3α-Hydroxylup-20(29)-ene-23,28-dioic Acid as a Phytogenic Chemical Marker for Authenticating (Lour.) Harms Monofloral Honey.

The monofloral honey from (Lour.) Harms (MH-Sco) are of high economic value due to their rarity and potential medicinal benefits. However, the limited investigations on the relationship of phytogenic components between the plant (P-) and MH- have an impact on MH- authentication. Herein, the tentative phytogenic markers of MH- were screened by comparing the metabolites of MH- obtained by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS)-based untargeted metabolomics with the identified phytogenic chemicals from P-. Combined with the mass and NMR spectral information, 3α-hydroxylup-20(29)-ene-23,28-dioic acid (HLEDA) was finally identified as the phytogenic marker of MH-. A targeted ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS)-based method was established and validated based on the purified monomer standard to measure HLEDA levels in honey samples. HLEDA determined in MH- was with the content from 0.303 to 0.440 mg/kg, while HLEDA was absent in honey samples from other botanical origins, indicating the reliability of HLEDA as a chemical marker in MH- authentication. This study provides the theoretical basis and industry guidance for honey quality control for commercial consumption.