Abstract

CASTILLO CAZARES, Alejandra Vanessa et al. Botanical composition of honeys from the Yucatan Peninsula, by qPCR and dissociation curve analysis. Rev. mex. de cienc. pecuarias [online]. 2016, vol.7, n.4, pp.489-505. ISSN 2448-6698.

A polymerase chain reaction quantitative method (qPCR) followed by melting curve analysis was used for fast and simultaneous detection of botanical composition of honey samples from Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Ten honey samples from 2013 and 2014 production were collected directly from beekeepers and analyzed for Viguiera dentata, Gymnopodium floribundum, Piscidia piscipula, Acacia angustissima and Mimosa bahamensis content. Seven primers from generic genes (Adh1, Hmg2, Brass lip, Plant 1, Plant nest, Act1, and Helli-all) were used to amplify plant species and honey samples DNA. Comparisons of melting curves among plant and honey samples for each primer amplification, revealed a variable taxonomic content M-1 (V. dentata), M-3 (M. bahamensis y G. floribundum), M-4 (G. floribundum), M-8 (M. bahamensis) y M-13 (V. dentata y G. floribundum). M-7, M-11 and M-12 did not have evidence of presence for any of the plant species under study, whilst M-14 and M-15 showed a different plant species amplification pattern. These results correlate to melissopalynological analysis for most cases. P. piscipula was not detected in any honey sample; however, according to melissopalynological analysis A. angustissima was present in M-3 and M-4 even though it was unable to detect it, possibly due to a low or no similarity with generic genes sequence.

Keywords : Quantitative PCR; Honey; Melting curves; Gene molecular markers; Melissopalynology.