Honey hints forest’s soul

A single drop of honey can reveal the soul of a forest. This sums up the research by University of the Philippines scientists on wild honey in Palaui Island, off the northeastern tip of Cagayan.

The researchers found that each honey sample carried a unique chemical fingerprint reflecting the plants bees had visited. The metabolite hypaphorine, a compound linked to narra, appeared abundantly in honey from Palaui, where narra forests remain intact.

Finding that narra provide native pollinators the right nectar, pollen and habitat, researcher Vincenzo Torreno surmised that planting native species during reforestation is not merely an ecological ideal but a practical strategy to sustain pollinators, strengthen biodiversity and supports local products like honey that can be scientifically verified for quality — potentially opening new livelihoods for communities protecting the forest.

The research team includes Dr. Hiyas Junio of the UP Diliman Institute of Chemistry’s Small Molecules Profiling Laboratory, chemist Ralph John Emerson Molino, Dr. Daisy May Santos of the UP Diliman Institute of Biology, pollen analyst Dr. Analinda Manila-Fajardo of UP Los Baños, and Camille Rodriguez. With Andre DP Encarnacion/UP