Development of a Bee Feeding Procedure to Support Bee Health Protection

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of inulin (a commercial prebiotic) on the gut microbiota of the honeybee (Apis mellifera carnica pannonica). Some colonies of equal strength were fed with sugar syrup or inulin supplemented syrup at different dosages. Bee samples were collected at the beginning of the experiment and then every two weeks until the end of the study. The intestinal tracts of five bees per treatment were isolated, homogenised, diluted and the amount of living microbes (mainly the probiotic microbes) were determined by using differential and semi selective agar plates. Four different experiments were carried out in 2018 and 2019 and we found that the inulin has no detectable effect on the composition of gut microbiome by culture based methods in the case of LAB (lactic acid bacteria), Bifidobacterium spp, Snodgrassella, Gilliamella and Frischella sp

Development of a novel electrochemical method for the detection of invertase enzyme in honey samples

Invertase (α-glucosidase) is one of the most important honey enzymes; it hydrolyses sucrose into fructose and glucose during honey ripening process. Next to the basic honey ingredients (glucose, fructose, water), invertase activity is one of the main characterising parameter of honey: it can be used as indicator of aging and/or overheating, but it also may give information about adulteration. Our aim was to develop a novel analytical method for the fast determination of invertase activity that can be used during quality control of honey samples. Our assay based on the application of an artificial substrate, namely p-nitrophenyl-α-D-glucopyranoside. p-Nitrophenol produced by the enzyme reaction is detected by amperometric method which is much more sensitive than the traditional spectrophotometric determination. Screen-printed carbon electrodes and a potentiostat were used for amperometric measurement. Our measuring system worked in flow injection system. The measuring parameters (polarization potential, pH etc.) were optimized. The applicability of the method was tested for detection of α-glucosidase enzyme activity

Development of a Bee Feeding Procedure to Support Bee Health Protection

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of inulin (a commercial prebiotic) on the gut microbiota of the honeybee (Apis mellifera carnica pannonica). Some colonies of equal strength were fed with sugar syrup or inulin supplemented syrup at different dosages. Bee samples were collected at the beginning of the experiment and then every two weeks until the end of the study. The intestinal tracts of five bees per treatment were isolated, homogenised, diluted and the amount of living microbes (mainly the probiotic microbes) were determined by using differential and semi selective agar plates. Four different experiments were carried out in 2018 and 2019 and we found that the inulin has no detectable effect on the composition of gut microbiome by culture based methods in the case of LAB (lactic acid bacteria), Bifidobacterium spp, Snodgrassella, Gilliamella and Frischella sp

Development of a novel electrochemical method for the detection of invertase enzyme in honey samples

Invertase (α-glucosidase) is one of the most important honey enzymes; it hydrolyses sucrose into fructose and glucose during honey ripening process. Next to the basic honey ingredients (glucose, fructose, water), invertase activity is one of the main characterising parameter of honey: it can be used as indicator of aging and/or overheating, but it also may give information about adulteration.   Our aim was to develop a novel analytical method for the fast determination of invertase activity that can be used during quality control of honey samples. Our assay based on the application of an artificial substrate, namely p-nitrophenyl-α-D-glucopyranoside. p-Nitrophenol produced by the enzyme reaction is detected by amperometric method which is much more sensitive than the traditional spectrophotometric determination.  Screen-printed carbon electrodes and a potentiostat were used for amperometric measurement. Our measuring system worked in flow injection system. The measuring parameters (polarization potential, pH etc.) were optimized. The applicability of the method was tested for detection of α-glucosidase enzyme activity

Extraction and Identification of Major Polyphenol Constituents of Northern Hungarian Horsemint (Mentha Longifolia L. (L.))

(Mentha longifolia (L.) L.) is a less studied species from the viewpoint of its nonvolatile constituents and this work is the first phytochemical screening of it in Hungary. The aim of the experiments is to elaborate an efficient extraction method of its polyphenolic antioxidants. Thirty-six accessions were sampled. Soxhlet and an ultrasonic extraction were applied, both with methanol (MeOH) and ethanol:water 7:3 (WA). The analysis of the extracts was carried out by HPLCDAD method. Rosmarinic acid, hesperidin, diosmin and cynaroside were observed to be common constituents of all samples. Other major constituents were observed in all of the chromatograms at ca. tR=13.5 min. and tR=19.7 min (unknown A and B). Their identification needs further examination. Regarding antioxidant activity, WA extraction was more efficient than MeOH Soxhlet extraction