Beehive Products Research Articles

Sensory and antioxidant properties of mead with added beehive products

Sensory and antioxidant properties of mead with added beehive products

Microplastic contamination in the agri-food chain: The case of honeybees and beehive products

Microplastics, MPs, plastic fragments with a dimension lower than 5 mm, and microfibers, MFs, synthetic and natural/artificial fibrous fragments with a diameter lower than 50 μm, are ubiquitous pollutants identified in different environmental compartments. In this work the occurrence of MPs and MFs on honeybees, Apis mellifera, and beehive products was evaluated, using Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy, confirming that MPs and MFs are widely present as air contaminants in all the apiary's areas (high and low urbanized areas) in Southern Italy.Results indicated that independently from the site, both honeybees and honey samples, are contaminated by MFs with non-natural color. The majority of MFs were of natural origin followed by artificial MFs and synthetic MFs. Moreover, the chemical composition of MFs isolated from honeybees reflect that used in synthetic fabrics, leading to the hypothesis that they are released from textile to air where are captured by bees. Results highlight that MFs represent a class of ubiquitous airborne anthropogenic pollutants. The identification of polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE, MPs in honeybees confirm the recent findings that PTFE MPs are diffuse soil and air contaminants while the identification of polyethylene, PE, based MPs in honey samples, from low density urban sites, could be correlated to the large use of PE in agriculture. In the honey samples, also polycaprolactone, PCL, MPs were identified, mainly in high density urban sites, confirming that biodegradable materials could be further pollutants in the environments. The results indicate that honeybees are contaminated by MPs and MFs during their flights or picking up from the hive components, flowers, from other nest mates, from the clothes of the beekeeper, among others and some of them could be transferred to honey samples that could be also affected by soil contamination.

Effects of ground transport on the presence of heavy metals in selected honeybee products.

Honeybees are insects very sensitive to environmental pollution and at the same time very good indicators of the pollution levels for certain types of pollutants. The morphology and ethology of these insects make them perfect vectors for dust and substances, including heavy metals produced by anthropic activities or naturally generated and deposited on foraged flora. When bees are raised to produce foods such as honey and pollen, they can easily transfer pollutants collected from contaminated flower affecting the quality of these products. However, depending on geographical location of the apiaries and their distance from pollution sources, the risk to contaminate bee products can be higher or lower requiring deep investigations. In this study, two apiaries were built near ground transport infrastructures and used as monitoring stations for investigating heavy metal presence in beehive products such as bee wax, pollen, and honey. Another apiary was placed between these two locations at a distance of 500 m from each one and used as central node to asses possible diffusion trends. Parallel, air quality was monitored in the proximity of each apiary to verify the air pollution of the environments close to these sites. The results of the study suggest that the presence of the highway and the train station affected the levels of heavy metal presence in the apiary products. Air quality near apiaries was also negatively affected by ground transport, especially in proximity of the highway. Wax resulted significantly more polluted in the apiary close to train station with elements such as Al, Zn, and Ni, while honey and pollen were significantly more polluted in the proximity of the highway with elements such as Al, Fe, Cu, and Zn. Honey was the product suffering less the contamination by heavy metals while pollen was the worse. In conclusion, the presence of transportation nodes determined a higher accumulation of heavy metals in beehive products respect the apiary placed in between, suggesting to pay particular attention in the site selection for the placement of apiaries to protect both bees and human health.

Phytochemical potential and GC–MS analysis of propolis from Punjab region of India

Propolis is a beehive product produced from honeybees by mixing β-glycosidase enzyme and beeswax with exudate collected from plant resins. The main goal of this study was to investigate the phytochemical potential and GC–MS profiling of the main constituents of propolis. The antioxidant activity was assessed by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay, total phenolic content and total flavonoid content were analysed by Folin-Ciocalteu reagent method and aluminium chloride method respectively. Methanolic extract exhibited highest antioxidant activities, ethanolic extract had the highest total phenolic content, and maximum amount of flavonoid was observed in the chloroform extract. GC–MS analysis revealed the presence of flavonoids, fatty acids and phenolic compounds. Results revealed that propolis from Derra Bassi can be used as natural antioxidant, also extracting solvents had a significant impact on the phytochemical activities and with its standardisation can be used for prevention of diseases related with free radicals.

Seasonal screening of pesticide residues in beehive products collected from different districts in Egypt

Pesticides are of immense importance in agriculture, but they might contaminate bees’ products. In this study, samples of honey, pollen, and beeswax were collected, seasonally, from apiaries in Toshka (Aswan), El-Noubariya (El-Beheira), and Ismailia (Ismailia) cities in Egypt. The pesticide residues were analyzed using the GC-MS after being extracted and cleaned using the QuEChERS method. Results showed that samples from El-Noubariya had great content of residues followed by Ismailia, and finally Toshka. Samples collected during fall and winter had the highest pesticide residue contents. Specifically, the phenylconazole fungicide group was repeatedly detected in all the examined samples along with organophosphate insecticides. Beeswax samples had the greatest amounts of pesticide residues followed by pollen and then honey samples. Chlorpyrifos (0.07–39.16 ng/g) and profenofos (1.94–17.00 ng/g) were detected in honey samples and their products. Pyriproxyfen (57.12 ng/g) and chlorpyrifos-methyl (39.16 ng/g) were detected in great amounts in beeswax samples from Ismailia and El-Noubariya, respectively. Yet, according to health hazard and quotient studies, the amounts of pesticides detected in honey do not pose any health threats to humans.

Preliminary data on glyphosate, glufosinate, and metabolite contamination in Italian honey samples.

Glyphosate and glufosinate are among the most widely used pesticides in agriculture worldwide. Their extensive use leads to the presence of their residues on crops and in the surrounding environment. Beehives, bees, and apiculture products can represent potential sources for the accumulation of these substances and their metabolites, and the consequences for bee health, as well as the level of risk to human health from consuming contaminated food, are still unclear. Furthermore, information on the contamination levels of honey and other beehive products by these compounds remains poorly documented. This study is part of a broader research effort aimed at developing specific analytical methods for monitoring the level of these contaminants in bee products. The methodology employed enabled the acquisition of preliminary information concerning the levels of glyphosate and glufosinate contamination in honey samples obtained from various retailers in Italy to assess compliance with the limits established by Regulation 293/2013. The liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analysis of the 30 honey samples revealed quantifiable levels of glyphosate in eight samples, with contamination ranging from 5.4 to 138.5 ng/g. Notably, one sample of the wild-flower type showed residue levels nearly three times the maximum residue limit. Additionally, trace levels of glyphosate contamination were detected in another ten samples. It is noteworthy that glufosinate and its metabolites were not detected in any of the analyzed samples within the established method's detection ranges.

Analysis of suspected adverse reactions to food supplements containing beehive products: an update from the Italian Phytovigilance System.

Beehive products are widely used in food supplements; however, their composition variability and allergenic components have raised some concerns. This work aims to provide information about the beehive products safety profile by evaluating the suspected adverse reactions (ARs). The suspected report of ARs collected within the Italian Phytovigilance System (IPS) were evaluated. The clinical and demographic characteristics of the cases were described, and the causality assessment performed. 61 reports were analysed, mainly concerned women. Serious events were reported in 17 forms (28%). The ARs (n=116) referred to respiratory (25.0%), skin (24.1%), and gastrointestinal disorders (21.5%). Label warnings for atopic subjects were present only in 7 food supplements. The causality assessment was mostly probable (54.1%). Present findings outline relevant information about the safety issues of beehive product consumption, especially in atopic or allergic subjects, and strengthen the importance of IPS to point out safety signals.

Economically Important Products of Beekeeping Industry and Farmers` Awareness about Beehive Products in Shimla Hills of Himachal Pradesh, India

Insect pollinators are responsible for pollination of most the fruit crops and they are performing it well. Pollinator mediated cross-pollination is needed for better production of fruit crops. Many insects such as honey bees, bumble bees, wasps, hover flies, butterflies and beetles are important pollinators but honey bees are the most significant and efficient pollinators of fruit crops. Honey bees are economically very important because they not only help in pollination but provide other valuable products like honey, beeswax, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom and pollen.
 A survey was conducted to know the farmers` awareness about beehive products in Shimla hills of Himachal Pradesh. It was found that the farmers had knowledge about different insect pollinators visiting various fruit crops. They were practicing beekeeping not only for managed crop pollination but for producing honey also. Only 67% of them were getting extra income by extracting honey from bee colonies. There was very little awareness among the farmers about other beehive products like beeswax, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom and pollens as well as regarding their use as industries, food, medicine, cosmetics and apitherapy. The climate and the conditions of Himachal Pradesh are not favourable for beekeeping. The lack of experts, financial support, labour, transport, honey market, knowledge of diseases and occurrence of winter snow fall at higher altitudes were demoralizing the farmers to make beekeeping as whole time profession. The renovation in all aspects of apiculture and application of improved beekeeping technologies will not only benefit beekeepers but also farmers and general public in pollinating their crops, gaining extra income and maintaining biodiversity.

Occurrence of Glyphosate and Other Polar Pesticides in Honey from Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna Regions in Italy: Three-Year Monitoring Results.

Intensive agricultural practices, such as pesticides use, may negatively affect bee health and hive products. Glyphosate is one of the most widely used polar pesticides applied in crops for weed control. In this study, honey samples, collected from beekeeping farms located in the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions in Italy in the framework of regional monitoring plans activated from 2020 to 2022, were analyzed for the presence of residues of polar pesticides. The analytical method based on ion chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry was applied to quantify glyphosate, glufosinate, ethephon, fosetyl aluminum, and their related metabolites. Residues of glyphosate were detected in around 28% of analyzed honey samples. Observations on the distribution of the honey-production-site locations suggest that honey samples originating from the provinces within the Lombardy region, where the agricultural sector is highly developed, were more affected by glyphosate contamination than the samples collected from the areas with low agricultural activity, where no glyphosate residues were detected over the three years of the monitoring program.

High hydrostatic pressure effect on the concentration of selected pesticides residues in spiked honey samples

The use of pesticides and especially acaricides, to control Varroa mite populations poses risks for consumers of beehive products such as honey. Treatments, such as heating and ultrasound, only partially reduce the acaricide residues. This study aims to investigate the effect of High Hydrostatic Pressure (HHP) on malathion, coumaphos, bromopropylate, tau-fluvalinate, and chlorpyrifos residues in spiked honey samples. Different pressures (150, 400 & 580 MPa), processing time (1, 3, 6 & 12 min), and temperatures (4, 25 & 35οC) were tested. The oxygen present in the packaging was tested for its effect on the efficiency of the treatment. Qualitative and quantitative determination of residues were performed with gas chromatography (GC - μECD). The reduction ascertained was 30.6%, 28.6%, 21%, 15.7%, and 10.6% for malathion, chlorpyrifos, coumaphos, bromopropylate and tau-fluvalinate, respectively. Processing did not significantly affect honey quality, while an enhancement of antioxidative properties was recorded.

Elucidating the Role of Honey Bees as Biomonitors in Environmental Health Research.

Recently, the One Health concept, which recognizes the interconnectedness of environmental, animal, and human health, has gained popularity. To collect data on environmental pollutants potentially harmful to human health over time, researchers often turn to natural organisms known as biomonitors. Honey bees, in particular, prove to be exceptionally valuable biomonitors due to their capacity to accumulate pollutants from the air, soil, and water within a specific radius during their foraging trips. This systematic literature review summarizes the previous application of the bee species Apis mellifera in pollutant monitoring in articles published during the period of 2010-2020. Nineteen studies were included in this systematic literature review. Of these studies, the majority (n = 15) focused on the detection of heavy metals in honey bees and beehive products, while 4 studies focused on air pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or particulate matter. The matrix most often applied was the whole honey bee. The included studies demonstrated that honey bees and hive products deliver quantitative and qualitative information about specific pollutants. In this regard, the whole honey bee was found to be the most reliable biomonitor. We found that the included studies differed in design and the methods used. Standardized studies could foster a more consistent interpretation of the levels detected in beehive matrices from an environmental health perspective.

Microbial Diversity in Bee Species and Bee Products: Pseudomonads Contribution to Bee Well-Being and the Biological Activity Exerted by Honey Bee Products: A Narrative Review

Bees are important pollinators worldwide, promoting sustainability in agriculture and natural ecosystems. Moreover, honey bees produce a variety of honey bee products (beehive products). Honey is the main edible bee product. The consumption of pollen, bee bread, royal jelly, and propolis is becoming more popular nowadays. All these products are characterized by high nutritional value and/or bioactivity. A high microbial diversity has been reported in bees and beehive products, forming distinct microbial communities. The honey bee gut microbiome actively promotes good health and nutrient availability for the host. Furthermore, it prevents food spoilage and contributes to the maintenance of good hygiene conditions in the hive. Pseudomonads are often reported in investigations on bee and bee product microbiomes. Diverse Pseudomonas species demonstrate high metabolic adaptability, producing a wide range of bioactive enzymes and secondary metabolites. Several studies have provided evidence that Pseudomonads might play a role in bee well-being and the bioactivity exerted by honey bee products, though further research is warranted to fully understand the effects and mechanisms. The aim of this narrative review is to highlight the importance of Pseudomonads in the context of up-to-date knowledge regarding the bee and bee product microbiomes.

Contamination of Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) Royal Jelly by Pesticides and Sample Preparation Methods for Its Determination: A Critical Appraisal.

Pesticides can easily enter the food chain, harming bee populations and ecosystems. Exposure of beehive products to various contaminants has been identified as one of the factors contributing to the decline in bee populations, and multiple food alerts have been reported. Despite this fact, royal jelly, a valuable bee product with nutritional and functional properties, has received less attention in this context. Pesticide residues of different chemical class can contaminate royal jelly when foraging bees collect pollen or nectar from pesticide-treated flowers, or in some cases, due to its frequent and inappropriate use in the treatment of mites in beehives. To monitor this issue and also make it more reliable, it is crucial to develop effective sample preparation methods for extracting pesticides from royal jelly for subsequent analysis. In this context, this review provides information about sample preparation methods (solid-phase extraction, solvent extraction, and QuEChERS-quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) and analytical methods that have been validated or improved to extract and analyze pesticides, respectively, in royal jelly samples of different origins. Finally, future perspectives are discussed. With this background, we aim to provide data that can guide future research related to this topic.

Determination of highly polar anionic pesticides in beehive products by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry.

The analysis of highly polar pesticides is challenging due to their unique physicochemical properties, requiring specialized chromatographic techniques for their accurate and sensitive detection. Furthermore, the high level of co-extracted polar matrix components that can co-elute with the analytes can interfere with the analysis. Consequently, there is lack of pesticide monitoring data, as the European Food Safety Authority has pointed out. This article explores the overcoming of such difficulties in the analysis of these compounds. Analytical methodologies for the extraction, clean-up, and direct determination of 11 highly polar anionic pesticides, including glyphosate, glufosinate, ethephon, fosetyl-aluminium, and their related metabolites in complex food matrices such as honey and pollen by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry were successfully developed and validated. Solid-phase extraction and micro-solid-phase extraction employing strong anion exchange (SAX) cartridges were implemented for clean-up. The automation and miniaturization of SAX clean-up for these compounds were achieved for the first time. For method validation, SANTE/11312/2021 guideline was followed. Recoveries were between 70 and 120%, with RSDs below 20%. Limits of quantitation ranged from 0.005 to 0.020 mg kg-1. Linearity was evaluated from 0.002 to 0.200 mg kg-1. Matrix effects were assessed, showing medium to low signal suppression for most compounds. AMPA and glufosinate presented the highest signal suppression, but it was reduced after SAX clean-up. Analysis of real honey and pollen samples revealed the occurrence of the studied compounds in beehive products and showed the applicability of the validated methodologies for routine control of these complex samples.

Applications of Beehive Products for Wound Repair and Skin Care

There is a long and interesting history between honeybees and humans. From the beginning, honey has been utilized not only as a sweetener, but also as an ointment and a drug to treat several diseases. Until the discovery of antibiotics, honey was a very popular product used to protect and preserve skin and promote wound healing, to counteract gastrointestinal pains and disorders of the oral cavity, and for other diseases. After the development of antibiotic resistance, honey again gained interest for its use in wound management. Subsequently, more recently, in vitro and in vivo studies have displayed antimicrobial, antioxidant, and other effects of honey and honeybee products, as well as protection of cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, and gastrointestinal systems. Moreover, recent studies have demonstrated that beehive products are also able to influence the phenotype of skin cells, such as keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells, involved in correct wound healing. This review will characterize the great potential of honeybee products in the field of health and skin care, considering that honey is a virtually inexhaustible natural resource which people, as bees have been domesticated over the centuries, can freely access.

Phenolics from Chilean Bee Bread Exhibit Antioxidant and Antibacterial Properties: The First Prospective Study.

Bee bread (BB) is a beehive product generated upon fermentation of pollen combined with flower nectar and glandular secretions. The potential application of BB is related to its nutritional and functional components, including phenolic compounds. This is the first prospective study on palynological parameters, phenolics, antioxidant, and antibacterial activity of Chilean bee bread in vitro. The tested material exhibited high levels of phenolics (1340±186 mg GAE/100 g BB) and showed antioxidant capacity as determined by the FRAP (51±2 μmol Trolox equivalent/g BB) and ORAC-FL (643±64 μmol Trolox equivalent/g BB) and antibacterial activity against Streptococcus pyogenes. Furthermore, the phenolic acids and flavonoids was determined using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the concentration was determined using liquid chromatography with diode array detection. Kaempferol, quercetin, ferulic acid, and rutin were the main phenolics found. This study demonstrates the bioactive potential of Chilean BB and supports the evidence that this bee product is a promising source of antioxidants and antimicrobial compounds.

The use of honey as a green solvent in the extraction of raw propolis

Propolis is a resinous natural mixture taken by scraping beehives. It is used as a food supplement due to its high biological active properties. After extracting crude propolis with various solvents, it is used as propolis extracts. The best propolis extraction is 70% ethanol, ecological solvents are preferred because of some side effects of alcohol. Recently, deep eutectic solvents and ecological solvents have attracted interest in the extraction of propolis. In this study, the solubility of raw propolis in honey was investigated. The results were evaluated as total phenolic content and total antioxidant activity. In the study carried out with water: honey solvents in different ratios, it was determined that the most ideal ratio was 1:20. As a result, the production of such solvents from beehive products further encourages diversification of bee products and the discovery of new applications using environmentally friendly solutions.

Physico-Chemical Properties of Brazilian Eastern Amazon Honey Assessed by Multivariate Principal Components Analysis

Honey from the Apis mellifera bee (Hymenoptera, Apidae) is one of the most consumed beehive products in the world, mainly due to its nutritional and therapeutic value. In poorer regions, its commercialization can be an essential source of income for families and communities. However, the quality of honey can change both during harvesting and processing, as well as by climatic conditionsand the type of vegetation. Therefore, implementing good production practices, with quality control in collection and processing, can add value to this product, promoting the development of the region in which it is produced. Thus, the objectives of this work were to characterize the honey of Africanized honeybees produced in the Eastern Amazon region in the cities of Nova Olinda do Maranhão(NO), Santa Luzia do Paruá (SL) and verify its correlation with a commercial honey sample (CH) – from São Luiz-MA. The physicochemical properties (color, moisture, solids insoluble in water, minerals, and ash, hydroxymethylfurfural, acidity, anddiastatic activity) were analyzed according to the methods of CODEX Alimentarius and the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, and these data were evaluated by the Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results showed that commercial honey presented higher levels of insoluble solids, HMF, minerals, and ash than samples from NO and SL. Variables that differentiated NO and SL honey were HMF, moisture, and diastase index. Although the samples have different characteristics, the data comply with Brazilian legislation, which can strengthen the development of apiculture in the region.

Pesticide residues in bee bread, propolis, beeswax and royal jelly - A review of the literature and dietary risk assessment.

Due to pollinator decline observed worldwide, many studies have been conducted on the pesticide residue content of apicultural products including bee bread, propolis, beeswax and royal jelly. These products are consumed for their nutraceutical properties, although, little information is available on the human health risk posed by pesticides present in them. In our research, studies dealing with the pesticide contamination of the above-mentioned hive products are reviewed. Dietary exposures were calculated based on the recommended daily intake values and concentration data reported by scientific studies. Potential acute and chronic health risk of consumers were evaluated by comparing the exposure values with health-based guidance values. Available data indicate that a wide range of pesticide residues, especially acaricides may accumulate in bee bread, propolis and beeswax, up to concentration levels of more thousand μg/kg. Based on our observations, tau-fluvalinate, coumaphos, chlorfenvinphos, chlorpyrifos and amitraz are commonly detected pesticide active substances in beehive products. Our estimates suggest that coumaphos and chlorfenvinphos can accumulate in beeswax to an extent that pose a potential health risk to the consumers of comb honey. However, it appears that pesticide residues do not transfer to royal jelly, presumably due to the filtering activity of nurse bees during secretion.

Essential Oils for a Sustainable Control of Honeybee Varroosis.

The Varroa destructor parasite is the main obstacle to the survival of honey bee colonies. Pest control mainly involves the use of synthetic drugs which, used with the right criteria and in rotation, are able to ensure that infestation levels are kept below the damage threshold. Although these drugs are easy to use and quick to apply, they have numerous disadvantages. Their prolonged use has led to the emergence of pharmacological resistance in treated parasite populations; furthermore, the active ingredients and/or their metabolites accumulate in the beehive products with the possibility of risk for the end consumer. Moreover, the possibility of subacute and chronic toxicity phenomena for adult honeybees and their larval forms must be considered. In this scenario, eco-friendly products derived from plant species have aroused great interest over the years. In recent decades, several studies have been carried out on the acaricidal efficacy of plant essential oils (EOs). Despite the swarming of laboratory and field studies, however, few EO products have come onto the market. Laboratory studies have often yielded different results even for the same plant species. The reason for this discrepancy lies in the various study techniques employed as well as in the variability of the chemical compositions of plants. The purpose of this review is to take stock of the research on the use of EOs to control the V. destructor parasite. It begins with an extensive discussion of the characteristics, properties, and mechanisms of action of EOs, and then examines the laboratory and field tests carried out. Finally, an attempt is made to standardize the results and open up new lines of study in future.