Honey flavors formed via yeast fermentation in honey from Japanese honeybees

Honey is formed from floral nectar through bee-derived substances, dehydration, and chemical reactions during storage in beehives. While bacteria and fungi inhabit honey and beehives, their roles in honey maturation remain unclear. In this study, we characterized the fermentation process of honey from Apis cerana japonica (Japanese honeybee) with respect to its microbial and flavor compound profiles. Metagenomic analysis revealed that the fungi in Japanese honeybee honey are dominated by Zygosaccharomyces siamensis, with minor members of Talaromyces, Oidiodendron, Starmerella, and Priceomyces. Fermentation of diluted raw honey increased the population of Z. siamensis. Inoculating honey with Z. siamensis produced aromatic compounds, including isoamyl alcohol, hotrienol, 2-phenylethanol, and 2-phenylethyl acetate, as well as the organic acid succinate. These results indicate that fermentation by Z. siamensis can generate favorable flavor compounds, offering the potential for enhancing honey's sensory qualities and applications in the food industry.