Analytical values of beeswax from Montenegro and detection of adulteration

Beeswax, produced by honeybees by excreting from the abdominal glands, is a complex mixture of organic compounds. According to its chemical composition and properties, it belongs to the group of lipids. Waxes are, for the most part, monoesters of higher fatty acids with higher monohydroxyl alcohols. Determining the physico-chemical properties of beeswax is necessary for examining its quality and authenticity. The recommendation of the International Honey Commission (IHC) is that the basic physicochemical parameters for quality assessment and detection of possible adulteration are: melting point, acid value, saponification value, ester value and ester/acid ratio. In this paper, we examined the basic physical and chemical properties of authentic beeswax from domestic producers from three locations in Montenegro. The melting point of the investigated beeswax is in the range of 61.5-67.2 0C. The solubility of waxes at room temperature in organic solvents was the highest in chloroform and the lowest in acetone. The minimum and maximum value of the acid number of the tested beeswax was 18.2 and 28.6, respectively. The saponification value of the tested samples of beeswax was determined from 3 measurements and was: SV = 90.8 ± 16.1.