Abstract
An attempt to simplify the A. O. A. C. method for determination of sugars in honey was made to evaluate the quality of commercial honey. For determination of reducing sugars 3, 6-dinitrophthalic acid color reaction was used, for the amount of sample on charcoal column chromatography was reduced to onefifth comparing of A. O. A. C. method.
Charcoal column chromatography separated honey sugars to following three fractions; 1) H2O eluate (glucose and fructose), 2) 7%EtOH eluate (disaccharides), 3) 50% EtOH eluate (higher oligosaccharides). On the H2O eluate, total sugars (color reaction) and glucose (I2 oxidation method) were determined and fructose content was calculated from glucose and total sugars contents. On the 7% EtOH eluate, maltose was determined by color reaction and sucrose was determined after hydrolysis under condition which maltose was not hydrolysed.
The proposed method was applied to four commercial honeys and beekeeper's honeys and the obtained result was comparable to that of A. O. A. C. method.
