Orally administered lactic-acid bacteria provide protection against cypermethrin in the honey bee, Apis mellifera, and the stingless bee, Scaptotrigona mexicana

Abstract. Ibrahim YS, Rosazan MN, Mamat MII, Anuar ST, Azmi WA. 2025. Detection of microplastics in honey of stingless bee (Heterotrigona itama) and honey bee (Apis mellifera) from Malaysia. Biodiversitas 26: 1271-1278. The demand for stingless bee honey and European bee honey has increased rapidly due to its medicinal benefits. Honey of the Indo-Malaya stingless bee, Heterotrigona itama, and European honey bee, Apis mellifera, are among the most popular bee products that Malaysians commonly consume. It has been reported that the contamination of honey with microplastics (MPs) can occur at various stages of production, from bees collecting the contaminated floral sources to the harvesting and packaging processes. With the emerging plastics pollution in the environment and concerns about potential health risks, this study aims to investigate the presence of MPs in honey samples from stingless bees, H. itama, and honey bees, A. mellifera, from Malaysia. Microplastic particles were extracted from 10 g of honey and characterized under a stereomicroscope to determine their color, size, and type. Polymer types were further identified using FTIR analysis. All honey samples from both species were found to be 100% contaminated with microplastics. H. itama honey contained a higher concentration of microplastics (8.18 ± 2.57 MPs/g) compared to A. mellifera's honey (5.52 ± 1.13 MPs/g). The MPs found in honey from both species were predominantly fibers and fragments, mostly transparent in color, with sizes ranging from 0.7 to 1.8 mm. The findings of this preliminary study are intended to provide an awareness of MPs in honey, especially in the food safety aspect, which needs a better understanding of good practices of beekeeping and processing procedures to minimize the contamination of honey.

The price of stingless bee (Heterotrigona itama) honey is almost twice higher than the one produced by a non-stingless bee (Apis mellifera) due to its limited production and high content of polyphenol and flavonoids compounds. However, in the market, the authentication of stingless bees and non-stingless bees honey becomes difficult due to the similarity in the color of honey and its sugar content. In this research, we propose a simple analytical approach by combining ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) for discrimination between stingless and non-stingless bee honey. Fifty samples of monofloral stingless bee (Heterotrigona itama) honey and non-stingless bee (Apis mellifera) honey from Acacia mangium was used. The samples were diluted with a distilled water at a proportion of 1:30 (volume/volume). The spectral data were acquired in the range of 190-1100 nm using a benchtop UV-Vis spectrometer with fast scanning mode. The HCA was applied for selected preprocessed spectral data in the range of 230-400 nm. The result shows that HCA could be effective to discriminate between stingless and non-stingless bee honey. Shortly, it is expected to realize the simple and quick analytical method to authenticate stingless bee honey based on UV spectroscopy and the HCA method.

Honey is one of the best natural foods produced by bees. In the present study, samples of processed honeybee honey and processed stingless bee honey were analysed. The study aimed to compare their phytochemical, antioxidant and physicochemical properties and also to compare their anticancer potential towards HeLa cells. Honey samples were first analysed for total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and diastase activity in order to determine their phytochemical, antioxidant and quality characteristics, respectively. They were then analysed to investigate anticancer properties in the sample using 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2 -yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Results revealed that honeybee honey had significantly (p<0.0001) higher total phenolic content as compared to stingless bee honey at 635.48(29.68) and 368.11(17.75) mg GAE/kg, respectively. The total flavonoid content of honeybee honey was 45.11(5.44) and that of stingless bee honey was 64.25 (7.54) mg CEQ/kg (p>0.05). The HMF of honeybee honey was 83.4 mg/kg and the diastase activity of stingless bee honey was 5.1 DN. On the other hand, the HMF of stingless bee honey and diastase activity of honeybee honey were undetectable in the current study. The 50% cell inhibition activity (IC50) of honeybee honey was reported at 13.75 mg/mL, while a value for stingless bee honey could not be obtained. In conclusion, processed honeybee honey is better than processed stingless bee honey in terms of phytochemicals, antioxidant and anticancer potential. However, processed stingless bee honey shows better honey quality characteristics based on HMF and diastase activity.

Honey is a widely consumed functional food which has a valued place in traditional medicine. The purpose of this study was to compare the physicochemical properties, sensory evaluation, and glycemic load of honeybee honey and stingless bee honey. Physicochemical parameters include moisture, ash, pH, free acidity, electrical conductivity and sugar content which were determined by following the International Honey Commission methods. Ten subjects were selected for glycemic index study. For oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), about 50 g of pure glucose in 250 mL of water was given to subject while 25 g of pure glucose in 250 ml water as a reference food. The blood glucose response was measured based on the incremental area under curve (IAUC) and compared to that of 25 g of available carbohydrate from glucose. Results indicated that the moisture content (29.5% vs 28.0%), free acidity (84.5 vs 73.5) and total carbohydrate (64.33 vs 50.35) of honeybee honey was significantly (all p<0.05) higher as compared to stingless bee honey, with no significant differences in ash content, pH and electrical conductivity between both honey (p>0.05). Their ash content is closely similar, which might be due to a similar geographical source, namely the Marang area. In terms of sensory evaluation, honeybee honey is more preferred, as the overall scores (5.5 vs 4.8) including colour (4.5 vs 3.5), odour (5.2 vs 4.0) and sweetness (6.0 vs 3.5) were significantly higher than stingless bee honey, even though the aftertaste (5.8 vs 4.8) is also higher. Furthermore, stingless bee honey has lower GI and GL (81.76, 5.27) as compared to honeybee honey (97.86, 6.96), respectively. It is suggested that the serving in term of odd or even numbers might affect the outcomes of the study as honeybee honey represents four spoons vs five spoons of stingless bee honey.

Antioxidant and antibacterial properties of stingless bee (Meliponula spp.) honey from the northern highlands of Tanzania, in comparison with Apis mellifera honey

Effect of surface area of clay pots on physicochemical and microbiological properties of stingless bee (Geniotrigona thoracica) honey

Summary To know basic information about the stingless bee, Trigona minangkabau , and the European honey bee, Apis mellifera , as pollinator of strawberry, we set three greenhouse areas: the honey bee introduced area, the stingless bee introduced area and the control area. Foraging and pollination efficiencies of the two bee species were studied comparatively. During the experimental period (10 days), the stingless bee foraged well and the nest weight did not change, though the honey bee often foraged inefficiently and the nest weight decreased by 2 kg. The average nectar volume of a flower was lower in the honey bee area (0.02 μl) and nearly the same in the other two areas (0.1 μl). We make a numerical model to describe pollination and fertilization process. This model shows that one visit of the honey bee pollinated 11% of achenes and one visit of the stingless bee did 4.7% on average and that 11 visits of the honey bee or 30 visits of the stingless bee are required per flower to attain normal berry (fertilization rate, 87%). In this study, the rate of deformed berries in the stingless bee area (73%) was lower than that of the control area (90%), but higher than that of the honey bee area (51%). From our numerical model, we conclude the stingless bee could pollinate strawberry as well as the honey bee if we introduced 1.8 times of bees used in this experiment.

Since the composition of honey varies with the species of bee as well as flowering and geographical aspects, this study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical and bioactive properties of Apisand stingless bees’honey from the Brazilian Caatinga. Samples of different species of Apis mellifera L.Meliponini (Melipona subnitida, Frieseomellita varia, Melipona mandacaia, Plebeia sp.) and Apis mellifera L.werecollected from honey producersin the state of Rio Grande do Norte. Honey from A. mellifera and stingless bees showed physicochemical differences in some parameters, especially in moisture, free acidity, HMF, water activity, sugars and electric conductivity. There were no differences in color between honeys from A. mellifera and stingless bees. Honeys fromPlebeia sp., F. varia and A. mellifera showed higher antioxidant capacity followed by honeys fromM. mandacaia and M. subnitida. Flavonoids had little influence on the differentiation of antioxidant activities of stingless bees, while the opposite occurred with the phenolic content, where honeys with the highest levels of phenolic also showed higher antioxidant capacity.

Stingless bee (Meliponini) honey has long been considered a high-value functional food, but the perceived therapeutic value has lacked attribution to specific bioactive components. Examination of honey from five different stingless bee species across Neotropical and Indo-Australian regions has enabled for the first time the identification of the unusual disaccharide trehalulose as a major component representing between 13 and 44 g per 100 g of each of these honeys. Trehalulose is an isomer of sucrose with an unusual α-(1 → 1) glucose-fructose glycosidic linkage and known acariogenic and low glycemic index properties. NMR and UPLC-MS/MS analysis unambiguously confirmed the identity of trehalulose isolated from stingless bee honeys sourced across three continents, from Tetragonula carbonaria and Tetragonula hockingsi species in Australia, from Geniotrigona thoracica and Heterotrigona itama in Malaysia and from Tetragonisca angustula in Brazil. The previously unrecognised abundance of trehalulose in stingless bee honeys is concrete evidence that supports some of the reported health attributes of this product. This is the first identification of trehalulose as a major component within a food commodity. This study allows the exploration of the expanded use of stingless bee honey in foods and identifies a bioactive marker for authentication of this honey in associated food standards.

Bee products are renowned for their beneficial properties and nutritional value. This association has been supported by scientific research that delves into their composition and biological activities. Given the increasing interest in natural products and the prevalence of fraudulent practices, understanding the sugar profiles of honeys is of paramount importance. In this review, we explore the sugars found in honey bee honey and stingless bee honey sourced from both floral nectar and honeydew. Additionally, our study provides a comprehensive review of direct and indirect methods of sugar analysis, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Direct and indirect methods for sugar analysis include liquid and gas chromatography, vibrational spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance. These techniques form the foundation for the quality control of honey. High concentrations of trisaccharide and trehalulose have been identified as biomarkers of honeydew honey and stingless bee honey, respectively. In terms of liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and pulsed amperometric detection are cited as the most suitable methods for the quantification of sugars in honey; however, the most widely used detector is the refractive index. Alternative methods such as vibrational spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance, especially the latter, have also proved effective in quantifying sugar in honey.

Efficiency and effectiveness of native bees and honey bees as pollinators of apples in New South Wales orchards

Honey is a sweet substance composed primarily of carbohydrates produced by both sting honey bee and stingless honey bee. Sting bee honey and stingless bee honey shows great value of therapeutic properties. Some researchers reported that stingless bee honey has more antimicrobial activity than sting bee honey. The composition and therapeutic properties of both the types of honey were compared. Stingless bee honey has more unique therapeutic properties. Various studies result on sting bee and stingless bee honeys traditional uses and clinical applications such as antimicrobial, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, anticancer, treatment of eye disorders, wound healing, antidiabetic and fertility disorders were collated in this review article.

Stingless bee honey produced by Heterotrigona itama from different botanical origins was characterised and discriminated. Three types of stingless bee honey collected from acacia, gelam, and starfruit nectars were analyzed and compared with Apis mellifera honey. The results showed that stingless bee honey samples from the three different botanical origins were significantly different in terms of their moisture content, pH, free acidity, total soluble solids, colour characteristics, sugar content, amino acid content and antioxidant properties. Stingless bee honey was significantly different from Apis mellifera honey in terms of physicochemical and antioxidant properties. The amino acid content was further used in the chemometrics analysis to evaluate the role of amino acid in discriminating honey according to botanical origin. Partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) revealed that the stingless bee honey was completely distinguishable from Apis mellifera honey. Notably, a clear distinction between the stingless bee honey types was also observed. The specific amino acids involved in the distinction of honey were cysteine for acacia and gelam, phenylalanine and 3-hydroxyproline for starfruit, and proline for Apis mellifera honey. The results showed that all honey samples were successfully classified based on amino acid content.

Objectives: This project proposes the integration of stingless bee honey (Scaptotrigona mexicana) and Persian lemon bagasse (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) in the formulation of a functional product to promote its commercial use as by-products of food generated in supply chains. supply. Methodology: Seven formulations of Persian lemon bagasse, glucose and stingless bee honey were evaluated for the gummy candy proposal. The study was conducted with consumers in a centralized location setting. The level of liking was measured with a 9-point hedonic scale. Acceptability and purchase intention were measured with a binomial scale. Contribution: it was observed that the samples with the highest acceptance by consumers were those that did not contain Persian lemon bagasse.

There is historical traditional use of stingless bee honey (SBH). However, no information concerning composition and antimicrobial properties of SBHs from Sudan was reported. Thus, the paper was aimed to focus on the components of the nests and honey characteristics of three species of stingless bee. Proximate analysis showed similar composition, except protein and ash were significantly (p > 0.01) different. Meliplebeia beccarii honey contained more protein 5.31% and slightly more ash 1.01% than the other species. Antibacterial activity was determined by cup-plate agar diffusion; Hypotrigona squamuligera and M. beccarii were more active against Staphylococcus aureus. None of the Studied SBHs showed activity against Escherichia coli, Apergillus niger, and Candida albicans. Anti-parasite activity as determined by sub-culture method showed that “almost all” SBHs have similar activities against trophozoites of Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica with statistically significant differences when compared to the untreated control. The amount of honey produced by M. beccarii varied from 100 to 150 ml per nest while honey produced by Hypotrigona ruspolii and H. squamuligera varied from 500 to 1000 ml/colony/year. Results also showed different nest architecture and components (entrance, brood areas, honey pots, and pollen pots) as indication for existence of many taxa of Meliponini in Sudan.