Development of a Quantitative Descriptive Sensory Honey Analysis: Application to Eucalyptus and Clover Honeys

Abstract: Sensory analysis of bee honey is an important tool for determining its floral origin, for subsequent quality control practices and which ultimately will determine consumer preferences towards this product. A procedure for the selection, training and monitoring of assessors was applied. Unifloraleucalyptus and clover honeys produced in Argentine were assessed using descriptive quantitative analysis. The sensory profiles differentiated clover honey (light, fruity and floral flavor with low intensity) from eucalyptus honey (more intense flavors, vegetable notes, aromatic, warm, small crystals with a high tendency to quick crystallization in mass). The analysis by principal components showed higher intensities of sweetness and smell for eucalyptus honeys and graininess for clover honeys. These appropriate indicators of quality provide a differentiating tool to increase the added value of these honeys

PHYSICO CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PROPOLIS COLLECTED IN

ABSTRACT Propolis is a very valuable bee product due to its antioxidant, bacteriostatic, antifungal and therapeutical properties which are related to the content of The propolis differed mainly in the presence of phenolic compounds being significantly largest in pampeana area propolis samples where the plant species are in the families mirthaceas and salicaceas

Assessing chemical mechanisms underlying the effects of sunflower pollen on a gut pathogen in bumble bees

Many pollinator species are declining due to a variety of interacting stressors including pathogens, sparking interest in understanding factors that could mitigate these outcomes. Diet can affect host-pathogen interactions by changing nutritional reserves or providing bioactive secondary chemicals. Recent work found that sunflower pollen (Helianthus annuus) dramatically reduced cell counts of the gut pathogen Crithidia bombi in bumble bee workers (Bombus impatiens), but the mechanism underlying this effect is unknown. Here we analyzed methanolic extracts of sunflower pollen by LC-MS and identified triscoumaroyl spermidines as the major secondary metabolite components, along with a flavonoid quercetin-3-O-hexoside and a quercetin-3-O-(6-O-malonyl)-hexoside. We then tested the effect of triscoumaroyl spermidine and rutin (as a proxy for quercetin glycosides) on Crithidia infection in B. impatiens, compared to buckwheat pollen (Fagopyrum esculentum) as a negative control and sunflower pollen as a positive control. In addition, we tested the effect of nine fatty acids from sunflower pollen individually and in combination using similar methods. Although sunflower pollen consistently reduced Crithidia relative to control pollen, none of the compounds we tested had significant effects. In addition, diet treatments did not affect mortality, or sucrose or pollen consumption. Thus, the mechanisms underlying the medicinal effect of sunflower are still unknown; future work could use bioactivity-guided fractionation to more efficiently target compounds of interest, and explore non-chemical mechanisms. Ultimately, identifying the mechanism underlying the effect of sunflower pollen on pathogens will open up new avenues for managing bee health