Comparison of DNA extraction methods for the determination of botanical origin of portuguese honey

Honey can be c1assified based on the type of flowers used by the bees to collect pollen as unifloral honey, if arising predominantly from a single botanical origin, which generally represents more than 45% of the total pollen content, or as multi floral honey, if it is produced from various plant species A single plant origin should assure a product of better quality because it guarantees a specific and well-defined tlavor and aroma. For this reason, monotloral honeys generally attain higher commercially value, especially those labeled as PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) Thus, the botanical authentieation of honey is of high importanee. To date, mieroscopie analysis of pollen (melissopalynology) is the technique used to assess the origin of honey. However, this type of analysis is time consuming and dependent on the experienee and slcill of trained analysts. In contrast, DNA-based methods are less dependent on the analyst, highly specific and easily applied to laboratories with the suitable equipment [I]