KG0 – FAO AGRIS data provider 2026
ISSN 1694-6286
e-ISSN 1694-9250
Submit Article
English
Bulletin of the Kyrgyz National Agrarian University

Search Article

Palynological analysis of honey produced in the East Kazakhstan Region of the Republic of Kazakhstan

MMikhail ZabolotnykhAAigerim Aipova*EEkaterina Krutskaya

aigerim_bbb@mail.ru

Received 30.03.2026
Revised 30.07.2026
Published 04.09.2026

Abstract

Verifying the botanical origin of natural honey is one of the key tasks in modern quality control of beekeeping products, as the reliability of information regarding its floral origin determines its consumer value, confirms its authenticity and helps to prevent adulteration. This issue is of particular relevance to regions with high floristic diversity, including the East Kazakhstan Region of the Republic of Kazakhstan, where natural conditions give rise to a wide range of honey-producing vegetation and create favourable conditions for the production of honey of various botanical origins. The aim of the study was to establish the actual botanical origin of samples of natural honey based on a palynological analysis of their pollen composition, and to assess the consistency of the results obtained with the floral composition declared by the producers. The study focused on 18 samples of natural honey obtained from various districts of the East Kazakhstan Region and labelled by the producers as polyfloral, buckwheat and sunflower honey. The study was carried out using light microscopy, followed by the identification of pollen grains based on a set of morphological characteristics. For each sample, the taxonomic composition of the pollen was determined, the dominant nectar-producing plants were identified, and the results of the palynological analysis were compared with the declared botanical origin of the product. It was found that in 88.9% of the samples examined, the declared floral composition corresponded to the actual pollen composition, whilst in 11.1% of cases, discrepancies were identified between the labelling and the results of the palynological analysis. The pollen most frequently identified in the samples was that of sunflower (Helianthus annuus), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), currant (Ribes spp.), angelica (Angelica archangelica), echinops (Echinops spp.), as well as a number of other nectar-producing plants characteristic of the flora of the East Kazakhstan Region. The data obtained indicate a significant diversity in the forage base of honey bees in the region under study and confirm the high informative value of palynological analysis in determining the botanical origin of honey. The practical value of this study lies in demonstrating the use of palynological analysis as an effective tool for the laboratory verification of the botanical origin of natural honey, for monitoring its authenticity, and for improving the reliability of labelling. The results obtained can be used in veterinary and sanitary inspections, the development of regional databases of pollen spectra, the improvement of the quality control system for beekeeping products, and the promotion of Kazakhstani honey on domestic and international markets

Keywords

honey; melissopalynology; honey authenticity; pollen profile; nectar-producing plants; honey authentication
Suggested citation
Zabolotnykh, M., Aipova, A., & Krutskaya, E. (2026). Palynological analysis of honey produced in the East Kazakhstan Region of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Bulletin of the Kyrgyz National Agrarian University, 24(3), 61-70. https://doi.org/10.63621/bknau./3.2026.61

References

  1. Agashe, S.N., & Caulton, E. (2019). Melissopalynology. In S.N. Agashe & E. Caulton (Eds.), Pollen and spores: Applications with special emphasis on aerobiology and allergy (pp. 138-167). Boca Raton: CRC Press. doi: 10.1201/9780429063985-12.
  2. Barth, O.M. (2004). Melissopalynology in Brazil: A review of pollen analysis of honeys, propolis and pollen loads of bees. Scientia Agricola, 61(3), 342-350. doi: 10.1590/S0103-90162004000300018.
  3. Bell, K.L., de Vere, N., Keller, A., Richardson, R.T., Gous, A., Burgess, K.S., & Brosi, B.J. (2016). Pollen DNA barcoding: Current applications and future prospects. Genome, 59(9), 629-640. doi: 10.1139/gen-2015-0200.
  4. Bogdanov, S. (2009). Harmonised methods of the International Honey Commission. Bern: International Honey Commission.
  5. Escuredo, O., & Seijo, M.C. (2022). Authenticity of honey: Characterization, bioactivities and sensorial properties. Foods, 11(9), article number 1301. doi: 10.3390/foods11091301.
  6. Fernández-Torres, R., Pérez-Bernal, J.L., Bello-López, M.Á., Callejón-Mochón, M., Jiménez-Sánchez, J.C., & Guiraúm-Pérez, A. (2005). Mineral content and botanical origin of Spanish honeys. Talanta, 65(3), 686-691. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2004.07.030.
  7. Hawkins, J., de Vere, N., Griffith, A., Ford, C.R., Allainguillaume, J., Hegarty, M.J., Baillie, L., & Adams-Groom, B. (2015). Using DNA metabarcoding to identify the floral composition of honey: A new tool for investigating honey bee foraging preferences. PLoS ONE, 10(8), article number e0134735. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134735.
  8. Keller, A., Danner, N., Grimmer, G., Ankenbrand, M., von der Ohe, K., von der Ohe, W., Rost, S., Härtel, S., & Steffan-Dewenter, I. (2015). Evaluating multiplexed next-generation sequencing as a method in palynology for mixed pollen samples. Plant Biology, 17(2), 558-566. doi: 10.1111/plb.12251.
  9. Kurmanov, R.G. (2019). Geographical and botanical origin of Bashkir honey: Pollen atlas. Ufa: Mir Pechati Publishing House. doi: 10.31563/1684-7628-2020-55-3-56-64.
  10. Kurmanov, R.G., & Ishbirdin, A.R. (2013). Botanical and geographical origin of honey on the Siberian market. Apiculture, 8, 56-58.
  11. Louveaux, J., Maurizio, A., & Vorwohl, G. (1978). Methods of melissopalynology. Bee World, 59(4), 139-157. doi: 10.1080/0005772X.1978.11097714.
  12. Machado De-Melo, A.A., Almeida-Muradian, L.B., Sancho, M.T., & Pascual-Maté, A. (2018). Composition and properties of Apis mellifera honey: A review. Journal of Apicultural Research, 57(1), 5-37. doi: 10.1080/00218839.2017.1338444.
  13. Moldakhmetova, G., Kurmanov, R., Toishimanov, M., Tajiyev, K., Nuraliyeva, U., Sheralieva, Z., Temirbayeva, K., & Suleimenova, Z. (2023). Palynological, physicochemical, and organoleptic analysis of honey from different climate zones of Kazakhstan. Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences, 21(3), 543-553. doi: 10.22124/cjes.2023.6768.
  14. Persano Oddo, L., & Piro, R. (2004). Main European unifloral honeys: Descriptive sheets. Apidologie, 35(1), S38-S81. doi: 10.1051/apido:2004049.
  15. Pita-Calvo, C., & Vázquez, M. (2018). Honeydew honeys: A review on the characterization and authentication of botanical and geographical origins. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 66(11), 2523-2537. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b05807.
  16. Rib, R.D. (2013). Honey plants of Kazakhstan. Ust-Kamenogorsk: Reklamnyy Daydzhest.
  17. Sawyer, R. (1988). Honey identification. Cardiff: Cardiff Academic Press.
  18. Shakoori, Z., Mehrabian, A., Minai, D., Salmanpour, F., & Khajoei Nasab, F. (2023). Assessing the quality of bee honey on the basis of melissopalynology as well as chemical analysis. PLoS ONE, 18(8), article number e0289702. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289702.
  19. Traverse, A. (2007). Paleopalynology (2ⁿᵈ ed.). Dordrecht: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4020-5610-9.
  20. Von der Ohe, W., Persano Oddo, L., Piana, M.L., Morlot, M., & Martin, P. (2004). Harmonized methods of melissopalynology. Apidologie, 35(1), S18-S25. doi: 10.1051/apido:2004050.
  21. Wang, X., Chen, Y., Hu, Y., Zhou, J., & Lu, X. (2022). Systematic review of the characteristic markers in honey of various botanical, geographic, and entomological origins. ACS Food Science & Technology, 2(2), 206-220. doi: 10.1021/acsfoodscitech.1c00422.
  22. Xagoraris, M., Revelou, P.-K., Alissandrakis, E., Tarantilis, P.A., & Pappas, C.S. (2021). Greek honey authentication: Botanical approach. Encyclopedia, 1(4), 1322-1333. doi: 10.3390/encyclopedia1040099.