PRODUCTION OF POLLEN CANS BY FERMENTATION OF BEE POLLEN IN MODEL CONDITIONS WITH REGARD TO FILAMENTOUS MICROMYCETES OCCURRENCE

Abstract

Pollen is produced by flowering plants and gathered by bees and it is rich in nutrients and important phytochemicals. Bee collected pollen is used in human nutrition, but the digestibility is limited. The possible solution is the production of fermented pollen cans according to the pattern of bee bread production by bees. The study was devoted to the testing of 3 variants of pollen cans production, from the point of view of filamentous microscopic fungi (FMF) occurrence. Totally 3 types of bee pollen and 3 types of honeys of Slovak origin, water and yoghurt as a starter (in one variant) were used for the production of pollen cans. Raw materials and fermented pollen cans were subjected to mycological analyzes (plate dilution method). Samples of honey and yoghurt were free of FMF. Pollen represents the main potential source of pollen cans contamination. The average count of FMF in pollens was 4.70 log CFU.g-1. The highest number of fungi was found in the late spring bee pollen and Cladosporium spp. occurred with the highest relative density. The counts of FMF were reduced by fermentation and botanical origin of pollen had the greatest impact on their expansion. The greatest diversity of genera was recorded in bee pollen samples, subsequently in pollen cans has declined and after total fermentation was the lowest. Aspergillus spp. were isolated at a low frequency, Alternaria spp. appeared mainly in cans of late spring bee pollen, the highest counts of Penicillium spp. were recorded in cans of early spring bee pollen, in variant with added yoghurt.