Organic extractives from Mentha spp. honey and the bee-stomach: methyl syringate, vomifoliol, terpenediol I, hotrienol and other compounds

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2010-04, Vol.15 (4), p.2911-2924
• Main Authors: Jerković, Igor, Hegić, Gordana, Marijanović, Zvonimir, Bubalo, Dragan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alkenes - chemistry; Alkenes - isolation & purification; Animals; bee-stomach; Bees - chemistry; Butanols - chemistry; Butanols - isolation & purification; Chromatography; Cyclohexanones - chemistry; Cyclohexanones - isolation & purification; Gallic Acid - analogs & derivatives; Gallic Acid - chemistry; Gallic Acid - isolation & purification; gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC and GC/MS); Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME); Honey; Honey - analysis; Mass spectrometry; Mentha - chemistry; Mentha spp. honey; Scientific imaging; Solid Phase Microextraction; Solvent extraction processes; Stomach; Stomach - chemistry; Terpenes - chemistry; Terpenes - isolation & purification; ultrasonic solvent extraction (USE); Ultrasonics
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules15042911

The GC and GC/MS analyses of the solvent organic extractive from the stomach of the bees, having collected Mentha spp. nectar, revealed the presence of methyl syringate (6.6%), terpendiol I (5.0%) and vomifoliol (3.0%) that can be attributed to the plant origin. Other major compounds from the bee-stomach were related to the composition of cuticular waxes and less to pheromones. Organic extractives from Mentha spp. honey were obtained by solvent-free headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and ultrasonic solvent extraction (USE) and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The major honey headspace compounds were hotrienol (31.1%-38.5%), 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol (0.5-6.0%), cis- and trans-linalool oxides (0.9-2.8%), linalool (1.0-3.1%) and neroloxide (0.9-1.9%). Methyl syringate was the most abundant compound (38.3-56.2%) in the honey solvent extractives followed by vomifoliol (7.0-26.6%). Comparison of the honey organic extractives with the corresponding bee-stomach extractive indicated that methyl syringate and vomofoliol were transferred to the honey while terpendiol I was partially transformed to hotrienol in ripened honey.