Dihydroxyacetone (DHA)
The precursor compound in mānuka nectar that converts to methylglyoxal as the honey matures.
Definition
Dihydroxyacetone is present in the nectar of Leptospermum scoparium and converts non-enzymatically into methylglyoxal in the finished honey over a period of weeks to months, faster at warmer storage temperatures. It is the reason manuka is the one honey whose antibacterial rating rises during storage while everything else about it slowly degrades. DHA content varies enormously between individual plants and populations and is largely genetic rather than environmental, which is why two mānuka stands flowering identically can yield honey with completely different methylglyoxal potential.
Where the word gets used loosely
Not to be confused with docosahexaenoic acid, the omega-3 fatty acid, which shares the abbreviation DHA and has nothing to do with honey.
See also
Other chemistry terms
Sources
Sources
- Identification of methylglyoxal as the dominant antibacterial constituent of manuka honey — Molecular Nutrition and Food Research / Carbohydrate Research (2008) · Peer-reviewed article
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