This paper aims to analyze the differences in the contents of free amino acids, minerals, and vitamins in major autumn honey sources—hypothesized to be predominantly derived from Chinese gallnut based on field observations—within Guizhou Province, as well as the correlations between these substances and climatic factors and altitude. We selected honey samples from 10 regions in Guizhou Province and measured their free amino acid, vitamin, and mineral contents. The Kruskal–Wallis test was used to compare differences among regions, and Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between bioactive compound levels and environmental factors. The total amino acid content ranged from 507.01 ± 3.98 μg/g (Bijiang) to 3056.94 ± 32.88 μg/g (Xifeng); the total vitamin content ranged from 21.94 ± 0.39 μg/g (Xifeng) to 403.67 ± 2.49 μg/g (Zheng’an). The total mineral content ranged from 42.44 ± 0.37 μg/g (Xifeng) to 98.09 ± 1.51 μg/g (Bijiang). Vitamin K1, vitamin B1, vitamin D3, and selenium were not detected in any of the honey samples. Mean precipitation showed a significant positive correlation with total free amino acid content and total mineral content (p < 0.05); the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was positively correlated with total vitamin content (p < 0.05); and temperature was positively correlated with total mineral content (p < 0.05). The study suggests that multiple factors, including climatic and geographical factors, collectively influence the bioactive substance profiles of honey, providing insights into the origin authentication and quality trends of this regional product.
Zhao et al. (Mon,) studied this question.