Leptosperin
A compound found in Leptospermum nectar and used as an authenticity marker for manuka honey.
Chemistry
Definition
Leptosperin occurs in the nectar of manuka and its relatives and, unlike methylglyoxal, cannot readily be added to a jar after the fact. That makes it useful as a marker of genuine Leptospermum origin rather than of potency, and it is one of the four chemical markers in the UMF grading system and in New Zealand's regulatory definition of manuka.
Where the word gets used loosely
It is sometimes read as a second potency measure alongside MGO. It is not — it is an origin marker. A honey can carry leptosperin and very little methylglyoxal, which simply means it is genuinely manuka and weak.
See also
Other chemistry terms
Sources
Sources
- UMF grading and the New Zealand manuka honey definition — UMF Honey Association / New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries · Industry body
- Identification of methylglyoxal as the dominant antibacterial constituent of manuka honey — Molecular Nutrition and Food Research / Carbohydrate Research (2008) · Peer-reviewed article
How sources are selected and weighted is set out in the sources and evidence policy.