Biblioteca Digital

In 1990 the Africanized honey bee, a descendent of Apis mellifera scutellata, was identified in south Texas [Hunter, L.A., Jackman, J.A., Sugden,E.A., 1992.Detection records of Africanized honey bees inTexas during 1990, 1991 and 1992. Southwestern Entomol. 18, 79–89]. The potential impact of this immigrant on feral and managed colonies was the subject of considerable speculation. The goal of this study was to investigate the diversity of feral honey bee races in pine forest landscapes of east Texas, subsequent to immigration of A. m. scutellata. The specific objectives were (i) to assess the immigration of A. m. scutellata into east Texas pine forest landscapes and (ii) to evaluate the suitability of the pine forest landscape to feral honey bees. This mesoscale landscape study was conducted on the SamHouston National Forest in east Texas. Swarm traps and aerial pitfall traps were used to monitor feral honey bees. Spatial databases were used to evaluate suitability of the pine forest landscape for honey bees. Scoring mitochondrial DNA type (mitotypes), we found representatives of A. mellifera scutellata, eastern European, western European, and A. mellifera lamarckii races in pine forest landscapes of east Texas. The conclusions that follow from this aspect of the investigation are (i) honey bees are a ubiquitous component of the pine forest landscape in east Texas...

Dissecting genome-wide (expansions, contractions, admixture) from genome-specific effects (selection) is a goal of central importance in evolutionary biology because it leads to more robust inferences of demographic history and to identification of adaptive divergence. The publication of the honey bee genome and the development of high-density SNPs genotyping, provide us with powerful tools, allowing us to identify signatures of selection in the honey bee genome. These signatures will be an important first step towards understanding the transition of genotype into phenotype and the basis of adaptive divergence. The Iberian Peninsula harbours the greatest honey bee genetic diversity and complexity in Europe. The challenge of deciphering the mechanisms underlying such complexity has led to numerous morphological and molecular marker-based surveys of the Iberian honey bee. Yet, in spite of the numerous studies, the evolutionary processes underlying patterns of Iberian honey bee genetic diversity remain poorly understood. The evolutionary process in the Iberian Peninsula has been dynamic and the genetic consequences are too complex to be addressed piecemeal, using few markers with unknown or poorly known linkage relationships. Accordingly...

Beekeeping is an ancient activity in Guinea-Bissau. The ancestral interaction with bees stands on “honey hunting” of natural colonies or use of traditional hives hanged on trees. These hives are perfect shelters for swarms but the colony is destroyed every year after honey harvesting. Bees are therefore kept as wild as ever with little, if any, interference from man. Reports on honey bees and honey of Guinea-Bissau are scarce. Herein we report the first data on honey quality and provide a morphometric and genetic identification of the bees. Fifteen colonies from 5 localities were examined for morphometry and mtDNA. Honey samples were collected from beekeepers using Kenyan top-bar and traditional hives and analyzed for color, humidity, conductivity, free acidity and diastase activity. The morphometric analysis showed a bee smaller than the Europeans but with similar leg and wing size. Regarding color, each worker displayed a very distinct yellow spot on thorax and a black spot at the fourth ring, which appeared either isolated from the black strip or linked, looking like a “T shape”. Those two features mark the difference towards other honey bees. The maternal genetic composition was assayed using the Dra I test (COI-COII mitochondrial region). Three haplotypes...

Dissecting genome-wide (expansions, contractions, admixture) from genome-specific effects (selection) is a goal of central importance in evolutionary biology because it leads to more robust inferences of demographic history and to identification of adaptive divergence. The publication of the honey bee genome and the development of high-density SNPs genotyping, provide us with powerful tools, allowing us to identify signatures of selection in the honey bee genome. These signatures will be an important first step towards understanding the transition of genotype into phenotype and the basis of adaptive divergence. The Iberian Peninsula harbours the greatest honey bee genetic diversity and complexity in Europe. The challenge of deciphering the mechanisms underlying such complexity has led to numerous morphological and molecular marker-based surveys of the Iberian honey bee. Yet, in spite of the numerous studies, the evolutionary processes underlying patterns of Iberian honey bee genetic diversity remain poorly understood. The evolutionary process in the Iberian Peninsula has been dynamic and the genetic consequences are too complex to be addressed piecemeal, using few markers with unknown or poorly known linkage relationships. Accordingly...

Beekeeping is an ancient activity in Guinea-Bissau. The ancestral interaction with bees stands on “honey hunting” of natural colonies or use of traditional hives hanged on trees. These hives are perfect shelters for swarms but the colony is destroyed every year after honey harvesting. Bees are therefore kept as wild as ever with little, if any, interference from man. Reports on honey bees and honey of Guinea-Bissau are scarce. Herein we report the first data on honey quality and provide a morphometric and genetic identification of the bees. Fifteen colonies from 5 localities were examined for morphometry and mtDNA. Honey samples were collected from beekeepers using Kenyan top-bar and traditional hives and analyzed for color, humidity, conductivity, free acidity and diastase activity. The morphometric analysis showed a bee smaller than the Europeans but with similar leg and wing size. Regarding color, each worker displayed a very distinct yellow spot on thorax and a black spot at the fourth ring, which appeared either isolated from the black strip or linked, looking like a “T shape”. Those two features mark the difference towards other honey bees. The maternal genetic composition was assayed using the Dra I test (COI-COII mitochondrial region). Three haplotypes...

Beekeeping practices such as importation of non-native honeybee queens may interact with the conservation of honey bee subspecies and ecotypes biodiversity. Island honey bee populations are especially appropriate to test the impact of the introduction of foreign subspecies into their genetic diversity and structure. Here we used microsatellite markers to test whether genetic introgression from introduced honey bee queens is taken place in the honey bee populations from the Canary Islands, Azores and Madeira (Macaronesian region). We found introgression signals from foreign honeybee populations on Atlantic islands based on Bayesian structure analysis and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium test. Fst pairwise comparisons with Iberian, North African and other European populations and structure analyses suggest different sources of honey bee queens into the islands: while honey bees from Canary Islands showed introgression from European honey bees, the honey bees from Azores and Madeira showed a closer relationship with those from the Iberian Peninsula. The existence of endemic honey bee populations on the Canary Islands prone to be conserved can still be depicted from the aforementioned analyses.

Twenty-four samples of Apis mellifera honey and twenty-four samples of Melipona subnitida (Jandaira) honey were collected in the northeast of Brazil. Moisture, hydroxymethylfurfural, free acidity, insoluble solids in water, diastase activity, ashes, electrical conductivity, proteins, lipids, total carbohydrates, energy and sugars were the parameters analysed. The efficiency of the qualitative tests (Fiehe’s test, Lugol’s reaction, Lund’s reaction) was tested. Pollen types and the corresponding plant species were identified in all samples (3 in Apis and 1 in Melipona). Apis mellifera honey samples demonstrated parameters in accordance with the Brazilian Legislation, while the Melipona subnitida honey samples displayed moisture (24.80%) and diastase activity (null) in discordance with the established by the regulation for Apis mellifera honeys. Apis honey samples presented higher values of electric conductivity (284.00 lS cm 1) than the obtained from the Jandaira honey samples (102.77 lS cm 1) as well as a darker colour (26.67 mmPfund) when compared with Jandaira honey (7.00 mmPfund). The concentration of the glucose, fructose and sucrose was higher in the Apis honeys than in the Jandaira honey. The characteristics of the two types of honey were very different...

Objetivos Avaliar a composição e qualidade de méis de abelha Jandaira através de análises físico-químicas; avaliar se os parâmetros apresentados se encaixam nas legislações nacional e internacional para méis de Apis mellifera; analisar os efeitos de estocagens de méis de Jandaira em três diferentes temperaturas (ambiente, geladeira e freezer) e os efeitos de um ano de armazenamento de méis de Jandaira e Apis mellifera de mesma região botânica e a comparação da alteração de seus parâmetros de qualidade. Metodologia Revisão de literatura relativa aos padrões de identidade e qualidade dos méis de Apis mellifera e de abelhas sem ferrão com ênfase na Melipona subnitida. Realização das análises preconizadas pela legislação brasileira para méis de Apis mellifera nas amostras coletadas de Jandaira e Apis, além das análises qualitativas (Fiehe, Lund e Lugol), condutividade elétrica e análise dos açúcares glicose, frutose e sacarose por CLAE. Resultados As amostras de mel de Apis apresentaram-se monoflorais (pólen dominante de Althernanthera sp.) e com parâmetros dentro do preconizado pela legislação vigente, enquanto os de méis de Jandaira apresentaram-se heteroflorais (pólen de Mimosa verrucosa, Mimosa caeselpiniaefolia e Piptadenia moniliforme) a umidade (24...

Nós avaliamos a atividade antimicrobiana do mel coletado de ninhos de 12 espécies de abelhas nativas sem ferrão comumente encontrados no Brasil e 25 amostras de mel de Apis mellifera não pasteurizados que foram identificadas como sendo unifloral e uma amostra de mel multifloral. A atividade antimicrobiana de cada amostra de mel foi testada contra cinco espécies de bactérias patogênicas, uma espécie de fungo patogênico e uma espécie de levedura patogênica, comparando esta atividade com o mel terapêutico de manuka produzido por abelhas Apis mellifera na Nova Zelândia a partir do néctar de Leptospermum scoparium (Myrtaceae). Cinco das treze amostras de mel das abelhas sem ferrão foram bactericidas e oito foram fungicidas contra o fungo patogênico Trichophyton rubrum. Somente a levedura Candida albicans foi resistente a todas as amostras de mel. As amostras de mel de Apis mellifera que apresentaram atividade bactericida foram caju, romã e cana, nenhuma das amostras de mel de A. mellifera afetou o fungo T. rubrum. Os meis de Nannotrigona testaceicornis, Plebeia remota, Tetragona clavipes e Scaptotrigona depilis todos com alto nível de atividade antimicrobiana, foram significativamente mais eficiente em termos de atividade antimicrobiana que o mel de manuka...

The number of sensilla coeloconica, ampullacea and campaniformia of flagellomeres 3 to 10 of the antennae of workers of four honey bee types (Italian, Caucasian, African and Africanized) was studied by scanning electron microscopy. Comparisons of the four bee types showed that only African and Africanized honey bees did not differ from one another with respect to the number of sensilla coeloconica and ampullacea of flagellomere 10. African and Africanized honey bees and Caucasian and Italian honey bees also did not differ from one another in terms of flagellomere 9. In the other flagellomeres there were no differences among bee types. Italian and Caucasian honey bees differed from Africanized honey bees in terms of number of sensilla campaniformia on flagellomere 6, and Caucasian honey bees differed from African and Africanized honey bees in terms of flagellomere 3. Five significant but random correlation values were obtained between number of antennal sensilla and defensive behaviour in Africanized honey bees. Thus,there is no relationship between antennal structures and defence behaviour.

Compositional data from 152 stingless bee (Meliponini) honey samples were compiled from studies since 1964, and evaluated to propose a quality standard for this product. Since stingless bee honey has a different composition than Apis mellifera honey, some physicochemical parameters are presented according to stingless bee species. The entomological origin of the honey was known for 17 species of Meliponini from Brazil, one from Costa Rica, six from Mexico, 27 from Panama, one from Surinam, two from Trinidad & Tobago, and seven from Venezuela, most from the genus Melipona. The results varied as follows: moisture (19.9-41.9g/100g), pH (3.15-4.66), free acidity (5.9-109.0meq/Kg), ash (0.01-1.18g/100g), diastase activity (0.9-23.0DN), electrical conductivity (0.49-8.77mS/cm), HMF (0.4-78.4mg/Kg), invertase activity (19.8-90.1IU), nitrogen (14.34-144.00mg/100g), reducing sugars (58.0-75.7g/100g) and sucrose (1.1-4.8g/100g). Moisture content of stingless bee honey is generally higher than the 20% maximum established for A. mellifera honey. Guidelines for further contributions would help make the physicochemical database of meliponine honey more objective, in order to use such data to set quality standards. Pollen analysis should be directed towards the recognition of unifloral honeys produced by stingless bees...

O câncer é responsável pela morte de oito milhões de pessoas todos os anos, sendo que anualmente são diagnosticados mais de onze milhões de novos casos. O estudo de tratamentos alternativos e coadjuvantes é, portanto, de grande valia. Aventa-se que tanto Aloe vera quanto o mel contém efeitos anti-câncer. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a ação do homogeneizado de Aloe vera e mel sobre o crescimento tumoral e caquexia em ratos Wistar portadores de carcinossarcoma de Walker 256. Visando avaliar o impacto da administração de Aloe vera e mel sobre a proliferação celular e apoptose no decorrer do desenvolvimento tumoral, foram coletados tecido hepático e tumoral de animais sacrificados após 7, 14 e 20 dias de implantação tumoral. As análises imunohistoquímicas de tumores provenientes de animais tratados com homogeneizado de Aloe vera e mel revelaram, ao longo do desenvolvimento tumoral, queda na taxa de proliferação celular (Ki-67) e aumento na susceptibilidade à apoptose (relação Bax/Bcl-2) além de menor peso relativo do tumor, quando comparados aos tumores de animais que receberam soro fisiológico. Paralelamente, a análise do tecido hepático desses animais mostrou queda na susceptibilidade à apoptose (relação Bax/Bcl-2) em relação aos animais que não foram tratados com Aloe vera e mel. A fim de se avaliar o efeito terapêutico do homogeneizado de Aloe vera e mel sobre parâmetros relacionados ao estresse oxidativo e à caquexia...

Colour and floral origin are key parameters that may influence the honey market. Monofloral light honey are more demanded by consumers, mainly due to their flavour, being more valuable for producers due to their higher price when compared to darker honey. The latter usually have a high anti-oxidant content that increases their healthy potential. This work showed that it is possible to correctly classify monofloral honey with a high variability in floral origin with a potentiometric electronic tongue after making a preliminary selection of honey according their colours: white, amber and dark honey. The results showed that the device had a very satisfactory sensitivity towards floral origin (Castanea sp., Echium sp., Erica sp., Lavandula sp., Prunus sp. and Rubus sp.), allowing a leave-one-out cross validation correct classification of 100%. Therefore, the E-tongue shows potential to be used at analytical laboratory level for honey samples classification according to market and quality parameters, as a practical tool for ensuring monofloral honey authenticity.

This study evaluated the physicochemical properties and protein and mineral content of honey samples from Ceará State, Northeastern Brazil, one of the major honey exporters in the country. Nutritional importance of the minerals detected was also analyzed. Physicochemical properties were examined according to the AOAC and CAC official methods; the protein content was determined using the Bradford method, and the minerals were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry. All analyses were performed in triplicate. The levels of macrominerals sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) varied from 1.80-47.20, 21.30-1513.30, 14.58-304.82, and 2.48-28.33 mg/kg, respectively, and the trace elements iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), and chromium (Cr) varied from 0.12-8.76, 0.07-1.29, 0.06-1.96, 0.07-1.85 mg/kg, 0.36 × 10-3-62.00 × 10-3 and 22.50 × 10-3-170.33 × 10-3 µg/kg, respectively. Myracrodruon urundeuva honey sample had high contents of macrominerals (Na, K, Ca, and Mg). Protein content of the Anacardium occidentale honey sample was the highest (1121.00 µg/g) among the samples analyzed. Among the minerals detected in the honey samples, K showed the highest concentration, followed by Ca...

The rational development of bees is one of the most promising agricultural activities, since it is essentially self-sustaining family and therefore helps to maintain and restore the environment, through their role in pollination, and guarantee income to the producer who employs his family on it. Honey is the main product of this activity, being generated by honey bees - native or Africanized. Its chemical composition is quite varied, depending mainly of floral, entomological and geographical origin. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of honey from different entomologic sources of the State of Alagoas, in the dry season of 2008/09, by physico-chemical and microbiological criteria, and know their likely actions antioxidant and antimicrobial. Thus, 43 samples of honey (14 of Apis mellifera, 22 of M. scutellaris, 3 of M. quadrifasciata, 2 of M. subnitida e 2 of Plebeia sp) were collected from different municipalities of Alagoas. In relation to the physicochemical parameters, it were evaluated the content of reducing carbohydrates, total carbohydrates, sucrose apparent, moisture, electrical conductivity, pH, acidity, content of total protein, concentration of proline, diastase activity and hydroxymethylfurfural. Regarding to the antioxidant activity...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Low pH, hydrogen peroxide generation, and the hyperosmolarity mechanisms of antimicrobial action are ubiquitous for all honeys. In addition, manuka honey has been shown to contain high concentrations of methylglyoxal (MGO), contributing the relatively superior antimicrobial activity of manuka honey compared to non-MGO honeys. In high concentrations, manuka honey is effective in killing Staphylococcus aureus biofilms in vitro. Lower concentrations of honey, however, are desirable for clinical use as a topical rinse in chronic rhinosinusitis in order to maximize the tolerability and practicality of the delivery technique. This study, therefore, was designed to evaluate the contribution of MGO to the biofilm-cidal activity of manuka honey, and furthermore determine whether the antibiofilm activity of low-dose honey can be augmented by the addition of exogenous MGO. STUDY DESIGN: In vitro microbiology experiment. METHODS: Five S. aureus strains (four clinical isolates and one reference strain) were incubated to form biofilms using a previously established in vitro dynamic peg model. First, the biofilm-cidal activities of 1) manuka honey (790 mg/kg MGO), 2) non-MGO honey supplemented with 790 mg/kg MGO, and 3) MGO-only solutions were assessed. Second...

En este artículo se realiza una revisión sistemática de la literatura científica sobre el uso de miel en el tratamiento de úlceras y heridas. La miel tiene características antibacterianas y estimulantes del proceso de cicatrización. La osmolaridad alta es en parte responsable de sus efectos beneficiosos. Cuando la miel es aplicada sobre una herida la glucosa oxidasa produce localmente una liberación lenta de peróxido de hidrógeno. Se han realizado varios estudios comparativos entre miel de manuka y otros tipos de miel, y parece que la miel de manuka tiene una actividad antibacteriama mayor. La miel ha sido utilizada con éxito en el tratamiento de heridas y quemaduras. La miel pura sin procesar ni esterilizar ha sido utilizada sin ninguna reacción adversa ni caso alguno de botulismo. El uso de miel puede ser una alternativa a las terapias tradicionales, aunque se necesita realizar grandes estudios comparativos entre miel y otros tratamientos. Al tratarse de un producto natural, económico y presente en casi todas las culturas, su utilización en los países del llamado tercer mundo podría ser muy beneficiosa. Se expone el caso clínico de una paciente en la que se utilizó miel pura en el tratamiento de varias úlceras por presión (UPP) con buenos resultados.; ABSTRACT: In this articulate is made one revision sistematica of cientifica literature on the honey use in the treatment of hurt and ulceras. The honey has antibacterial and stimulating characteristics of the healing process. The high osmolaridad is partly responsible for its beneficial effects. When the honey is applied on a wound the glucose oxidasa locally produces hydrogen a slow peroxide liberation. Several comparative studies between honey of manuka and other types of honey have been made...

The content of ??-glucoxidase in two varieties of honey covered by the Granada Honey Protected Denomination of Origin Regulatory Board is studied. The evolution of invertase activity was followed for 10 months, in 12 monofloral chestnut honey samples collected in the Alpujarra area of Granada and 9 monofloral rosemary honey samples collected in la Resinera, Valle de Lecrin and in the Sierra de Baza for 10 months. The invertase was measured in the months of June 2005, September 2005, January 2006 and finally in the month of April 2006. We obtained an invertase activity in fresh chestnut honey of 194.6??3.6 U/kg, with a range between 188.7 U/kg and 199.5 U/kg. After 10 months at ambient temperature, the chestnut honey lost between 28.3% and 39.8% of the initial values of ??-glucosidase, with an average of 33.4%??3.3%. In the rosemary honey we obtained average invertase values of 69.4??14.9 U/kg, with a range between 56.9 U/kg and 91.9 U/kg. After 10 months at ambient temperature, the rosemary honey lost between 19.3% and 32.3% of the initial ??-glucosidase values, with an average of 28.1%??4.4%.

O mel pode ser definido como uma solução concentrada de açúcares. Possui enzimas,ácidos orgânicos e outros compostos. O aquecimento do mel é usualmente utilizado para descristalizar e facilitar o processamento. Atualmente na indústria o mel é aquecido por convecção forçada de ar e pode demorar de 4 a 7 dias, onerando o processamento. O emprego de altas temperaturas no mel pode alterar muitas de suas propriedades, como diminuição da enzima diastase e aumento do hidroximetilfurfural (HMF), importantes indicadores de qualidade. O objetivo do trabalho foi estudar o processo de descristalização do mel frente ao tratamento térmico em banho de água sob agitação,visando desenvolver métodos mais eficientes para a descristalização do produto. A partir dos dados da história térmica do mel, os parâmetros cinéticos de transferência de calor e os impactos do aquecimento nas propriedades do mel foram verificados. Foram utilizados três tipos de méis para avaliação de suas propriedades sob influência do aquecimento e determinação das cinéticas de reação. Avaliaram-se as alterações no pH, acidez, índice de formol e cor, além da atividade diastásica e conteúdo de HMF formados nas temperaturas de 50, 70 e 90ºC. Para os estudos de descristalização foram realizados 12 ensaios utilizando-se mel de eucalipto...

Compositional data from 152 stingless bee (Meliponini) honey samples were compiled from studies since 1964, and evaluated to propose a quality standard for this product. Since stingless bee honey has a different composition than Apis mellifera honey, some physicochemical parameters are presented according to stingless bee species. The entomological origin of the honey was known for 17 species of Meliponini from Brazil, one from Costa Rica, six from Mexico, 27 from Panama, one from Surinam, two from Trinidad & Tobago, and seven from Venezuela, most from the genus Melipona. The results varied as follows: moisture (19.9-41.9g/100g), pH (3.15-4.66), free acidity (5.9-109.0meq/Kg), ash (0.01-1.18g/100g), diastase activity (0.9-23.0DN), electrical conductivity (0.49-8.77mS/cm), HMF (0.4-78.4mg/Kg), invertase activity (19.8-90.1IU), nitrogen (14.34-144.00mg/100g), reducing sugars (58.0-75.7g/100g) and sucrose (1.1-4.8g/100g). Moisture content of stingless bee honey is generally higher than the 20% maximum established for A. mellifera honey. Guidelines for further contributions would help make the physicochemical database of meliponine honey more objective, in order to use such data to set quality standards. Pollen analysis should be directed towards the recognition of unifloral honeys produced by stingless bees...