2 fulfilled the CODEX requirements for pure honey. This finding was strongly correlated by the result of the cluster analysis and dendrogram.