Respostas de colônias de Plebeia catamarcensis Holmberg (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponina) à orfandade

Behaviour studies were carried out in eight orphanage colonies of Plebeia catamarcensis. Of these eight, in six colonies, the emergence of a queen was registered and, in four out of these six, the establishment process of a queen was successful. The recently emerged queen is very attractive and active. She moves around the colony calling other individuals’ attention and creating a buzz in the nest. The individuals in the nest leave their routine activities behind and turn their attention to the new queen. The workers surround the queen and start to attack her with their antenna and legs mainly in the abdominal area. From this moment on, the queen can have two destinies: she is either killed by the worker bees which surround her or accepted into the hive. In all four observed acceptances, the queens were only accepted after the 28th day of orphanhood. The queens which emerged before this period were killed by the worker bees. The behaviour of worker was also observed as they were responsible for building a royal chamber and scattered brood cells.Estudos comportamentais foram realizados em oito colônias órfãs de Plebeia catamarcensis. Destas oito, seis apresentaram emergências de rainhas e destas, quatro colônias tiveram êxito no processo de estabelecimento da rainha. A rainha recém-emergida é muito atrativa e ativa; ela movimenta-se pela colônia chamando a atenção dos demais indivíduos, causando tumulto no ninho. Os indivíduos deixam suas atividades e voltam suas atenções para a nova rainha. As operárias a cercam atacam-na com suas antenas e pernas, principalmente na região do abdômen. A partir deste momento, a rainha pode ter dois destinos: ou é morta pelas operárias ou é aceita no ninho. Em todos os quatro casos, as aceitações das rainhas só ocorreram após o 26º dia da orfandade. As rainhas que emergiram antes deste período foram mortas pelas operárias. Observaram-se também posturas de operárias, que foram responsáveis também pela construção de uma câmara real e de células de cria dispersas.

Fauna and stratification of male orchid bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and their preference for odor baits in a forest fragment

This is a study of the population fluctuation of euglossine species, as well as their preferences for scent baits (cineole, eugenol, vanillin and methyl salicylate) in two forest strata (canopy and under story) at the Reserva Florestal do Azulão, a forest fragment located in the municipality of Dourados, MS, Brazil (22°12'S, 54°55'W). We collected a total of 529 males from four genera and eight species. Diversity and equitability for both strata (under story: H' = 1.195 and J' = 0.6139; canopy: H' = 1.193 and J' = 0.6131) did not show a significant difference and a high similarity index was found (P = 87.5%). On the other hand, abundance was substantially higher in the canopy (n = 358) than in the under story (n = 171). From the scents used, eugenol attracted a larger number of individuals (n = 225), but cineole and vanillin attracted a higher number of species. © 2011 Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil

Chemical profile and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic and antimicrobial activities of geopropolis from the stingless bee Melipona orbignyi

Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Geopropolis is a resin mixed with mud, produced only by stingless bees. Despite being popularly known for its medicinal properties, few scientific studies have proven its biological activities. In this context, the objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic and antimicrobial activities of the Melipona orbignyi geopropolis. The hydroalcoholic extract of geopropolis (HEGP) was prepared and its chemical composition determined by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detector and mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS). The antioxidant activity was determined by the capture of free radicals and inhibition of lipid peroxidation in human erythrocytes. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by the inhibition of the hyaluronidase enzyme and the antimutagenic action was investigated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae colonies. The antimicrobial activities were determined against bacteria and yeasts, isolated from reference strains and hospital origin. The chemical composition of HEGP included flavonoids, derivatives of glycosylated phenolic acids and terpenoids. HEGP showed high antioxidant activity, it inhibited the activity of the inflammatory enzyme hyaluronidase and reduced the mutagenic effects in S. cerevisiae. In relation to the antimicrobial activity, it promoted the death of all microorganisms evaluated. In conclusion, this study reveals for the first time the chemical composition of the HEGP of M. orbignyi and demonstrates its pharmacological properties.This work was supported by grants from Foundation to Support to Fundação de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento do Ensino, Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul (FUNDECT, Brazil), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES, Brazil), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, Brazil) and PRODER, (24.073 – Â, Portugal).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Conservation of wild mushrooms through electron beam irradiation

The high perishability is a characteristic of the mushrooms consumed in fresh. Therefore, it is mandatory the application of effective conservation technologies to preserve and protect their chemical composition and nutritional value. Drying processes are widely used, but do not avoid the development of bacteria and fungi which have the ability to survive for long periods of time in dry foods, causing the loss of some nutrients and leading to food browning and oxidation of lipids and vitamins [1]. Irradiation appears as an alternative to food preservation assuring and maintaining its quality [2]. In this work, the effects of electron beam irradiation and storage time on nutritional and chemical parameters of wild samples of Macrolepiota procera (Scop.) Singer, previously submitted to a drying process (oven at 30 ºC), were assessed. The wild mushroom samples were collected in Trás-os-Montes; electron beam irradiation (doses 0.5, 1 and 6 kGy) was carried out in the INCT- Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology in Warsaw, Poland and the analyses were performed over the storage period (0, 6 and 12 months). The results were compared with a control (non-irradiated samples). The nutritional value was determined according to the official procedures of food analysis, while the profiles of fatty acids, tocopherols, mono and oligosaccharides were obtained by chromatographic techniques [1]. The irradiation showed a better capacity to maintain the nutritional and chemical profile, in comparison with the storage time. Effectively, the storage time had a significant effect in all parameters, but fatty acids undergone significant changes both with irradiation doses and storage time. Electron beam irradiation can be considered a suitable technique for conservation of mushrooms for long periods of time, attenuating the changes caused by the drying treatment.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013), A. Fernandes (SFRH/BPD/114753/2016) and J.C.M. Barreira contract.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Atividade antimutagênica de geoprópolis de melípona quadrifasciata anthidioides (HYMENOPTERA, APIDAE)

O câncer é caracterizado por distúrbios na proliferação e diferenciação celular, apresentando causas diversas e complexas. A patogenia molecular da maioria dos cânceres é atribuída a lesões ou mutações genéticas, resultando em graves alterações celulares. Assim, a busca por compostos com potencial antimutagênico é crescente, os quais podem reduzir ou reverter os danos no DNA. Neste contexto, o objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a atividade antimutagênica do extrato hidroetanólico de geoprópolis da abelha sem ferrão Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides. Metodologia: O extrato hidroetanólico de geoprópolis (EHGP) foi preparado a partir da mistura de 80 g de geoprópolis em 240 mL de etanol 70%, sob agitação por 24 horas a temperatura ambiente. Posteriormente, a solução foi filtrada, rotaevaporada e liofilizada. Para determinar a atividade antimutagênica do EHGP, foram utilizadas células de Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 201137 (linhagem D7 diploide) as quais foram usadas para determinar a frequência de convertentes espontâneas no locus de triptofano (trp) e revertentes no locus de isoleucina (ilv). As células foram plaqueadas a 2 x 108 células/mL e incubadas com o composto mutagênico (ethyl methanesulfonate) e o EHGP (0,15 e 0,30 %) por 2 h a 37 °C. Em seguida, as células foram transferidas para meio seletivo para determinar a sobrevivência, trp convertentes e ilv revertentes. Resultados: O EHGP reduziu a sobrevivência da S. cerevisiae D7 em torno de 50%, por sua ação fungicida, e apresentou efeito antimutagênico inibindo os danos promovidos pelo composto mutagênico. O extrato apresentou redução das frequências de conversão de gene em 30,7 ± 4,8 e 41,5 ± 1,7 %, nas concentrações de 0,15 e 0,30 %, respectivamente. Adicionalmente, reduziu significativamente o número de colônias mutantes em 79,4 ± 0,8 (concentração de 0,15 %) e 89,3 ± 0,5 % (concentração de 0,30 %).Conclusão: Em suma, os resultados obtidos mostram que o extrato de geoprópolis de Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides apresenta potencial em inibir lesões ou mutações genéticas induzidas por compostos mutagênicos em leveduras.CAPES; Fundect; CNPqinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Cytotoxic Activities of Propolis from the Stingless Bee Tetragonisca fiebrigi (Jataí)

Propolis from stingless bees Tetragonisca fiebrigi found in Brazil is used in folk medicine by their nutritional and therapeutic properties. However, there are no scientific records evidencing such properties. The present study was designed to investigate the chemical composition and the biological properties of propolis from T. fiebrigi. For this, the chemical composition of the ethanol extract of propolis (EEP) was determined by GC-MS and presented phenolic compounds, alcohol, and terpenes as its major class compounds. The antimicrobial activity was accessed in gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and in fungi, isolated from different biological fluids and reference strains. The EEP was active against all microorganisms and showed antioxidant activity by scavenging free radicals, inhibiting hemolysis and lipid peroxidation in human erythrocytes incubated with an oxidizing agent. The anti-inflammatory potential of the EEP was confirmed by inhibition of the hyaluronidase enzyme. The cytotoxic activity was concentration-dependent against K562 cells, with a predominance of death by necrosis. Taken together, these results show that propolis from T. fiebrigi has important therapeutic activities, which suggest its potential application in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as in health foods, beverages, and nutritional supplements

Antimicrobial Activity of Propolis from the Brazilian Stingless Bees <i>Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides</i> and <i>Scaptotrigona depilis</i> (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini)

Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides and Scaptotrigona depilis are species of stingless bees capable of producing propolis, which has considerable bioprospecting potential. In this context, the objective of this study was to determine the chemical compositions and evaluate the antimicrobial activity of propolis produced by M. q. anthidioides and S. depilis. The ethanolic extracts of propolis of M. q. anthidioides (EEP-M) and S. depilis (EEP-S) were prepared, and their chemical constituents were characterized by HPLC-ESI-MS. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated against bacteria and fungi, isolated from reference strains and hospital origin resistant to the action of antibiotics. From EEP-M, phenolic compounds were annotated, including gallic acid, ellagic acid, and flavonoids, as well as diterpenes and triterpenes. EEP-S showed mainly triterpene in its chemical composition. Both extracts inhibited the growth of medically relevant bacteria and fungi, including hospital-acquired and antimicrobial-resistant. In general, EEP-S showed better antimicrobial activity compared to EEP-M. The MIC of EEP-S against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis was 3.50 mg/mL, while the MIC of EEP-M was 5.33 ± 0.16 mg/mL. In conclusion, this study shows that propolis produced by M. q. anthidioides and S. depilis has the potential to be used for the prevention or treatment of microbial infections

DPPH free radical-scavenging activity (%) of ExEP at different concentrations (μg/mL).

<p>DPPH free radical-scavenging activity (%) of ExEP at different concentrations (μg/mL).</p

Compounds identified in nonpolar fraction of ExEP from <i>P</i>. <i>droryana</i> (ExEP-P) and <i>A</i>. <i>mellifera</i> (ExEP-A) by gas chromatography−mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

<p>Compounds identified in nonpolar fraction of ExEP from <i>P</i>. <i>droryana</i> (ExEP-P) and <i>A</i>. <i>mellifera</i> (ExEP-A) by gas chromatography−mass spectrometry (GC-MS).</p