# Physico-Chemical and Melissopalynological Characterization of Czech Honey
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Comparison with European Honeys
We attribute the large variability within TH to the different representation of this taxon in honey, but also to the different representation of species of this family. The most common monofloral honeys of the _Trifolium_ family in Europe include _Trifolium alexandrinum_, _incarnatum_, _pratense_, _repens_. In addition, in British and Croatian studies the authors confirmed the high frequency of this family in polyfloral honeys [21; 59]. For Trifolium it is typical that many Trifolium species are represented in the same habitat [52]. Other types of honey in the Czech Republic, primarily FH and PH, are also affected by agricultural activities. A comparison of the physico-chemical properties of these honeys with European as well as Czech generic honeys is demonstrated in Figure 2. Both types of honey represent a heterogeneous group, which depends on the botanical taxa of the areas. A comprehensive European survey study for FH is not available and, given botanical dependence, is rather a matter of national characterization. For comparison, we present the average values of physico-chemical parameters of some European honeys. For Portuguese polyfloral honeys: E. Cond. 0.6 mS/cm, F. Ac. 28.9 meq/kg, diastase 16, F + G 72.8 g/100 g and sucrose 3.6 g/100 g [14]. For Italian polyfloral honeys: E. Cond. 0.4 mS/cm, and F Ac. 25.1 meq/kg [60]. These results are comparable to Czech FH. For Croatian polyflorar honeys: E. Cond. 0.5 mS/cm, F. Ac. 28.9 meq/kg, and diastase 18 DN, a higher content of HMF than in honeys from the Czech Republic was recorded [61]. For comparison, Turkish polyfloral honeys have higher HMF and lower diastase, which corresponds to a warmer climate (E. Cond. 0.8 mS/cm, HMF 14.7 mg/kg, diastase 9 DN, F + G 57.4 g/100 g and sucrose 0.9 g/100 g [62]. However, even for FH, some differences can be expected depending on the botanical origin, as stated by [63]. There is no comparison for PH with European honeys. The occurrence of monofloral honeys of fruit trees is described rather exceptionally in the southern regions of the EU (Italy, Spain) or in apple trees in England. These are most often honeys of _Malus domesticus_, _Prunus auium_, _Prunus dulcis_, or _Prunus mahaleb_ taxa, or unspecified origin of fruit trees [7]. The exact botanical origin was not distinguished in our category and it is a group of _Pyrus/Prunus/Malus_. Based on physico-chemical parameters, these honeys resemble polyfloral honeys. This is also consistent with the pollen profile when the secondary pollen is _Brassica_. European honeys. Glucose, fructose, and sucrose in the Czech LH were at the upper limit of EU Lime honey [9]. On the other hand, in a Serbian study, the average content of glucose, fructose, sucrose, and turnanose reached 26.6 g/100 g, 40.6 g/100 g, 6.1 g/100 g, and 2.2 g/100 g respectively [49]. The glucose value in LH is therefore closer in Serbian lime honey. However, the differences in LH do not have to be caused only by the nectar of Lime tree, and we assume that the differences are mainly due to the different representation of honeydew in Lime honey, which is indicated by the presence of higher carbohydrates. In the case of Czech LH, it was mainly turnanose (2.4 g/100 g), which is comparable to [49]. Honeydew honeys are characterized by different chemical and melissopalynological compositions, compared to blossom honey [45]. In Europe, honeydew honeys are from plant-sucking insects in different habitats. In particular, it includes _Abies alba_, _Abies cephalonica_, _Picea abies_, _Pinus_ sp., _Quercus_, sp. and _Metcalfa pruinosa_, which is however insignificant for the Czech Republic [7]. Although honeydew honeys are a diverse group, a comparison of Czech and EU honeys showed a high relation (Figures 2 and 3, HD). The difference compared to EU honeys was in the parameter of F. Ac. On the other hand, F. Ac. comparable with the Czech HD is reported in Portuguese and Italian honeydew honey, namely 36.4 and 38.0 meq/kg [38; 60]. The most different honey compared to EU honeys was RH.