Melipona Subnitida Research Articles

Chemical Characterization and Biological Activities of Jandaíra Stingless Bee Products (Melipona subnitida, Ducke, 1911): A Brief Review.

Melipona subnitida (Ducke, 1911), a species of stingless bee, popularly known as Jandaíra, has a wide distribution in the Brazilian Northeast region, being an important pollinator of the Caatinga biome. This bee produces products such as honey, geopropolis, pollen (saburá) and wax that are traditionally used for therapeutic purposes and some studies report the biological properties, as well as its chemical composition. This review aimed to select, analyze and gather data published in the literature focusing on the chemical profile and bioactivities described for M. subnitida products. Data collection was carried out through the Capes Journal Portal platform, using the following databases: Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. Original articles published in English and Portuguese were included, with no time limitation. The chemical composition of M. subnitida products has been investigated through chromatographic analysis, demonstrating the presence of a variety of phenolic compounds, such as flavonoids and phenylpropanoids, among other classes of secondary metabolites. These products also have several biological activities, including antioxidant, healing, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, antidyslipidemic, antiobesity, antifungal, antibacterial and prebiotic. Among the biological activities reported, the antioxidant activity was the most investigated. These data show that products derived from the stingless bee M. subnitida have promising bioactive compounds. This review provides useful information about the bioactivities and chemical profile of Melipona subnitida bee products, and a direction for future research, which should focus on understanding the mechanisms of action associated with the already elucidated pharmacological activities, as well as the bioactive properties of the main isolate's constituents identified in the chemical composition of these products.

Malícia honey (Mimosa quadrivalvis L.) produced by the jandaíra bee (Melipona subnitida D.) improves anxious-like behaviour and has anti-adiposity effect in cafeteria diet-induced obese rats

This study evaluated the anti-adiposity and anxiolytic effects of malícia honey (MH) on obese rats. A total of 40 male Wistar rats were initially randomized into four groups: healthy (HG); obese (OG); and healthy (HGH) and obese (OGH) both treated with malícia honey by gavage (1000 mg/kg). The rats consumed a control or cafeteria diet for 16 weeks. Body weight, food intake, adiposity index, anxious-like behaviour and concentration of organic acids in the brain, intestine and faeces were analysed. Histological analyses were performed on adipose tissue and brain. MH showed procyanidin B1 and B2, epicatechin, and naringenin as the main polyphenols. The OGH had lower caloric intake (18 %), body weight (12 %) and lower adipocyte area compared to the OG. MH increased organic acids in biological materials and prevented the appearance of ischemic neurons. MH had an anti-adiposity effect, protected the nerve tissue and reversed anxious-like behaviour in obesity-induced rats.

PREFERENCE OF JANDAÍRAS BEES FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF WAX AND EXTERNAL FORAGING, IN THE HISTORY OF PARAIBA

The of stingless bees creation is an agricultural activity that has grown in recent years. In the Brazilian Northeast, Melipona subnitida is one of the most important species in the Semiarid region. Among the products, wax is a substance produced by worker bees and is the main material used in the construction of laying discs and food pots. The present work aims to study the preference and non-preference of Jandaíra bees to different types of wax, their internal behaviors and the flight activity of these bees. The experiments were conducted at the Federal Institute of Paraíba, Sousa campus, in October 2023. Four Jandaíra bee colonies were used, kept in boxes, a northeastern model, with a glass inner side, allowing observations inside the boxes. Circular containers containing different types of wax were placed in each box. After 12:00 o’clock the containers containing the least and most preferred waxes were inverted. Bees were counted in each of the containers every thirty minutes. Additionally, the entry and exit of bees were counted (for a period of 10 minutes every 30 minutes). The data were subjected to the Q-square test using the R Core (2003) software. Uruçú beeswax was the most preferred over the others. In the study of flight activity, peaks of bee departures were observed in the late morning and early afternoon. Peaks were observed at 08:20, 11:20 and 15:20. It can be concluded that: Uruçu beeswax was the most preferred among those studied, in the morning and afternoon, followed by Africanized beeswax. During flight activity, peaks in departures and arrivals can be seen, varying depending on the time of day and between boxes.

Antiviral Activity of Flavonoids from Geopropolis of the Brazilian Jandaira Bee against Zika and Dengue Viruses.

Arthropod-borne viruses within the Flaviviridae family such as Zika (ZIKV) and dengue (DENV) are responsible for major outbreaks in tropical countries, and there are no specific treatments against them. Naringenin and 7-O-methyl naringenin are flavonoids that can be extracted from geopropolis, a natural material that the Brazilian Jandaira stingless bee (Melipona subnitida Ducke) produces to protect its nest. Here, these flavonoids were tested against ZIKV and DENV using Vero cells as a cellular model to perform a cytotoxicity assay and to define the effective concentrations of TCID50 as the readout method. The results demonstrated the antiviral activity of the compounds against both viruses upon the treatment of infected cells. The tested flavonoids had antiviral activity comparable with 6-methylmercaptopurine riboside (6-MMPr), used here as a positive control. In addition, to identify the possible action mechanism of the antiviral candidates, we carried out a docking analysis followed by a molecular dynamics simulation to elucidate naringenin and 7-O-methyl naringenin binding sites to each virus. Altogether, these results demonstrate that both flavonoids have potent antiviral effects against both viruses and warrant further in vivo trials.

Antibacterial and Toxic Activity of Geopropolis Extracts from Melipona subnitida (Ducke, 1910) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and Scaptotrigona depilis (Moure, 1942) (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

Bacteria are associated with many infections that affect humans and present antibiotic resistance mechanisms, causing problems in health organisations and increased mortality rates. Therefore, it is necessary to find new antibacterial agents that can be used in the treatment of these microorganisms. Geopropolis is a natural product from stingless bees, formed by a mixture of plant resins, salivary secretions, wax and soil particles, the chemical composition of this natural product is diverse. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate antibacterial activity, antibiotic modulation and the toxicity of geopropolis extracts from the stingless bees, Melipona subnitida (Ducke, 1910) and Scaptotrigona depilis (Moure, 1942) against standard and multi-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. Geopropolis samples were collected in a meliponary located in Camaragibe, Pernambuco, Brazil. To determine the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and antibiotic modulation we performed broth microdilution tests. Mortality tests were used to verify extract toxicity in the model Drosophila melanogaster. The microbiological tests showing that the M. subnitida extracts had better inhibitory effects compared to S. depilis, presenting direct antibacterial activity against standard and multi-resistant strains. The extracts potentialized antibiotic effects, suggesting possible synergy and did not present toxicity in the model used. The information obtained in this study highlights extracts as promising antibacterial agents and is the first study to evaluate bacterial activity in these extracts, in addition to verifying their modulating effects and determining toxicity in the model used.

Composition and hepatoprotective effect of geopropolis of Melipona subnitida

Background: Geopropolis produced by bees of the subfamily Meliponinae (Hymenoptera, Apidae) is used in Brazilian popular medicine for the treatment of different diseases. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the hepatoprotective potential of the hydroethanolic extract from geopropolis (HPE) produced by Melipona subnitida Ducke. Additionally, the chemical composition of HPE and antioxidant activity were also evaluated. Methods: The hepatoprotective potential of HPE was evaluated by serum biochemical profile and macroscopic and histological examination of the liver of 24 Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus), distributed in four experimental groups: G1 (negative control), G2 (HPE), G3 (HPE plus acetaminophen), G4 (acetaminophen - positive control). The HPLC-DADESI-MS/MS method was used to evaluate the chemical composition of HPE and the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method was used to measure the antioxidant activity of geopropolis. Results: While HPE alone (G2) caused no liver injury, the livers of G4 exhibited color and histological alterations, extensive hemorrhagic suffusions, friable consistence, yellowish-white multifocal areas, degeneration and diffuse hepatocyte necrosis, in addition to altered levels of urea and enzymes TGO (glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase) and TGP (glutamic pyruvic transaminase). HPE was shown to exert hepatoprotective effect in G3 animals, only mild hemorrhage and focal areas of vacuolar degeneration and hepatocyte necrosis having been observed. The geopropolis analyzed contains a high diversity of phenolic compounds, including chalcones, flavones and flavonols. high antioxidant activity was determined (IC50=48 μg/mL). Conclusions: The hydroethanolic extract of the geopropolis produced by M. subnitida has a high diversity of phenolic compounds and a high antioxidant activity. It has hepatoprotective action, as evidenced by a reduction in the levels of enzymaraes and the severity of the macroscopic and histological changes in livers of Wistar rats subjected to acetaminophen induced liver changes.

Physicochemical and bioactive properties of Apis and stingless bee (Meliponini) honey from Brazilian Caatinga

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.

CHEMICAL PROFILE AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF GEOPROPOLIS FROM Melipona subnitida COLLECTED INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE NEST

Melipona subnitida (“jandaíra”) is a species of stingless bee endemic to the Caatinga, a dry forest in the northeastern Brazilian semiarid. Propolis is a product containing beeswax and plant resin. It contains compounds that can be able to prevent health problems by protecting cells against damage by oxidative agents. M. subnitida produces geopropolis, a mixture of propolis with soil. Samples of geopropolis of M. subnitida, one of inside and another outside of the nest from a hive in the municipality of Mossoró (northeastern Brazil) were analyzed by HPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS and their antioxidant activity evaluated by the DPPH and β-carotene/linoleic acid methods. Both samples exhibited similar chemical profile, characterized by 26 phenolic compounds, however, the compounds detected were more abundant in sample collected from inside of the nest. They were tentatively characterized as galloyl hexoses, coumaroylO-galloyl-hexoses, cinnamoyl-O-galloyl-hexoses, coumaroyl- and cinnamoyl- galloyl hexoses, phenylpropanoyl-O-benzoyl hexoses, flavanones and ellagitannins. Flavonoids, galloyl hexoses, coumaroyl-O-galloyl-hexosides, cinnamoyl-O-galloyl-hexosides and coumaroyl-cinnamoyl-galloyl hexosides were reported previously in this genus, however ellagitannins and phenylpropanoyl-Obenzoyl hexoses are reported for the first time. Comparing the antioxidant activity of the geopropolis samples from inside and outside of the nest, the latter was higher than the former

Comparison Of Commercial Yeast Strains In Production Of Meads With Africanized Bee’s And Stingless Bee’s Honey

ABSTRACT The aim of this work was to elaborate meads from the honeys of Apis mellifera and Melipona subnitida bees, fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces bayanus strains. The honeys were submitted to physicochemical analyses. The fermentations were carried out at 25°C for four months and the beverages were matured at 10°C for two months. The honeys showed different physicochemical characteristics. The highest DPPH radical inhibition percentages were observed in meads produced with Apis mellifera honey, while the Saccharomyces bayanus yeast was the most suitable for mead production due to the high content of ethanol developed.

Temporal Memory in Foraging of the Stingless Bee Melipona subnitida (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)

Bees feed on nectar and pollen, however these resources are often available to floral visitors during restricted temporal windows. The presence of temporal memory is an advantage, as foragers can save energy by scheduling their flight activity to coincide with peaks of nectar secretion in the flowers or at times of higher sugar concentration in the nectar. Thus, the objectives of this study were (i) to investigate whether Melipona subnitida has temporal memory, and evaluate whether it becomes more accurate over the days, and (ii) to determine whether the behavior of anticipating the offered resource presents intra-individual consistency in the behavior of foragers. The visitation of the bees was high before and during the opening interval of the food resource, but rare after the closing, suggesting that M. subnitida has the ability to memorize the time of availability of the resource, increasing the accuracy over the days, with bees anticipating their visits in relation to the time they discovered the resource, and the opening time of the resource. There was individual consistency in the behavior of food-anticipatory activity, with the presence of bees that consistently anticipated in relation to the opening time of the resource (inspectors) and bees that consistently did not anticipate (reactivated forager) . By anticipating the search for a resource, foragers allow the group to exploit it effectively, as they exploit it in the first hours of its opening, and foragers that never anticipate avoid unnecessary risks of predation and energy expenditure.

Photoprotective activity of geopropolis produced by Melipona subnitida (Apidae, Meliponinae) in the semiarid of the Brazilian Northeast

Although geopropolis has been the subject of many chemical and pharmacological studies, there are few studies investigating the photoprotective activity of formulations containing propolis. Thus, we investigated in vivo the photoprotective efficacy of the cream containing geopropolis extract by macroscopic and histological evaluation of the skin of Wistar rats subjected to ultraviolet radiation (UVB). We also evaluated the chemical composition of hydroethanolic extract using the HPLC-DADESI-MS/MS technique, as well as antioxidant activity by the photocolorimetric method of free radical DPPH (2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazine) and cytotoxic activity by the in vitro MTT quantitative method [brometo de 3- (4.5dimetiltiazol-2-il)-2.5-difeniltetrazolio]. The extract had a varied chemical composition, 29 different phenolic compounds being detected, distributed between phenols and flavonoids, the latter being represented by chalcones, flavones and flavonols. The highest percentages of DPPH inhibition e o baixo valor de IC50 indicaram que o extrato apresentou alta atividade antioxidante. The hydroethanolic extract did not exert cytotoxic effects since high percentages of viability of L929 fibroblasts were observed after incubation for 72 hours at different concentrations of the extract. On skin submitted to cream application containing of geopropolis extract and the irradiation with UVB did not occur macroscopic and histological lesions. Thus, we concluded that the cream containing of geopropolis extract produced by Melipona subnitida was able to protect the skin from lesions induced by UVB irradiation, thus demonstrating photoprotective effect.

Pollen Spectrum of Honey from the Bee Melipona subnitida Ducke (1910) in Restinga in Maranhão State

Abstract The study aimed to analyze the honey of Melipona subnitida to identify the plants visited by these bees in colonies installed in a restinga vegetation in Maranhao state. Honey was collected monthly from July/2017 to June/2018. The honey samples were submitted to the acetolysis method and the pollen grains were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The pollen analysis of honey resulted in 54 pollen types and 26 families. The largest pollen variety was registered in Fabaceae. Quantitative analyzes of pollen grains in honey samples revealed that three were monofloral, in July/2017 with Avicennia germinans honey and December/2017 and January/2018 with Copaifera martii honey. In the other months, the heterofloral honeys. Melipona subnitida proved to be general in food gathering. Knowing the flora used by M. subnita contributes to the meliponiculturists to improve the handling of the colonies, the increase and quality in the production of honey.

Honey pollen spectra of two species of stingless bee (Apidae: Meliponini) in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil

This study aimed to identify the pollen types present in the honey of Melipona fasciculata and Melipona subnitida in a Restinga area (plant communities under a marine influence) and identify pollen grains that belonged to plants with nectar resouces. In total, 56 pollen types were found in the honey samples of the two bee species studied, with a large number of representatives from the Fabaceae and Myrtaceae families. Melipona subnitida honey had higher pollen richness, diversity and evenness than M. fasciculata honey. Many of the pollen types identified in the samples were considered nectarless, but 28 types belonged to plants that produce nectar. The main nectar-producing specie found was Humiria balsamifera, particularly in M. fasciculata honey. Other important sources of nectar were Chrysobalanus icaco, Protium heptaphyllum and Coccoloba. Our results are vital for conservation and management programmes because the maintenance of social bee populations depends upon constant resource collection.

Floral visiting bees of Humiria balsamifera var. floribunda (Humiriaceae) and its pollen transport network, in a restinga environment

ABSTRACT The flowers of Humiria balsamifera var. floribunda were monitored for 1 year in an area of restinga on the Brazilian coast to describe the richness of visiting bees, temporal distribution of visits, and how they transport its pollen in the community. The plant showed continuous flowering and bees were seen foraging nectar throughout the year. A total of 1,231 individuals belonging to 17 bee species were collected. The highest frequencies belonged to social species (Melipona subnitida, Apis mellifera, Melipona fasciculata) and Xylocopa cearensis. In general, bee visits were positively correlated to increased flowering intensity of the plant. The most frequent species increased their visitation frequency throughout the day, which may be related to optimal foraging decisions. Twenty-two pollen types were identified on the bee bodies. Social bees presented the highest loads of monofloral H. balsamifera pollen, which contributed to greater cross pollination success of this plant. The network structure was nested, which demonstrates the plant’s potential to stabilize the pollination system. Thus, as a generalist plant, H. balsamifera helps maintain bees in the restinga, which is currently an environment severely threatened by anthropic actions.

Quality of Apis mellifera honey after being used in the feeding of jandaira stingless bees (Melipona subnitida)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical quality and bioactive compounds of Apis mellifera honey as well as the alterations in the quality of A. mellifera honey after being used in the feeding of Melipona subnitida colonies. A. mellifera honeys were collected in apiaries, homogenised and used as feed for M. subnitida bees for 30 days. Every five days, honey samples were collected and evaluated for physicochemical characteristics and bioactive compounds. The treatments consisted of natural honeys of A. mellifera and M. subnitida and honey of M. subnitida bee after being fed with A. mellifera honey (modified honey). M. subnitida bees, when fed with honey from A. mellifera, modified some of its characteristics, such as moisture, reducing sugars, diastase activity, colour and flavonoid content. Natural and modified honeys of A. mellifera were similar to each other and different from M. subnitida honey in terms of minerals, free acidity, electrical conductivity, phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Treatments were similar in terms of sucrose, insoluble matter, hydroxymethylfurfural and water activity. In general, the quality attributes of the modified honey were closer to the honey of A. mellifera than to the natural M. subnitida honey.

Don’t stay out too long! Thermal tolerance of the stingless bees Melipona subnitida decreases with increasing exposure time to elevated temperatures

In hot climates, foraging bees risk overheating during food collection. Here, we investigated influence of ambient temperature on the foraging activity in Melipona subnitida, a stingless bee species that naturally occurs in the hottest and driest regions of the Brazilian tropical dry forest. We observed a decrease in round-trip duration of pollen foragers with increasing ambient temperature. Foraging duration of nectar collectors, however, was not affected by the thermal conditions of the environment. When exposed to heat stress in incubators, the upper thermal limits of foragers decreased with increasing exposure time. Moreover, individuals with previous access to liquid food showed higher critical and lethal temperatures than unfed bees. Our study revealed plastic changes in the upper thermal limit of M. subnitida, which help to understand the foraging activity pattern of this stingless bee species.

Abelha sem ferrão e seu potencial socioeconômico nos Estados da Paraíba e Rio Grande do Norte

A meliponicultura exerce grande importância na agricultura familiar por ser fonte de renda para pequenos produtores. É uma atividade em expansão em todo território nacional pela vasta diversidade da flora e dos mais variados tipos de climas existentes no Brasil. Esse potencial produzido reflete na geração de renda do produtor e, com isso, se destaca como importante fator de inclusão social. Nos Estados da Paraíba e do Rio Grande do Norte, a criação racional de abelha sem ferrão é praticada de geração a geração, contudo não há registros precisos sobre custos de investimento e manutenção de um meliponário, tampouco sobre custos de produção. Diante do exposto, objetivou-se pesquisar meliponicultores nesses dois Estados do nordeste brasileiro, para avaliar e comparar o potencial socioeconômico da atividade de criação de abelhas sem ferrão. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida nos Estados da Paraíba (PB) e Rio Grande do Norte (RN) durante o período de maio de 2017 a maio de 2019, com levantamento de dados envolvendo temas relacionados ao processo de criação de abelhas sem ferrão, a partir de informações prestadas pelos criadores desses dois Estados. Para este estudo, foram avaliados 45 (quarenta e cinco) meliponicultores distribuídos nas quatro mesorregiões do Estado da Paraíba e do Rio Grande do Norte. De acordo com as avaliações, pode-se constatar que as espécies de abelhas sem ferrão mais criadas nos dois Estados são Abelha Jandaíra (Melipona subnitida), Uruçu Nordestina (Melipona scutellaris), Rajada (Melipona asilvae), Mandaguari (Scaptotrigona sp) e Moça Branca (Frieseomellita sp).

Analytical study of the physicochemical characteristics from Melipona subnitida D. honey in adequation to Brazilian law

Abstract Honey has different physical and chemical properties because it is produced from the nectar of plants. The present work had the objective of analyzing laboratory tests on honey bee Melipona subnitida D. from Ceara, in comparing them with other honeys from the Northeast Region, making it possible to know better the standards of these honeys, in order to verify their suitability to the Brazilian legislation and contribute to a future more appropriate and specific legislation for the honey of the native bees, since the existing legislation only addresses bee products from Apis mellifera L. Studies were correlated with Fiehe/hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in addition to pH/acidity, Lund, lugol, moisture, ash, soluble solids (°Brix) and coloring. For the moisture test there’s a 100% failure rate to the standards established by current Brazilian legislation, 38.46% in relation to the acid test and 29.03% for HMF. Inadequacies to the legislation occur due to the different floral origins and edaphoclimatic factors. However, the most relevant factor is the difference between the bees’ species Apis mellifera L. and Melipona subnitida D. that originate the honeys, each species conferring specific characteristics to its product.

Wound healing activity and chemical composition of geopropolis from Melipona subnitida

Geopropolis collected by stingless bees is a product widely used in the semiarid Northeast region of Brazil. The wound healing activity, palynological analysis, free-radical scavenging activities, and the chemical composition of the hydroalcoholic extract of six samples from jandaira geopropolis were determined. The wound healing activity was evaluated using 10% geopropolis hydroalcoholic extract added to the formulation incorporated into a base of Lannette cream, and the chemical composition of six samples was determinate by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The detected compounds in the five samples (1–5) were classified as flavonoid aglycones (flavonols, flavanonols, flavonones, flavones, and chalcones). In sample 6, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, and hydrolysable tannins were identified. Analysis of the pollen types in geopropolis showed that pollen from Leguminosae was predominant, indicating the visit of bees in the species of this family. This sample (6), with the highest content of phenolic compounds and high free-scavenging activity, was tested to evaluate the wound healing potential. The topical application of geopropolis (10%) increased the wound healing rate and re-epithelialization of wounds in rats. Our data indicate that the mixture of phenolic components in the geopropolis may contribute to the activities of free-radical scavenging and wound healing.

Pesticide Residues in Honey from Stingless Bee Melipona Subnitida (Meliponini, Apidae)

Abstract The present study aimed to detect pesticide residues in the honey produced by the stingless bee Melipona subnitida. A total of thirty-five samples of honey from M. subnitida were collected from twelve municipalities of the semiarid region of Rio Grande do Norte state, northeastern Brazil. Of these thirty-five samples, fourteen were from colonies raised in an urban area, while the other twenty-one were from the countryside. The pesticides in the samples were extracted using a modified QuEChERS method. The simultaneous analysis of 116 analytes in the honey samples was performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Twenty-five samples (71.4% of samples) were contaminated by some amount of pesticide, and of them twenty-four had just one pesticide and one had three. The detected compounds included organophosphate pesticides (OPP) monocrotophos (24 samples), trichlorfon (6 samples) and chlorpyrifos-methyl (2 samples). In conclusion, the honey produced by the stingless bee M. subnitida may be contaminated by pesticides, which emphasizes the need for food monitoring before commercialization.