Maria Cristina Affonso Lorenzon

Flora visitada pelas abelhas eussociais (Hymenoptera, Apidae) na Serra da Capivara, em caatinga do Sul do Piauí

This study presents the flora explored by Apis mellifera L. (Africanized honey bee) and stingless bees, and their seasonal phenology, in a caatinga vegetation, located in the Parque Nacional Serra da Capivara, Piaui State, tropical Brazil. During one year, bees were monthly collected with entomological nets, while visiting flowers. Sampling took place in two places. Eusocial bees, A. mellifera and 12 stingless bees species, were collected visiting 69 angiopermas species. Like reported in other studies on caatinga, a plant family heavily foraged was Leguminosae, but there were a few melittophilic species in common. A. mellifera visited 32 floral species and the stingless bees visited 58 species; among them Trigona spinipes Fabr. had the largest spectrum of plant species visited. A. mellifera showed the opportunistic behavior, but this was not observed with the majority of the stingless bee species. Regarding the seasonal phenology, the picture is like others studies conducted in the caatinga: abundance and floral heterogeneity during the rainy station, when the sampling was most effective, and shortage of floral resources during the dry season, when the occurrence of the eusocial bee species was reduced.

Correlation of Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents of Brazilian Honeys with Colour and Antioxidant Capacity

Sixty Brazilian honey samples were analysed for their total phenolic content with the Folin-Denis reagent, total flavonoid content by aluminium chloride method, and antioxidant activity by reaction with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical. Colour was also classified according to visual analysis and Pfund scale. Linear relationships were observed between colour and flavonoid content, total phenolics and antioxidant capacity, and total flavonoid and phenolic contents. The white-coloured Citrus honey showed the lowest antioxidant activity, while the light ambar Verbenaceae honey showed the highest total phenolics and antioxidant activity. Dark-coloured and polyfloral honeys, though less popularized among consumers, showed average to high antioxidant capacity.

Padrão polínico utilizado por Tetragonisca angustula Latreille (Apidae: Meliponina)

The objective of this study was to quantify and evaluate the pollen load, which was classified by color, found on Tetragonisca angustula Latreille (Apidae: Meliponina). Eighteen pollen types, belonging to 16 plant families, were found on T. angustula. The majority of the pollen, from different species, was yellow, indicating that T. angustula prefers this color. This was followed by brown pollen and then pumpkin colored pollen. The pollen grains that were light colored were the most common. The more frequent pollen types were Meliaceae, Myrtaceae (Eucalyptus spp.), Piper mollicomum (Piperaceae), Schizolobium parahyba (Caesalpiniaceae) and Tibouchina granulosa (Melastomataceae).

Eusocial Apidae in tropical insular region

This study examined species richness and relative abundance of eusocial Apidae in an insular region of rain-forest, southeastern Brazil. Sampling took place during one year, using an standardized method with entomological net, at sites of secondary growth habitats surrounded by Atlantic rain-forest. Thirteen species of eusocial Apidae were netted at flowers, over 80% of the captured individuals were meliponine species, although the presence of Apis mellifera, commonly dominant in Brazilian habitats. Foraging activity of these bee species were essentially non-seasonal, apparently affected by high humidity. The patterns in abundance and species richness observed in Ilha Grande differed with other studies conducted at tropical islands, which were characterized by the poverty of meliponine species.

Mycotoxicological and palynological profiles of commercial brands of dried bee pollen

Abstract Pollen is used in the human diet as a food supplement because of its high nutritional value; however, this product is prone to fungal contamination that could potentially generate toxins that are harmful to human health. This study aimed to verify the floral diversity of commercial brands of bee pollen and their mycotoxicological safety for human consumption. A total of 27 bee pollen samples were analyzed; these samples represented commercial brands, either showing an inspection seal or not, marketed in the State of Rio de Janeiro. The analyzed parameters included floral diversity through palynological analysis, water activity, fungal counts, identification and toxigenic profiles. The palynological analysis identified nine plant families, of which the Asteraceae was predominant. Analysis of hygienic quality based on fungal load showed that 92% of samples were reproved according to the commercial, sanitary, and food safety quality indicators. Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Penicillium were the most common genera. Toxigenic evaluation showed that 25% of the A. flavus strains produced aflatoxins. The high rate of contamination of products bearing an inspection seal emphasizes the need to monitor the entire procedure of bee pollen production, as well as to revise the current legislation to ensure safe commercialization of this product.

Fungi infection in honeybee hives in regions affected by Brazilian sac brood

A cria ensacada brasileira e uma doenca que afeta apiarios de colmeias de abelhas africanizadas no Brasil, tornando-os suscetiveis a perdas elevadas. Este estudo investigou a patogenicidade de fungos entomopatogenicos em colmeias de abelhas africanizadas de uma regiao endemica de cria ensacada brasileira. O grau de contaminacao fungica, a presenca de micotoxinas em elementos colmeia e a vulnerabilidade das colmeias saudaveis em ambientes sujeitos e nao sujeitos a doenca foram investigados. A partir da carga fungica contaminante, especies produtoras de micotoxinas e patogenicas, que provocam a mortalidade de abelhas, foram isoladas. A analise do polen e do pao de abelha nao demonstrou a presenca do polen toxico de Stryphnodendron (Fabaceae), que tem sido apontado como agente causador da mortalidade de larvas em fase de pre-pupa. No entanto, o pao de abelha foi o substrato mais correlacionado com a contaminacao fungica.

Tipos polínicos encontrados em colônias de abelhas africanizadas sujeitas à doença cria ensacada brasileira

The pollen of some Stryphnodendron species (Mimosoidea), commonly known as barbatimao, has been identified as a causative agent of pre-pulps larvae mortality, observed in Brazilian sac brood disease (BSB). The goal of this study is to identify the pollen types found in samples of pollen collected by Apis mellifera L. to elucidate the floral diet used by this honeybee specie in Rio de Janeiro state during the periods where BSB usually occurs. Particular attention was given to the pollen of Stryphnodendron spp presence. Samples of pollen and bee bread were collected from seven apiaries located in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Sampling procedures were done a month before BSB usual occurrence and also during its occurrence. Leguminosae, Euphorbiaceae, Asteraceae, Poaceae and Myrtaceae were most representative botanical families on pollen sampling. Pollen from Stryphnodendron was not presented at the analyzed samples. In order to Stryphnodendron absent at the floral diet of Africanized hives affected by BSB in natural conditions, it is proposed another causal factor for BSB in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Biological Values of different Types of Brazilian Propolis

1Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro/UFRRJ, Instituto de Zootecnia/IZ, LaboratórioAbelhaNatureza, UFRRJ, km 7, Rod. 465, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil, CEP 23.890-000. 2Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro/UFRRJ, Instituto de CiênciasExatas /ICE, km 7, Rod. 465, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil, CEP 23.890-000. 3University College London, Department of Computer Science, Gower St, London WC1E 6BT, England. 4Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro/UFRRJ, Instituto de CiênciasExatas/ICE, UFRRJ, km 7, Rod. 465, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil, CEP 23.890-000.

ESTUDO COMPARATIVO DO MEL DE Apis mellifera COM MÉIS DE MELIPONÍNEOS DE DIFERENTES REGIÕES

Honeys from stingless bees have several characteristics that set them apart from the honey from Apis mellifera. Native bee honey composition is not very well known, but the analysis of their physicochemical properties has been associated with the African honey bees. In this study, we carried out physicochemical analysis, determination of phenolics and total flavonoids, and antioxidant activities of 10 mellipone honeys (8 from Scaptotrigona sp. and 2 from Tetragonisca angustula) and 10 orange honeys (Apis mellifera) in order to compare honeys from different bee species and different regions. Honeys from A. mellifera had lower total phenolic content compared to the honey of stingless bees, while the flavonoid content was slightly higher for the africanized honey bee. Honey of stingless bees showed better results for antioxidant activity in vitro. Results for protein content, color, free acidity and moisture, when investigated through multivariate analysis (PCA and Cluster), allowed to discriminate between the different bee species.