Immunological characterization of honey major protein and its application

Honey contains a small amount of proteins and we purified the major protein in honey produced by Apis cerana and by Apis mellifera, respectively. Each purified major protein was injected in rats and after repeated immunization; antibodies were obtained and verified with Western-blot. Although honey samples used in this study differ due to geographical variations, storage periods and botanical origins, each antibody was reacted specifically to its antigen with high affinity. These results showed that the major proteins in honey derived from A. cerana and from A. mellifera have different surface structures. This feature can be applied for discrimination of honey from different honeybee species and for detection of adulterated honey by ELISA with high sensitivity.