Pollen profile of bee pollen from semiarid Northeastern Brazil

Autor: Viviane Miranda Karam, Tania Maria Sarmento Silva, Francisco de Assis Ribeiro dos Santos
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Acta Botânica Brasílica, Vol 36 (2022)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1677-941X
1677-941x
DOI: 10.1590/1677-941x-abb-2022-0205
Popis: ABSTRACT The Northeastern Brazil has xerical vegetation with different biomes. Its botanical heterogeneity represents shelter for diverse fauna. The region is rich in bees, which demand the resources offered by the plants, and provide pollination services. Bee pollen has been used as a beneficial food source for humans due to its high nutritional content and being a natural antioxidant. Pollen analysis can determine the plant species visited by bees, using them as the source of pollen supply. This study aimed to identify the main pollen types present in the pollen collected by Apis mellifera in the Northeastern Brazil and to define its botanical affinity. Commercial bee pollen samples produced in the region were treated by acetolysis method, mounted on slides, and the frequency of occurrence was estimated for each type of pollen. It was possible to distinguish 113 pollen types belonging to 35 botanical families, distributed in 92 genera. Fabaceae and Asteraceae were the families that most contributed to pollen types. Pollen types of Cocos nucifera and Myrcia were found in more than 50% of the samples. The families Arecaceae and Fabaceae showed high beekeeping potential. There is a striking similarity between the pollen samples from the states of Pernambuco and Rio Grande Norte.
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