Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences, Vol 27 No 1 (2023): 216 - 230

 

MULTI-TRACE METALS DETERMINATION OF PENINSULAR MALAYSIA STINGLESS BEE HONEYS FROM DIFFERENT

REGIONS AND SEASONS USING INDUCTIVELY COUPLED

PLASMA-OPTICAL EMISSION SPECTROMETRY AND

CHEMOMETRIC TECHNIQUES

 

(Penentuan Logam Pelbagai Surih Madu Lebah Tanpa Sengatan dari Pelbagai Rantau dan Musim Berbeza Menggunakan Plasma Gandingan Teraruh-Spektrometri

Pancaran Optik dan Teknik Kemometrik)

 

Syazwani Dzolin1, Wan Aini Wan Ibrahim1*, Naji Arafat Mahat1,2*, Dzulkiflee Ismail3

and Aidil Fahmi Shadan4

 

1Department of Chemistry,

Faculty of Science,

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia,

81310 UTM, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

2Centre for Sustainable Nanomaterials,

Ibnu Sina Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research,

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia,

81310 UTM, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

3School of Health Sciences,

Universiti Sains Malaysia,

16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia

4Department of Chemistry Malaysia,

Jalan Sultan, 46661 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: waini@utm.my, wawi4476@gmail.com

 

 

Received: 21 September 2022; Accepted: 30 January 2023; Published:  22 February 2023

 

 

Abstract

Demand for authenticating and distinguishing the provenance of bee honey among consumers is continuously rising. Considering vast variations in prices attributable to different geographical origins, suitable indication on labeling of honey products is important for consumer protection. Since concentrations of trace metals can be closely related to geographical origin, the use of spectroscopy and chemometric techniques for ascertaining the validity of such claim may prove relevant. In this study, multi-trace metals in stingless bee honey of Heterotrigona itama species, from different regions and seasons (rainy and dry) in Peninsular Malaysia (Kedah, Johor, Selangor and Pahang) were determined via inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Principal component analysis (PCA) was then applied to recognize the distribution patterns. Subsequently, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was applied to perform further classification. With the use of LDA, cross-validation was found as 95.8% and 89.6% during rainy and dry seasons, respectively. Combination of ICP-OES data with PCA and LDA techniques has provided accurate classification of the Malaysian stingless bee honey samples according to their respective origins. This study provided some elemental information on distribution of stingless bee honey samples at spatial and temporal levels, and could be used as a reference for their provenance establishment and authenticity.

 

Keywords: honey, stingless bee, provenance, authenticity, spectroscopy, chemometric

 

 

Abstrak

Permintaan untuk mengesahkan dan membezakan asal usul madu lebah di kalangan pengguna terus meningkat. Mengambil kira variasi besar harga byang disebabkan oleh asal geografi yang berbeza, petunjuk yang sesuai pada pelabelan produk madu adalah penting untuk perlindungan pengguna. Oleh kerana kepekatan logam surih berkait rapat dengan asal geografi, penggunaan teknik spektroskopi dan kemometrik untuk menentukan kesahihan tuntutan tersebut mungkin terbukti relevan. Dalam kajian ini, logam pelbagai surih dalam madu lebah tanpa sengatan dari spesies Heterotrigona itama, dari pelbagai rantau dan musim (hujan dan kering) di Semenanjung Malaysia (Kedah, Johor, Selangor dan Pahang) ditentukan melalui plasma gandingan teraruh-spektrometri pancaran optik (ICP-OES). Analisis komponen utama (PCA) kemudian digunakan untuk mengenal corak taburan. Seterusnya, analisis diskriminan linear (LDA) telah digunakan untuk melaksanakan klasifikasi lanjutan. Dengan penggunaan LDA, pengesahan silang masing-masing adalah 95.8% dan 89.6% pada musim hujan dan kering. Gabungan data ICP-OES dengan teknik PCA dan LDA telah memberikan klasifikasi tepat sampel madu lebah tanpa sengatan Malaysia mengikut asal usul masing-masing. Kajian ini memberikan beberapa maklumat unsur mengenai taburan sampel madu lebah tanpa sengatan pada tahap spasial dan temporal, dan dapat digunakan sebagai rujukan untuk asal usul dan keasliannya.

 

Kata kunci: madu, lebah tanpa sengatan, asal usul, ketulenan, spektroskopi, kemometrik

 

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