Botanical Origin and Bacterial Composition of Apis mellifera Honey in Valle del Cauca, Colombia.

The botanical origin of the honey is essential to ensure consumer trust and strengthen the competitiveness of Colombia’s beekeeping sector. However, the absence of advanced methods to verify its botanical origin limits traceability. Using metabarcoding, this study evaluated the botanical and bacterial compositions of 33 honey samples collected in Valle del Cauca between January 2023 and April 2024, spanning an altitudinal range of 900-2500 m above sea level. DNA was extracted with the DNeasy PowerSoil kit. The trnL and rbcL genes were amplified with Oxford Nanopore, and bacterial communities were assessed via 16S rRNA sequencing on Illumina. A total of 502 plants and 215 bacterial genera were identified. Honey quality was associated with good beekeeping practices, and an inverse relationship was observed between bacterial abundance and floral diversity. These results support the use of metabarcoding as a robust tool to enhance authenticity and traceability. • There is an inverse relationship between floral and bacterial abundances in honey. • Identified which flowering plants shape honey composition by season. • Bee gut bacteria and others linked to poor beekeeping practices were found.