European forest honey (miód bartny) in context: experimental reconstruction of historical quality assessment and phytochemical profiling.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Traditional European forest honey (miód bartny), produced through low-intervention tree beekeeping (bartnictwo), represents one of the oldest known types of honey in Central and Eastern Europe. Despite the deep historical roots and cultural continuity, its background, sourcing, properties, value, medical use and evaluation practices remain understudied.

AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to experimentally evaluate historical knowledge related to miód bartny, by combining phytochemical analysis, antimicrobial testing, and reconstruction of historical methods of honey quality assessment.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Honey samples obtained by means of bartnictwo were analysed using LC-QqTOF-DAD-MS. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated against selected microorganisms. Historical sensory evaluation methods described in Early Modern sources were reconstructed and compared with instrumental measurements.

RESULTS

Miód bartny exhibited a distinct phytochemical profile, including high levels of propolis-derived phenolic acids, including ferulic and p-coumaric acids at concentrations 6-13× higher than typical Polish honeys, and elevated kynurenic acid levels. The honey demonstrated antimicrobial activity consistent with its documented historical use. Reconstructed sensory tests closely corresponded with measured moisture content, demonstrating that historical assessment methods reflected measurable physicochemical parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

The results show that historical methods of honey evaluation reflect measurable physicochemical properties, and that traditional knowledge associated with miód bartny is consistent with its experimentally determined characteristics. The study provides a rare example of direct evaluation of historical science through modern analytical methods.