Identification of a novel melittin isoform from Africanized Apis mellifera venom

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A non-invasive method for silencing gene transcription in honeybees maintained under natural conditions

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Digestion of feed fractions and intake of heifers fed hydrolyzed sugarcane stored for different periods

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Agentes polinizadores e produção de grãos em cultura de café arábica cv. “Catuaí Vermelho”

Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) plants had the pollination process of their flowers studied in three coffee producing regions in Brazil: the first in Ribeirao Preto, state of São Paulo, in September of 2004, the second in Carmo do Paraiba, in the state of Minas Gerais, in October of 2006, and, the third, in Altinopolis, state of São Paulo, in September of 2007. In all these locations the coffee variety used was the 'Catuai Vermelho'. The pollinator species visiting the flowers, the frequency with which the flowers were visited by the insects, and the type of material collected by them ( nectar and/or pollen) were determined by counts taking place at the first 10 minutes of each hour from 7:00 AM till 6:00 PM during the months mentioned above. To estimate the fructification percentage, 25 branches were identified with color threads and protected with wire frames covered with a nylon fabric to prevent them from being visited by insects. Another group of 25 branches was similarly identified but remained without any covering so that their flowers were thus freely visited by insects. on the average, the most frequent pollinator was the Africanized bee Apis mellifera (73.7%) followed by the bee Trigona spinipes (14.5%), and Tetragonisca angustula (9.5%). The Africanized bee collected nectar and pollen to almost the same extent: 58.5% of the first and 41.5% of the second. To collect nectar, that species increased its visiting frequency up to 1:00 PM. To collect pollen, A. mellifera visited the flowers up to 1:00 PM with frequency peaks between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. T. spinipes collected pollen (58,5%) and nectar (41.5%). T. angustula collected only pollen. The branches freely visited by insects produced 181 grains on the average whereas those covered with the nylon fabric produced only 81 grains, this meaning a reduction of 55.25% in grain production. Coffee grains produced on the freely visited branches had a mean weight (1.13 g) significantly superior to that of those produced on the covered branches (0.94 g).

Pós-colheita de pêssegos (Prunus pérsica L. Bastsch) revestidos com filmes a base de amido como alternativa à cera comercial

O presente trabalho objetivou prolongar a conservação póscolheita de pêssegos, armazenando-os à temperatura ambiente. Inicialmente selecionou-se uma microemulsão à base de fécula de mandioca e cera de abelha. Posteriormente ela foi testada, aplicando-a na superfície dos frutos em comparação com Fruit wax (cera comercial), com o intuito de se verificar o efeito dos diferentes tratamentos na composição química, física e físico-química dos mesmos. Utilizaram-se pêssegos 'Biuti' colhidos manualmente em 14/01/1999, ao atingirem o ponto de maturação fisiológica. do lote colhido foram selecionados 120 frutos sendo os mesmos analisados quanto a perda de massa fresca, taxa respiratória, textura, sólidos solúveis totais, acidez total titulável e pH, a cada 3 dias. Os frutos receberam os tratamentos: Testemunha, Fruit Wax, Fécula e Microemulsão. Os tratamentos Fruit Wax e Microemulsão proporcionaram melhor eficiência em relação à perda de massa fresca que os frutos dos tratamentos Testemunha e Fécula. Quanto à taxa de respiração, verificou-se picos da ordem de 40mg de CO2.kg-1.h-1 . Quanto aos açúcares, verificou-se que a sacarose foi o açúcar encontrado em maior quantidade, com apenas traços de glicose e frutose em algumas amostras. Quanto aos teores de sólidos solúveis totais, os frutos tratados com Fruit Wax apresentaram valores inferiores aos do tratamento Testemunha. O efeito da Microemulsão mostrou-se similar ao da cera Fruit Wax em todos os atributos e, superior ao dos tratamentos Testemunha e Fécula na redução da perda de massa fresca.

Absence of chemopreventive influence of propolis on the rat liver altered foci development

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Produtos naturais para o controle do ácaro Varroa destructor em abelhas africanizadas

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos do ácido oxálico e de óleos essenciais de plantas no controle da infestação pelo ácaro Varroa destructor em colônias de Apis mellifera africanizadas. O experimento foi realizado em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em 30 colônias, com seis tratamentos e cinco repetições. As colmeias foram tratadas com óleos essenciais de arruda (Ruta graveolens), eucalipto (Eucalyptus spp.) e hortelã (Mentha piperita), além de timol, ácido oxálico e do tratamento controle sem aplicação de produtos. Foram avaliadas a mortalidade de varroas e as taxas de mortalidade de crias e de infestação de varroas em crias e em abelhas adultas, antes e depois da aplicação de cada produto. O ácido oxálico e os óleos de arruda, timol, eucalipto e de hortelã reduziram a mortalidade de crias parasitadas pelo ácaro em 92,1, 83,3, 81,7, 86,4 e 81,3%, respectivamente. O tratamento com ácido oxálico reduziu em 87,4% a infestação de varroas em abelhas adultas. O uso desses produtos é eficiente na redução da mortalidade de crias de A. mellifera parasitadas por V. destructor.

Pollination Biology of Jacaranda oxyphylla with an Emphasis on Staminode Function

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Propolis: Is there a potential for the development of new drugs?

Introduction: Propolis has plenty of biological and pharmacological properties and its mechanisms of action have been widely investigated in the last years, using different experimental models in vitro and in vivo. Researchers have been interested in the investigation of isolated compounds responsible for propolis action; however, there is lack of clinical research on the effects of propolis.Strategy and objectives: Since propolis-containing products have been marketed and humans have used propolis for different purposes, the goal of this review is to discuss the potential of propolis for the development of new drugs, by comparing data from the literature that suggest candidate areas for the establishment of drugs against tumors, infections, allergy, diabetes, ulcers and with immunomodulatory action.Conclusions: The efficacy of propolis in different protocols in vitro and in vivo suggests its therapeutic properties, but before establishing a strategy using this bee product, it is necessary to study: (a) the chemical nature of the propolis sample. (b) Propolis efficacy should be compared to well-established parameters, e.g. positive or negative controls in the experiments. Moreover, possible interactions between propolis and other medicines should be investigated in humans as well. (c) Clinical investigation is needed to evaluate propolis potential in patients or healthy individuals, to understand under which conditions propolis may promote health. Data point out the importance of this research field not only for the readers and researchers in the scientific community waiting for further clarification on the potential of propolis but also for the pharmaceutical industry that looks for new drugs. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of propolis on CCL5 and IFN-gamma expression by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from leishmaniasis patients

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Propolis Immunomodulatory Action In Vivo on Toll-Like Receptors 2 and 4 Expression and on Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines Production in Mice

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

In vitro Cytotoxic Effect of Brazilian Green Propolis on Human Laryngeal Epidermoid Carcinoma (HEp-2) Cells

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Ultrastructural modifications in the venom glands of workers of Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera : Apidae) promoted by topical application of juvenile hormone

The present study analyzed, the influence of the treatment with juvenile hormone on the ultrastructure of Apis mellifera L. workers' venom glands. Newly emerged workers received topical application of 1 mu l of juvenile hormone diluted in hexane, in the concentration of 2 mu g/mu l. Two controls were used; one control received no treatment (group C1) and other received topical application of 1 mu l of hexane (group C2). The aspect of the glandular cells, in not treated newly emerged workers, showed that they are not yet secreting actively. Cellular modifications happened according to the worker age and to the glandular area considered. The most active phase of the gland happened from the emergence to the 14th day. At the 25th day the cells had already lost their secretory characteristic, being the distal area the first to suffer degeneration. The treatment with juvenile hormone and hexane altered the temporal sequence of the glandular cycle, forwarding the secretory cycle and degeneration of the venom gland.

Toxic effects of methanolic and dichloromethane extracts of flowers and peduncles of Stryphnodendron adstringens (Leguminosae : Mimosoideae) on Apis mellifera and Scaptotrigona postica workers

Laboratory bioassays were conducted to evaluate toxicity of methanolic and dichloromethane extracts obtained from Stryphnodendron adstringens to Apis mellifera and Scaptotrigona postica workers. The extracts were incorporated into the diet of the bees for evaluation of mortality rates. The ingestion bioassays were made with three concentrations (0.002mg/g, 0.005mg/g and 0.01 mg/g) for each bee species. The workers were kept in cages, with twenty workers per cage for each concentration tested. All bioassays had sixty workers in three cages that where maintained in a biological oxygen demand incubator with controlled temperature and humidity. The data obtained in the toxicity bioassays were analyzed statistically by Log Rank test and all methanolic and clichloromethane extracts showed significant (P < 0.0001) toxic effects in all tested concentrations.

Ultrastructural features of the regenerative cells of the bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae) midguts

The epithelium of the bee ventriculus is formed by two cell types: the principal or digestive cells and the regenerative cells. In this article the ultrastructure of the regenerative cells is described, as well as the features of their differentiation into digestive cells during epithelium renewal.