Abstract
The honeys from stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) are recognized for their medicinal properties. They are commonly used by many indigenous groups around the world. However, in Peru stingless beekeeping is practiced in an artisanal way and the honeys remain products whose qualities are still little studied. The objective of this work was to analyze physicochemical characteristics and microbiological quality of honeys produced by Scaptotrigona polysticta Moure, Melipona illota Cockerell and Tetragonisca angustula Latreille in apiaries of department of San Martin, Peru. In June and November 2019, 30 honey samples were collected from 24 colonies housed in two apiaries in the towns of Tarapoto and Chasuta. Significant differences (p 10 CFU / mL) according Peruvian sanitary norm № 071-Minsa/Digesa-V.01, in 30 and 50% of the samples of S. polysticta and T. angustula, respectively. These results contribute to the knowledge of the stingless bee honeys of Peru providing important references for the quality standard setting process and the advancement of stingless beekeeping.
Highlights
Meliponini (Hymenoptera: Apidae), commonly called stingless bees, are important pollinators that inhabit the tropical and subtropical areas of the world (Yáñez-Ordóñez et al, 2008)
Honey samples from S. polysticta, M. illota and T. angustula were free of bacterial contamination; but 30% and 50% of the samples of S. polysticta and T. angustula, respectively, exceeded the maximum threshold allowed by the Peruvian sanitary standard for molds and yeasts (Table 5)
The S. polysticta honeys showed a strong variation of color: from light amber to dark yellow, while
Summary
Meliponini (Hymenoptera: Apidae), commonly called stingless bees, are important pollinators that inhabit the tropical and subtropical areas of the world (Yáñez-Ordóñez et al, 2008). In the Amazon region, these insects would pollinate 38% of all plant species (Kerr et al, 2001). Since the time of the Maya, the Meliponini were managed for production of honey, whose antioxidative (Cauich et al, 2015), antiseptic, antimicrobial, anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties have been proven in several studies (Alvarez-Suárez et al, 2012; Silva et al, 2013). Despite the importance attached to their honeys, little has been done to value the resource (de Oliveira, 2013). The introduction of stingless bee honey to the market is limited by the low knowledge of the characteristics that define the quality, as well as the absence of regulations and technical procedures that define the standards
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
