Mitsuo Matsuka

Antioxidant activity and constituents of propolis collected in various areas of China

Abstract Propolis is a resinous substance collected by honeybees from various plant sources. The composition of propolis depends on time, vegetation, and the area of collection. This study examined the antioxidant activity of propolis from various areas of China: Heilongjiang, Neimongol, Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan, Hunan, Yunnan and Hainan. Ethanol extracts of propolis (EEP) were prepared and evaluated for their antioxidant activities by β-carotene bleaching, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical-scavenging, and 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation decolorization assays. Furthermore, the major constituents in EEP were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis with a photodiode array (PDA) and mass spectrometric (MS) detection, and each component was quantitatively analyzed. All propolis samples except that from Yunnan had relatively strong antioxidant activity accompanied by high total polyphenol contents. Propolis with strong antioxidant activity contained large amounts of antioxidative compounds, such as caffeic acid, ferulic acid and caffeic acid phenethyl ester. On the other hand, propolis from Yunnan and Hainan had compounds not present in propolis from other areas.

Oxytetracycline residues in honey and royal jelly.

SummaryOxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC) residues in honey and royal jelly were analysed with the pre-activated SEP-PAK C18® cartridge and HPLC. OTC in honey stored in colonies decreased rapidly but was detected for a longer period than reported previously. In contrast, little OTC was transferred into royal jelly except immediately after administration of the antibiotic.

Geographic variation in the Japanese islands of Apis cerana japonica and in A. cerana populations bordering its geographic range

Genetic variation among Apis cerana japonica isolates from Japan and Apis cerana isolates from the neighboring areas of Russia, South Korea, and Taiwan was determined from DNA sequences of the mitochondrial DNA non-coding region (between tRNA leu and COII). Three haplotypes were identified among 470 colonies samples at 47 Japanese sites. All isolates from the main Japanese Islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu belonged to a single haplotype, a previously reported Japan 1 haplotype. Two new haplotypes were found on the far southern Japanese islands of Amami-Oshima and Tsushima (the Japan 3 and Japan 4 haplotypes, respectively). The A. cerana from Russia and South Korea were the Japan 1 isolate, the A. cerana from Taiwan was the previously known Taiwan haplotype. Our studies showed little genetic variation in the mtDNA of A. cerana japonica, indicating that this genomic region is of limited use for detecting genetic variation among closely related populations of A. cerana.ZusammenfassungDie genetische Variation von A. cerana japonica in Japan und A. cerana in den benachbarten Arealen wurde anhand von mitochondrialen DNA Sequenzdaten einer nichtkodierenden Region untersucht. Aus 470 A. cerana japonica Völkern von 47 Standorten in Japan und von 5 A. cerana Völkern einzelner Orte in Russland, Südkorea und Taiwan wurden im Jahr 1997 und 2002 Proben von adulten Arbeiterinnen entnommen. Bei den japanischen Populationen wurden 3 Haplotypen identifiziert, der bereits vorher bekannte Japan 1 Haplotyp und zwei neue Haplotypen (Japan 3 und Japan 4). Der Japan 1 Haplotyp wurde an 43 Lokalitäten auf Honshu, Shikoku und den Kyushu Inseln gefunden, während die Japan 3 und 4 Haplotypen auf den Inseln Amami-Oshima beziehungsweise Tsushima gefunden wurden. Der neue Japan 3 Haplotyp enthielt eine Basensubstitution (T → A) an der einundzwanzigsten Position, der Japan 4 Haplotyp eine an der dreizehnten Position (G → A). Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass A. cerana japonica eine sehr geringe genetische Variation in der nichtkodierenden Region der mtDNA aufweist

Analysis of the Food of Larval Drone Honeybees

SummaryQuantitative chemical and microscopical analyses of the food of drone honeybee larvae were carried out every day after hatching. The food for larvae aged 5–6 days contained much sugar, less protein and many pollen grains compared with that for larvae aged 1–3 days. Results for the fourth day were transitional. The food of older larvae was inferred to consist of a small amount of pollen and a 1: 2 mixture of honey and of the food of young larvae.

Bee Pollination in Japan with Special Reference to Strawberry Production in Greenhouses

Japan is the worlds fourth largest strawberry producer after the USA, Poland and Spain (the UK ranks eighth), and [produced a crop of nearly 200 000 tonnes in 1988. Most of the strawberry crop is grown during the winter months and the entire crop is sold on the home market.

Rearing Drone Honeybees in an Incubator

SummaryDrone honeybee larvae were reared in an incubator (fed on royal jelly modified with extra sugar) from an age of 2, 4 or 5 days; 13 adults were obtained, of which 9 had some defect. Royal jelly alone could not sustain complete development.

Interplasmid transposition of the piggyBac element in embryos of the honey bee, Apis mellifera

Summary The transposable element piggyBac, which has been recognized as a useful gene vector, is a successful germ-line transformation of several insect species. The transpositional activity of piggyBac was tested by using interplasmid transposition assays to create transgenic honey bees Apis mellifera. We compared the transpositional frequency of three promoters: ie l; hsp 70; and CMV within honey bee embryos. All the promoters that were tested within the embryos were shown to be mobile by the piggyBac transposase. In addition, the Hr5/IE1 enhancer-transactivator in combination with the ie l promoter showed a high level of transposition compared to the other promoters. These results suggest that the piggyBac element is an effective vector in germline transformation of honey bees.