High-Performance Anion Exchange Chromatography with Pulsed Amperometric Detection (HPAEC–PAD) and Chemometrics for Geographical and Floral Authentication of Honeys from Southern Italy (Calabria region)

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

1.Dear Dr. Sonia Carbetta and coauthors, your research article:"High-performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) and chemometrics for geographical and floral authetication of honeys from Southern Italy (Calabria's region) was reviewed.

2. It is requested to correct Figure 2: Unclear data. The picture should be redrown with smaller fonts with the numbers instead the names of the honeys!!

3. It is requested to correct Figure 4: Unclear data. The picture should be redrown with smaller fonts with the numbers instead the names of the honeys!!

4. You should correct:

Line No.:       Requested correction:

23    Del. 74, Add: Seventy - four

29    Add: developed, between

55   Add: ,

70   Del.: have been; Add: were

71   Add: the

72   Del.: have been; Add: were 

75   Del.: have; Add: were

84   Del: which determines; Add: determining

86   Del.: include; Add: including the

88   Add: and

95   Del.: has been; Add: were

99   Del.: indicator; Add: factor

101 Add: the

103 Add: the

111 Del.: have been; Add: were

116 Del.: have been; Add: were

       Del: compared; Add: in comparison

138  Del.: have been; Add: were

139  Del.: have been; Add: were

140  Add: the

160  Add: the

211  Del.: ,  Add: and

235  Add: ,

240  Del.: have shown; Add: showed

242  Del.: have been; Add: were

250  Del.: have been; Add: were

       Del.: compared; Add: in comparison

281 Figure 2: Unclear data. The picture should be redrown with the smaller 

       fonts with numbers instead of the names of the honeys.

283 Add: to represent

288 Add: between

291 Del.: represented; Add: represent

292 Del.: larges; Add: largest

298 Add: ,

306 Add: the

312 Del.: has been; Add: was

316 Add: the

317 Del.: is ; Add: are

322 Add: and

341 Figure 4: Unclear picture!! Should be redrawed with numbers instead of 

      the names of the honeys

366 Del.: replicate; Add: replicating the

367 Add: a

388 Add: described

      Del.: was able to; Add: can

392 Add: , 

    

 

 

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Dear Editor and Reviewers,

Thank you for your comments and suggestions on our manuscript entitled: “High-performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) and chemometrics for geographical and floral authentication of honeys from Southern Italy (Calabria region)”

We are grateful for the opportunity to answer the questions related to our study submitted to the Foods. The manuscript was modified (written in red) according with the reviewers suggestions. The corrections or specific answers are listed below point by point. 

• It is requested to correct Figure 2: Unclear data. The picture should be redrown with smaller fonts with the numbers instead the names of the honeys!!
• It is requested to correct Figure 4: Unclear data. The picture should be redrown with smaller fonts with the numbers instead the names of the honeys!!

Authors: The pictures were modified the names of samples was deleted and the legend was added

• You should correct:

Line No.:       Requested correction:

23    Del. 74, Add: Seventy – four

Authors: Modified

29    Add: developed, between

Authors:  Added

55   Add: ,

Authors: Added

70   Del.: have been; Add: were

Authors: Deleted have been and added were

71   Add: the

Authors: Added

72   Del.: have been; Add: were 

Authors: Deleted have been and added were

75   Del.: have; Add: were

Authors: deleted have been and added were

84   Del: which determines; Add: determining

Authors: modifed

86   Del.: include; Add: including the

Authors: modified

88   Add: and

Authors: added

95   Del.: has been; Add: were

Authors: deleted have been and added were

99   Del.: indicator; Add: factor

Authors: modified

101 Add: the

Authors: added

103 Add: the

Authors: added

111 Del.: have been; Add: were

Authors: deleted have been and added were

116 Del.: have been; Add: were

       Del: compared; Add: in comparison

Authors: both modified

138  Del.: have been; Add: were

Authors: deleted have been and added were

139  Del.: have been; Add: were

Authors: deleted have been and added were

140  Add: the

Authors: added

160  Add: the

Authors: added

211  Del.: ,  Add: and

Authors: modified

235  Add: ,

Authors: added

240  Del.: have shown; Add: showed

Authors: modified

242  Del.: have been; Add: were

Authors: deleted have been and added were

250  Del.: have been; Add: were

       Del.: compared; Add: in comparison

Authors: both modified

281 Figure 2: Unclear data. The picture should be redrown with the smaller fonts with numbers instead of the names of the honeys.

283 Add: to represent

Authors: added

288 Add: between

Authors: added

291 Del.: represented; Add: represent

Authors: modified

292 Del.: larges; Add: largest

Authors: corrected

298 Add: ,

Authors: added

306 Add: the

Authors: added

312 Del.: has been; Add: was

Authors: deleted have been and added were

316 Add: the

Authors: added

317 Del.: is ; Add: are

Authors: corrected

322 Add: and

Authors: added

341 Figure 4: Unclear picture!! Should be redrawed with numbers instead of the names of the honeys

366 Del.: replicate; Add: replicating the

Authors: modified

367 Add: a

Authors: added

388 Add: described

      Del.: was able to; Add: can

Authors: both modified

392 Add: , 

Authors: added

 

Reviewer 2 Report

The article presents the sugars profiling of different botanical origin honeys from Southern Italy,Calabria Region.The samples were compared with honey from Europe and China and have been analyzed by High performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection. In the article  the variability of carbohydrate data associated with the different honey profiles  was discussed by chemometrics methods. Based on the obtained results, the analytical advantages of the HPAEC-PAD method have been demonstrated comparedto the HPLC-RI Italian official method.

The article could be interesting and it needs some improvements, listed below:

1. The Authors should give more details about the limits established by Codex Alimentarius Committee (line 47-49, page 2).
2. All results are presented with mean values. In my opinion, it is not sufficient. Please, assign the results into homogeneous groups.
3. In the chapter "Results and discussion" there is too little discussion with the results obtained by other Authors. Please complete the chapter with disussion.
4. Please, correct the mean values in table 6.
5. Chapter "Conclusions" should be corrected and rewritten. Tables' numbers should not be given in conclusions. The chapter should be written more carefully and completed with more information about the results obtained. Its content is insufficient.

 

 

Author Response

Dear Editor and Reviewers,

Thank you for your comments and suggestions on our manuscript entitled: “High-performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) and chemometrics for geographical and floral authentication of honeys from Southern Italy (Calabria region)”

We are grateful for the opportunity to answer the questions related to our study submitted to the Foods. The manuscript was modified (written in red) according with the reviewers suggestions. The corrections or specific answers are listed below point by point.

• The Authors should give more details about the limits established by Codex Alimentarius Committee (line 47-49, page 2).

Authors: More details about the limits established by Codex Alimentarius Committee, relating sugars, were added.

• All results are presented with mean values. In my opinion, it is not sufficient. Please, assign the results into homogeneous groups.

Authors: The Anova analysis was added for all tables

• In the chapter "Results and discussion" there is too little discussion with the results obtained by other Authors. Please complete the chapter with disussion.

Authors: More discussion with the results obtained by other Authors were added

• Please, correct the mean values in table 6.

Authors: The mean values were corrected

• Chapter "Conclusions" should be corrected and rewritten. Tables' numbers should not be given in conclusions. The chapter should be written more carefully and completed with more information about the results obtained. Its content is insufficient.

Authors: The paragraph was rewritten adding more information and the tables’ number were deleted