Honey and propolis production, hygiene and defense behaviors of two generations of Africanized honey bees

Phenotypic characters of honeybees, relevant to beekeepers, can be evaluated by studying correlations between them, and the correlated characteristics can be evaluated in the short term to assist in monitoring of annual genetic progress. This work therefore aims to evaluate the production of honey and propolis, the hygiene and defensive behaviours of two generations of Africanized Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera, Apidae), to estimate the correlations between them and their heritability. We used 30 Langstroth beehives in apiaries in Marechal Cândido Rondon, Paraná State, Brazil. We used a method of drilling pupae to evaluate hygiene behaviour and the velveteen ball method to test defensive behaviour. We selected ten colonies which had the best honey and propolis production, and which produced F1 queens that were then transferred to beehives at an experimental farm, in order to observe honey and propolis production, hygiene and defence behaviours of their female offspring. The estimated differences for each characteristic between the generations, the correlations between them within each generation and their heritability suggest that selection of colonies based on propolis production was more efficient at maintaining this high production than was selection based on honey production according to the performance of the colonies for this characteristic. The selected behavioural characteristics can be used to enhance performance, but not for improving yield characteristics evaluated

SERUM BIOCHEMICAL DETERMINATIONS OF PROPOLIS-TREATED RATS

Ethanolic extracts of the bee glue, a resinous substance collected by honeybees called propolis, have been widely used in folk medicine since ancient times. Antibacterial, antifungal and thus antiseptic properties may represent the basis for the historical and present use of these extracts in dermatology, against inflammatory conditions and common colds. This work was carried out in order to verify possible biochemical alterations in some seric parameters of propolis-treated rats. It was shown that propolis possesses an antioxidant property and its administration did not affect either amylase and alanine transaminase activities or total protein concentration.UNESP, Campus of Botucatu, Department of Production and Animal Exploration - FMVZUNESP, Campus of Araçatuba, Department of Support, Production and Animal Health - Biology - FOAUNESP, Center for the Study of Venoms and Venomous Animals - CEVAPUNESP, Campus of Botucatu, Department of Chemistry - IBUNESP, Campus of Botucatu, Department of Production and Animal Exploration - FMVZUNESP, Campus of Araçatuba, Department of Support, Production and Animal Health - Biology - FOAUNESP, Center for the Study of Venoms and Venomous Animals - CEVAPUNESP, Campus of Botucatu, Department of Chemistry - I

IN VITRO ACTIVITY OF PROPOLIS AGAINST BACTERIAL ANDYEAST PATHOGENS ISOLATED FROM HUMAN INFECTIONS

The in vitro activity of propolis against 118 Staphylococcus aureus, 108 Escherichia coli, 60 Salmonella typhimurium, 50 Candida albicans, 23 Candida parapsilosis, 19 Candida tropicalis and 14 Candida guilliermondii isolated from human infections was studied by the agar dilution method. Among the bacteria, the Gram-negative were the least susceptible organisms showing minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for 90% of the strains tested ranging from 22.5 mg/ml - 10,2% V/V to 23.1 mg/ml - 10.5% V/V. The MIC's for Candida ranged from 0.80 mg/ml to > 11 mg/ml (0.40% V/V to > 5.0% V/V), the strains of C. parapsilosis being the least susceptible. The relative order of susceptibility among all isolates, was: S.aureus > C. tropicalis > C. albicans > C. guilliermondii > C. parapsilosis > S. typhimurium > E. coli.UNESP, Department of Microbiology and Immunology of the Institute of Biosciences of BotucatuUNESP, Center for the Study of Venoms and Venomous Animals - CEVAPUNESP, Department of Production and Animal Exploration of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry of BotucatuUNESP, Department of Microbiology and Immunology of the Institute of Biosciences of BotucatuUNESP, Center for the Study of Venoms and Venomous Animals - CEVAPUNESP, Department of Production and Animal Exploration of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry of Botucat

Immunomodulatory action of propolis on macrophage activation

Propolis has been the subject of several recent studies, with the aim of elucidating its biological and pharmacological properties. Propolis has a well-known antimicrobial activity as well as antioxidant, antitumoral, antiinflammatory, and regenerative properties, but literature about its effects on the immune response is scarce. The goal of this work was to evaluate the propolis effect on macrophage activation by oxygen (H2O2) and nitrogen (NO) metabolite determination. Propolis was produced by africanized honeybees and hydroalcoholic solutions were prepared at different concentrations. Peritoneal macrophages were obtained from male BALB/c mice and culture cells were stimulated in vitro with propolis or interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). In the in vivo assay, the animals were sacrificed after propolis treatment and cells were stimulated with IFN-gamma. We also investigated the co-stimulant action of propolis associated with IFN-gamma on macrophages. The results show that propolis induces a discreet elevation in H2O2 release and a mild inhibition of NO generation, depending on concentration. Propolis had no co-stimulant activity, diminishing IFN-gamma action on H2O2 and NO production. Data suggest that propolis acts on host non-specific immunity by macrophage activation.Universidade Estadual Paulista, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry - FMVZUniversidade Estadual Paulista, Institute of BiosciencesBulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Organic ChemistryUniversidade Estadual Paulista, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry - FMVZUniversidade Estadual Paulista, Institute of Bioscience

An\ue1lise de caracteres morfol\uf3gicos e comportamentais em abelhas africanizadas, caucasianas e em descendentes dos seus cruzamentos

<abstract language="eng">Twetve external morphological traits and seven traits of food-gathering behavior were studied in africanized and caucasian (A. m. caucasica), bees. Discriminant analysis showed that neither the length of the fourth segment of the abdomen, nor bee weight can be considered as the traits with the highest discriminatory power between africanized and caucasian bees, with any in-bred bees. In the case of in-bred bees the discriminam traits had a lower interorbital width and time to reach the feeder. Multivariate comparisons between the data of in-bred colonies and twenty hibrid colonies, suggest dominance of the genes group of the africanized subspecies