Melissopalynological and physicochemical properties of chestnut honey produced in Zonguldak, Türkiye

This study aimed to determine the melissopalynological and physicochemical properties of chestnut honey harvested in Zonguldak Province during the 2025 production season. For this purpose, nine chestnut honey samples were utilized. Physicochemical parameters were determined by refractometry and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), while the botanical origin of the honey samples was verified by melissopalynological analysis under light microscopy. Melissopalynological analysis showed that Castanea sativa was the dominant pollen type, accounting for an average of 82.28%, which substantiates the unifloral character of the honey samples. Physicochemical analyses showed that the honey samples had an average moisture of 16.82 ± 1.42%, electrical conductivity of 1.32 ± 0.20 mS/cm, fructose content of 36.71 ± 3.21%, glucose content of 29.32 ± 2.64%, total fructose + glucose content of 66.03 ± 5.21%, and a fructose/glucose ratio of 1.26 ± 0.10. In addition, the HMF content was 2.36 ± 2.67 mg/kg, diastase activity was 29.48 ± 8.63 DN, and proline was 877.74 ± 189.58 mg/kg. All analyzed samples complied with the limits specified in the Turkish Food Codex Honey Communique and exhibited characteristics comparable to those of high-quality chestnut honeys reported in the literature. These results contribute to the literature on the physicochemical and melissopalynological characterization of chestnut honeys produced in Zonguldak and provide data for quality assessment.