Variation morphogeometrics of Africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera) in Brazil

The morphometrics of the honey bee Apis mellifera L., 1758 has been widely studied mainly because this species has great ecological importance, high adaptation capacity, wide distribution and capacity to effectively adapt to different regions. The current study aimed to investigate the morphometric variations of wings and pollen baskets of honey bees Apis mellifera scutellata Lepeletier, 1836 from the five regions in Brazil. We used geometric morphometrics to identify the existence of patterns of variations of shape and size in Africanized honey bees in Brazil 16 years after the classic study with this species, allowing a temporal and spatial comparative analysis using new technological resources to assess morphometrical data. Samples were collected in 14 locations in Brazil, covering the five geographical regions of the country. The shape analysis and multivariate analyses of the wing allowed to observe that there is a geographical pattern among the population of Apis mellifera in Brazil. The geographical variations may be attributed to the large territorial extension of the country in addition to the differences between the bioregions.

Chemical, physico-chemical and sensory characterization of mixed açai (Euterpe oleracea) and cocoa´s honey (Theobroma cacao) jellies

Four formulations of mixed açaí (Euterpe oleracea) (A) and cocoa´s honey (Theobroma cacao) (CH) jellies were prepared according to the following proportions: T1 (40% A:60% CH), T2 (50% A:50% CH), T3 (60% A: 40% CH) and T4 (100% A - control). All formulations were prepared using a rate 60:40 (w/w) of sucrose and pulp, plus 0.5% pectin and the products reached to average of 65% soluble solids content. The jellies were analyzed by chemical and physicochemical (titratable acidity, pH, soluble solid content, dry matter, total protein, lipids, vitamin C and calories) and sensory characteristics; also were evaluated levels of P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn. It was used a hedonic scale of 7 points to evaluate the attributes: overall impression, spreadability, brightness, flavor, texture and color, and also was verified the purchase intention score. The titratable acidity and pH ranged from 0.46 to 0.64% and 3.35 to 3.64, respectively, that are within the range found at most fruit jellies. The soluble solids content ranged between 65.2 and 65.5 ºBrix. The sensory acceptance results showed that all treatments (T1, T2, T3 and T4) presented means of sensory attributes above 4, demonstrating good acceptance of the product, but the treatment T1 presented the higher scores for the evaluated attributes. Cocoa´s honey added a positive influence on the attributes of color, texture and spreadability.

Physicochemical parameters of Amazon Melipona honey

Stingless bees produce a honey that is different from the Apis honey in terms of composition. There aren't enough data to establish quality control parameters for this product, mainly due to lack of research results. The aim of this work is to evaluate some physicochemical parameters that can be used for the characterization and for the quality control of the Meliponinae honey. Four different samples were collected in the Amazon region of Brazil in 2004 (Melipona compressipes manaoense bee and Melipona seminigra merribae bee). Honey analyses were performed as described by the official methods. The mean results were: moisture (30.13%), pH (3.65), acidity (24.57 mEq/kg), water activity (0.75), fructose (31.91%), glucose (29.30%) and sucrose (0.19%). These results reinforce the need for a specific regulation for stingless bee honey. This will only be feasible when enough data is available to establish upper and lower limits for the physicochemical parameters used for quality control.

Determination of chemical elements in africanized Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) honey samples from the State of Piauí, Brazil

Honey is a food used since the most remote times, appreciated for its characteristic flavor, considerable nutritional value and medicinal properties; however, little information exists about the presence of chemical elements in it. The objectives of this work were to determine the chemical elements present in 38 honey samples, collected directly from beekeepers from the State of Piauí, Brazil and to verify whether they presented any contamination. The chemical elements were determined by means of Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence. The means of three replicates were: K (109.671 ± 17.487), Ca (14.471 ± 3.8797), Ti (0.112 ± 0.07), Cr (0.196 ± 0.11), Mn (0.493 ± 0.103), Fe (1.722 ± 0.446), Co (0.038), Ni (0.728 ± 0.706), Cu (0.179 ± 0.0471), Zn (0.967 ± 0.653), Se (not detected), Br (not detected), Rb (0.371 ± 0.097), Sr (0.145 ± 0.45), Ba (11.681), Hg (not detected), and Pb (0.863) µg g-1.

Physicochemical composition of Apis mellifera honey samples from São Paulo State, Brazil

This research, developed with Apis mellifera honey samples from producers of São Paulo State, Brazil, has the objective of verifying how eucalyptus, wild flower, and orange honey samples would be clustered, based on physicochemical characteristics. All the orange honey samples and some wild flower ones formed distinct groups, thus confirming that the floral source interferes with honey characteristics. Eucalyptus and some of the wild flower honey samples were clustered together because of the great floral source variation in the latter ones. The characteristics that influence sample clustering are acidity and electric conductivity on the X axis, and total sugars and pH on the Y axis.

MSPD procedure combined with GC-MS for the determination of procymidone, bifenthrin, malathion and pirimicarb in honey

A method based on matrix solid-phase dispersion and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to determine procymidone, malathion, bifenthrin and pirimicarb in honey is described. The best results were obtained using 1.0 g of honey, 1.0 g of silica-gel as dispersant sorbent and acetonitrile as eluting solvent. The method was validated by fortified honey samples at three concentration levels (0.2, 0.5 to 1.0 mg kg-1). Average recoveries (n=7) ranged from 54 to 84%, with relative standard deviations between 3.7 and 8.5%. Detection and quantification limits attained by the developed method ranged from 0.02 to 0.08 mg kg-1 and 0.07 to 0.25 mg kg-1 for the honey, respectively.

Preliminary data on Brazilian monofloral honey from the northeast region using FT-IR ATR spectroscopic, palynological, and color analysis

Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance (FT-IR ATR) spectroscopy was used to determine 14 different measurands in northeast Brazilian honey samples. Nine different honey samples (six monofloral and three polyfloral) from 2009 obtained from the company CEARAPI underwent FT-IR ATR, palynological, color, and sensorial analysis to obtain preliminary results for these types of honey. The results showed that there are five monofloral, three bifloral, and one extrafloral honey, and also that mid-infrared spectrometry can be used as a screening method for the routine analysis of Brazilian honey, with the advantages of being rapid, nondestructive, and accurate.

Growth and development of honey weed based on days or thermal units

This work was carried out with the objective of evaluating the growth and development of honey weed (Leonurus sibiricus) based on days or thermal units (growing degree days). Thus, two independent trials were developed to quantify the phenological development and total dry mass accumulation in increasing or decreasing photoperiod conditions. Considering only one growing season, honey weed phenological development was perfectly fit to day scale or growing degree days, but with no equivalence between seasons, with the plants developing faster at increasing photoperiods, and flowering 100 days after seeding. Even day-time scale or thermal units were not able to estimate general honey weed phenology during the different seasons of the year. In any growing condition, honey weed plants were able to accumulate a total dry mass of over 50 g per plant. Dry mass accumulation was adequately fit to the growing degree days, with highlights to a base temperature of 10 ºC. Therefore, a higher environmental influence on species phenology and a lower environmental influence on growth (dry mass) were observed, showing thereby that other variables, such as the photoperiod, may potentially complement the mathematical models.

Pollination and fruit set in pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) by honey bees

Species of Cucurbitaceae are cultivated worldwide and are depend on bee pollination for fruit set. Field and lab experiments were conducted at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, during 1996 and 1997 to determine "Howden" pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) pollen removal and deposition by honeybees and factors relating to male flower attractiveness. Several parameters were evaluated in flowers at anthesis: (1) removal of pollen from anthers by honey bees, (2) pollen deposition on the stigma by honey bees, (3) amount of pollen on the body of honey bees, (4) fruit set after bee pollination, and (5) male flower nectary's pores and flower attractiveness. Honey bees carried between 1,050 to 3,990 pollen grains and 13,765 were removed from an anther after one visit. The amount of pollen deposited on the stigma by the honey bees varied according to the number of visits, from 53 grains with one visit, to 1,253 grains with 12 visits, and the mean number of grains in each visit varied from 53 to 230 grains. The percentage of established fruits was higher (100%) when the flowers received 12 visits of Apis mellifera, corresponding to a load 1,253 pollen grains. The attractiveness of the male flower for pollen and nectar collection was increased by the degree of opening of the access pore to the nectary in the flower.

Pollen analysis of honey and beebread derived from Brazilian mangroves

Pollen analyses were performed on honey and beebread from hives in apiaries located in two distinct mangrove areas dominated by Laguncularia racemosa (L.) C.F. Gaernt. One apiary was located at the edge of Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro State, and the other near Maranguá Bay, Bahia State, Brazil. We investigated the contribution of nectar and pollen from mangrove vegetation to Apis mellifera L. honey and beebread stocks. Intensive visitation to this plant species by honeybees and the presence of its pollen grains in honey and beebread confirmed the importance of Laguncularia racemosa as a polliniferous and nectariferous species.

Sex determination in honey bees (Apinae and Meliponinae) and its consequences

The first experiments on sex determination in bees began with Dzierzon, Meves, Nachtsheim, Paulcke, Petrunkewitsch, Manning. Whiting, (1943) found multiple alleles in Bracon xo that are the Rosetta stone of sex determination in Hymenoptera. Whiting also discovered that some species of microhymenoptera do not possess xo sex alleles. Therefore, Hymenoptera apparently presents two types of sex determination superimposed on haplodiploidy. In the panmictic groups hemizygous (xo1, xo2,... xon) and homozygous (xo1xo1, xo2xo2... xonxon) are males while heterozygous (xo1xo2, ... xon-1xon) are females. There is no such series of xon in endogamous Hymenoptera, since the constant elimination of diploid males would be damaging to the population and the mutation of xo to xon would be quickly eliminated. Besides the Whiting hypothesis, four others are discussed. The new hypothesis of genomic imprinting, of Beukeboom, is eliminated since: a) spermatozoa that develop within the egg produce male tissue; b) telitokous parthenogenesis due to the fusion of two haploid cells develop into females; c) last instar larvae treated with juvenile hormone become queens. The Cunha and Kerr hypothesis (female determining genes are totally or partially additive and male determination is totally or partially nonadditive) explains all known cases. The xo is a female determining gene. Sex determination in social bees led to the gradual evolution of two systems of caste determination: one in which queens and workers are similar and males are very different (Apinae), and another in which workers and males are very similar and both very different from the queens (Meliponinae). This second system in stingless bees implies that many of the mutations that improve worker capacities also affect the males that will carry out some activities that in Apis are clearly female ones. Ten of these activities are described.

Physicochemical analyses indicated to the quality control of royal jelly with honey

Royal jelly (RJ) is used as a revitalizing tonic. In order to avoid rejection to its acid taste, it is added to honey. There are regulations for honey and for royal jelly separately but not for the mixture. The objective of this work is, therefore, to verify if the same methods used for pure honey quality control can be used for honey mixed with royal jelly and also the presence of RJ through 10-HDA determination. The methods used were: moisture, reducing sugars, apparent sucrose, ash, hydroxymethylfurfural, insoluble solids, diastase activity, acidity and 10-HDA. Samples were prepared by adding 0-100% of RJ in honey. The results showed that the ash method was the only suitable one to all the samples. The acidity analysis (direct titration) was suitable to 0-30%RJ samples; the reducing sugar analysis was suitable to 0-20% RJ samples. Concerning moisture analysis the refractometric method is suitable to 0-10% RJ and the Infra Red method is suggested to be used for samples with more than 10% RJ. The methods for diastase activity, HMF, apparent sucrose and insoluble solids were inadequate for all samples with RJ. The presence of RJ in the samples was confirmed by the 10-HDA analyses.

Microbial flora in organic honey samples of africanized honeybees from Parana river islands

The purpose of this study was to verify and compare the main contamination sources and the hygienic/sanitary conditions of organic honey samples of Apis mellifera from Parana River islands. Thirty-three (33) samples were analyzed between January 2005 and August 2006. Eleven (11) samples were collected by beekeepers and twenty-two (22) samples were collected and processed in accordance with ideal personal hygiene norms and good manufacturing practices. The samples underwent microbiological analysis in search of coliforms at 35 ºC and 45 ºC, as well as fungi enumeration analysis. As for fungi counting, the samples harvested by beekeepers showed values above the maximum established by Resolution nº 15/94 of Common Market Group - Mercosul. The results showed that secondary contamination sources are responsible for the reduction of organic honey quality.

Physicochemical characteristics of organic honey samples of africanized honeybees from Parana River islands

This research was carried out to evaluate the physicochemical composition of organic honey in Paraná River islands, in Porto Brasílio, State of Paraná. Honey was harvested directly from super of the colonies in three apiaries spread in the Floresta and Laranjeira Islands, from August 2005 to August 2006. Twenty-four samples of organic honey produced by Africanized honeybees were evaluated. The following parameters were analyzed: pH, acidity, formol index, hydroxymethylfurfural, ashes, color, electric conductivity and moisture. Three replications per sample were performed for laboratorial analysis, giving the means and standard deviation. Most honey samples were in conformity with the Normative Instruction 11 from October 20, 2000. However, 4.17% were not in accordance with the moisture standards, 8.33% showed high concentrations of hydroxymethylfurfural, thus, totalizing 12.50% of non-complying samples. Nevertheless, 87.50% of the analyzed honey samples are within the standards, being characterized as an organic product of excellent quality, with good commercialization perspectives in the market.

Physicochemical and microbiological characterization of cassava flower honey samples produced by africanized honeybees

Cassava producers in the region of Marília-São Paulo are integrating their farming activity with beekeeping to diversify their income. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical and microbiological quality of honey samples produced by Africanized honeybees Apis mellifera from cassava flower in 2008. Analysis were carried out for pH, total soluble solids (TSS), acidity, moisture, reducing and total sugars, apparent sucrose, hydroxymethylfurfural, color, ash, proteins, water insoluble solids, diastasic activity, mineral content, microbiological evaluations, and mineral and hydrocyanic acid (HCN) content. The honey samples showed physicochemical and microbiological characteristics favorable to commercialization, with the exception of apparent sucrose and acidity, which show the need for a narrow focus of attention to the honey maturation degree at the harvest time and more careful monitoring during production and processing. The commercialization of Brazilian cassava honey, still little explored, can be widely spread in the market since the levels of hydrocyanic acid (HCN) showed no consumption risk; in addition the simultaneous production of honey and cassava provides an alternative to family income increase.