蜂蜜

English text reference: Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 Edition)

Overview

Honey is the honey produced by the honeybee Apis cerana Fabricius or Apis mellifera Linnaeus (Fam. Apidae). It is collected from spring to autumn and filtered.

Description

Honey is a semi-transparent, glossy, and viscous liquid. It is white to pale yellow or orange-yellow to yellow-brown in color. Over time or when cooled, it may gradually form white granular crystalline precipitates. It has a fragrant aroma and an extremely sweet taste.

Relative Density

If crystallization occurs, the honey can be placed in a water bath not exceeding 60°C. After all the crystals have melted, stir well and cool to 25°C. Determine the relative density using the method of weighing with a Westphal balance under the item of relative density determination (General Rule 0601). The relative density should be above 1.349.

Examination

Water

　　X=100-[78+390.7（n-1.4768）]

Acidity

Take 10g of the sample, add 50ml of freshly boiled cold water, mix well, add 2 drops of phenolphthalein indicator and 4ml of sodium hydroxide titration solution (0.1mol/L). It should show pink color and not disappear within 10 seconds.

Starch and Dextrin

Take 2g of the sample, add 10ml of water, heat to boiling, cool, add 1 drop of iodine test solution, and should not show blue, green, or reddish-brown color.

Oligosaccharides

Take 2g of the sample, place it in a beaker, dissolve it in 10ml of water, and slowly add it to an activated carbon solid-phase extraction column (place a sieve plate at the bottom of the solid-phase extraction empty column tube, press it tightly, and place it on the solid-phase extraction device. Weigh 0.2g of diatomaceous earth, add an appropriate amount of water, use a pipette to add it to the solid-phase extraction column tube, let it settle naturally to form a 3mm thick diatomaceous earth layer, open the vacuum pump to draw, weigh 0.5g of activated carbon, add 10ml of water, stir well, use a pipette to add it, and let the activated carbon settle under the suction of the vacuum pump. When the water level is close to the level of the activated carbon layer, inject 0.2g of diatomaceous earth mixed with water, and under the suction of the vacuum pump, pre-wash with 25ml of water at a rate of 1 second/drop until the liquid level reaches 2mm above the column surface, close the piston, and then press in the upper sieve plate for later use). Open the piston and let the solution pass through the column under the suction of the vacuum pump. When the liquid level drops to 2mm above the column surface, elute with 25ml of 7% ethanol, discard the eluate. Elute with 10ml of 50% ethanol, collect the eluate, and concentrate it under reduced pressure in a 65℃ water bath until dry. Dissolve the residue in 1ml of 30% ethanol to prepare the sample solution. Take maltopentaose reference substance, add 30% ethanol to prepare a solution containing 1mg per 1ml, as the reference substance solution. Perform a thin-layer chromatography test (according to <0502>). Take 3μl of the sample solution and 3μl of the reference substance solution, spot them on the same high-efficiency silica gel G thin-layer plate, use n-propanol-water-triethylamine (60:30:0.7) as the developing agent, develop, take out, air dry, and spray with a mixed solution of aniline-diphenylamine-phosphoric acid (take 1g of diphenylamine, 1ml of aniline, 5ml of phosphoric acid, add acetone to 50ml, mix well), heat until the spots are clearly colored, and inspect under sunlight. In the sample chromatogram, no spots should appear below the corresponding positions of the reference substance.

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural

Determine by high-performance liquid chromatography <0512>.

Chromatographic conditions and system suitability test

Octadecylsilane-bonded silica gel was used as filler; acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid solution (5:95) was used as mobile phase; 5-hydroxymethylfurfural was detected at a wavelength of 284 nm, and guanosine was detected at a wavelength of 254 nm; the theoretical number of plates calculated from the guanosine peak should be not less than 3000.

Preparation of reference solution

Take the appropriate amount of guanosine control, precision weighing, add 10% methanol to make a solution containing 0.2mg of guanosine per 1ml, that is obtained. Take another appropriate amount of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural control, add 10% methanol to make a solution containing 4μg per 1ml, as a positioning.

Preparation of test solution

Take 1g of this product, put it in a beaker, weigh it precisely, add 10% methanol to dissolve it, and transfer it to 50ml measuring flask, add 1ml of guanosine control solution precisely, add 10% methanol to the scale, shake it well, that is to say, it is obtained.

Assay method

Take 10μl of the test solution, inject it into the liquid chromatograph and measure it; take 10μl of guanosine control solution and 10μl of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural control solution, inject it into the liquid chromatograph and measure it, and then determine the peaks of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and guanosine in the chromatogram of the test solution; calculate the content of guanosine control and multiply by the correction factor of 0.340, then the content will be obtained.

This product contains 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, not more than 0.004%.

Sucrose and Maltose

Determine according to the method under , and calculate the content separately. The content of sucrose and maltose in the sample should not exceed 5.0% respectively.

Chromatographic conditions and system suitability test

The chromatographic column was Prevail Carbohyrate ES and the mobile phase was acetonitrile-water (75∶25); the detection was performed by an oscillometric refractive detector. The theoretical plate number should be not less than 2000 based on the fructose peak.

Preparation of standard curves

Weigh 1.0g of fructose control and 0.8g of glucose control, put them in the same stoppered conical flask, add 40% acetonitrile 20ml, dissolve and shake well, as fructose and glucose control solution. Weigh 0.2g of Sucrose Control, 0.2g of Maltose Control, put in the same stoppered conical flask, add 40% Acetonitrile 10ml, dissolve, shake well, as Sucrose, Maltose Control Reserve. Precisely measure fructose, glucose control stock solution and sucrose, maltose control stock solution, add 40% acetonitrile to form different concentrations of fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose mixed control solution. The dosage and dilution volume of the reserve solution for each concentration are shown in the table below.

Pipette 15μl of each mixed control solution, inject into the liquid chromatograph, and determine separately. The standard curve was plotted with the concentration of the control as the horizontal coordinate and the peak area value as the vertical coordinate, and the regression equation was calculated.

Preparation of test solution

Take about 1g of this product, weighed accurately, placed in a stoppered conical flask, add 40% acetonitrile 20ml, dissolve, shake well, filtration, take the filtrate, that is, obtained.

Assay method

Precisely measure 15μl of the test solution, inject into the liquid chromatograph, determine and calculate the content according to the standard curve method.

The total amount of fructose (C6H12O6) and glucose (C6H12O6) contained in this product shall not be less than 60.0%, and the ratio of fructose to glucose content shall not be less than 1.0.

Property

neutral.

Flavor

Sweet.

Meridian tropism

Belongs to the lung, spleen, and large intestine meridians.

Actions

Tonify the middle, moisten dryness, relieve pain, detoxify; externally used to promote tissue regeneration and heal sores.

Indications

Used for epigastric pain and weakness, dry cough due to lung dryness, constipation due to intestinal dryness, detoxification of Aconitum herbs; externally used for non-healing ulcers, scalds, and burns.

Dosage

15-30g.

Administration

None.

Storage

Store in a cool place.