Authentication of selected Omani honey using Sensory, physicochemical analysis and E-nose.

Honey is a natural biological product/concentrated sweetener produced by honeybees. In Oman, Honey is produced from two types of bees, these are, the Apis florea ?Abu tuwiq? and Apis mellifera, which is the domesticated one. The Apis mellifera is the prevailing type in Oman. The production of honey in Oman reached 785 tons in 2020. There are different types of honey that are categorized based on floral (i.e. unifloral and multifolra) and season. In terms of floral, the main produced types are Sumer and Sidir. However, other unifloral types are sold in the market including Ghaf, Luban, Shawe, Eatam, and Talh. The floral sources in winter are Ziziphus spina-christi, Prosopis juliflora, Prosopis cineraria whereas, in summer, Acacia tortilis, Citrus sp., Maerua crassifolia, Phoenix dactylifera, Prosopis cineraria, and Prosopis juliflora. Studies on Omani honey are limited and focused mainly on melissopalynological and physicochemical analysis as well as on bioactive compounds. These studies focused on three types of honey named Sidir, Sumer, and multiflora. The Omani honey can be described as having good quality and rich in bioactive compounds (Total phenolic compounds, Total flavonoids, and good antioxidant capacity). There are no single study on the sensory properties and E-nose of Omani honey. This study will analyze different types of honey including Sumer and Sidir, Ghaf, Luban, Shawe, Eatam, Talh, and multiflora. The physicochemical analysis will be authenticated using Gulf Standard for honey. E-nose will be used to discriminate honey based on floral and geographical origins and the data will be correlated with the sensory and physicochemical analysis. The finding of the sensory study will be used as a standard for quality control and quality assurance. In addition, creating a database and standards for Omani honey is required.