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Mānuka honey is a monofloral honey produced in Australia and New Zealand from the nectar of the mānuka tree. The honey is commonly sold as an alternative medicine. While a component found in Manuka honey has demonstrated antibacterial properties ''in vitro'', there is no conclusive evidence of benefit in medical use and no evidence that the whole honey has any benefit beyond its nutritional content. == Identification == Mānuka honey is produced by introduced European honey bees (''Apis mellifera'') feeding on the mānuka or tea tree (''Leptospermum scoparium'') which grows uncultivated throughout New Zealand and southeastern Australia. Mānuka honey is markedly thixotropic and has shown the highest viscosity among a range of studied honeys. This property is due to the presence of a protein or colloid and is its main visually defining character, along with its typical dark cream to dark brown colour.〔(The factors responsible for the varying levels of UMF® in mānuka (''Leptospermum scoparium'') honey ). Jonathan McD C Stephens. Doctorate thesis. 2006.〕 To be labelled New Zealand mānuka honey, at least 70% of its pollen content should come from ''Leptospermum scoparium''.〔 The mānuka tree flowers more or less at the same time as ''Kunzea ericoides'', another Myrtaceae species also called Kānuka, which often shares the same growing areas as the former species. Some apiarists cannot readily differentiate these two species from each other. Both flowers have a similar morphology and pollen differentiation between the two species is very difficult. Therefore, melissopalynology as identification for the type of honey is valid only in association with other identification tests. In particular, ''L. scoparium'' honey is dark, whereas ''K. ericoides'' honey is pale yellow and clear, with a "delicate, sweet, slightly aromatic" aroma and a "sweet, slightly aromatic" flavour, and is not thixotropic.〔 Heather (''Calluna vulgaris'') honey is also thixotropic, but the plant flowers in late summer and its montane distribution in north temperate Europe and central Asia does not correspond with that of ''Leptospermum scoparium''. Therefore, its harvest cannot be mistaken for that of manuka honey.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mānuka honey」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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