Digestion of protein of two pollen types in China by the honeybee (Apis mellifera L)

Abstract

Different pollens have varying nutritional value for the honeybee. However, the digestion of the protein in the pollen is still not well understood. Here, we investigated this issue using a rectum-testing method. The results indicated that a higher proportion of the protein in camellia pollen is digested compared with the protein in rape pollen. Chemical and histochemical analyses indicated that protein digestion is closely associated with the diet that a worker bee consumes. Our results demonstrate that camellia pollen has a higher nutritive value than rape pollen for honeybees. By influencing midgut development, different bee diets cause discrepancies in digestive and absorptive functions, which are ultimately reflected by differences in protein digestion.