Composition of Free Amino Acids in Fermented Honey, an Untapped Resource from Japanese Honeybees

Abstract

The honey of the Japanese honeybee, Apis cerana japonica, is known to ferment spontaneously. Fermented honey is an underutilized resource that is rarely sold. Here we report the first analysis of the general composition and free amino acid composition of honey obtained in a fermented state from Japanese honeybees, for use as food. Fermented honey showed a significantly higher content of five of the 25 free amino acids analyzed: glutamine, GABA, cystine, phenylalanine, and proline. Another six amino acids (histidine, citrulline, theanine, cystine, methionine, and tryptophan), which are undetectable in unfermented honey, were confirmed to be present in fermented honey. No significant differences in general components were evident. The free amino acids that are increased in fermented honey are important nutrients for both humans and honeybees. Fermented honey from Japanese honeybees can be used as a new value-added food rich in important amino acids.