The Southern region of Brazil is known for its floral diversity, presenting great potential for bee products such as honey, pollen, propolis and royal jelly. In this study, 67 honey samples provided by beekeepers from 14 municipalities of western Paraná were evaluated. Physicochemical parameters, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity were analyzed. The physicochemical parameters of the samples were in compliance with the specifications by national and international standards, presenting average values of 3.26, 34.54 meq.kg-1 , 18.75%, 10.79 mg.kg-1 , 0.14% and 340.10 µS.cm-1 , for pH, acidity, moisture, hydroxymethylfurfural, ash content and electrical conductivity, respectively. The nutritive values of honey, on average, achieved 0.28% of protein from 69.09% of total sugars, 64.57% of reducing sugars and 4.28% of sucrose. Bioactive compounds showed average values of 34.83 mg GAE/100 g-1 of total phenols and 16.26 mg EQ/100 g-1 of flavonoids, enabling antioxidant activity of 2.68 µmol FE (II)/g-1 of FRAP, 1.01 µmol ET/g-1 from ABTS and 0.12 µmol ET/g-1 of DPPH. This first study evaluated the parameters through cluster analysis and observed nine groups formed, as well as the characteristics between the samples with similar reaction. We concluded that the honey samples have high similarity and confirmed the quality of the honey produced.

A melissopalinologia foi utilizada para determinar a origem botânica do mel, importante para sua rastreabilidade. Quarenta amostras de mel dos municípios de Santa Helena (20) e Terra Roxa (20), região oeste do Paraná, foram analisadas de acordo com os tipos de pólen e comparações com os catálogos de pólen e literatura especializada. Em relação à qualidade analítica, foram identificados 300 grãos de pólen por amostra. Nas amostras de Santa Helena, foram encontrados 71 tipos de pólen de 24 famílias, classificados como mel monofloral de Hovenia dulcis (8) e o restante como multifloral (12). Nas amostras da Terra Roxa, 64 tipos de pólen pertencentes a 29 famílias foram classificadas como Glycine max L. Merrill (7), Mimosa scabrella Benth (2),Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth (1), Mimosa verrucosa Benth (1), Mikania sp. (1) e Senecio sp. (1) e como multifloral (7). Os dois locais têm um alto índice de similaridade, no entanto, a predominância de alguns tipos de pólen indica a especificidade botânica da localidade. Para Santa Helena, maior significância foi observada para o pólen de H. dulcis , Eucalyptus sp. , Parapiptadenia rigida , e leucena ; em Terra Roxa, os tipos de pólen G. max , M. scabrella e Eucalyptussp. teve mais incidentes. Apesar do índice de similaridade, os indicadores mostram diferenças entre as áreas produtoras. As amostras de mel de Santa Helena apresentaram maior diversidade de pólen em relação às amostras de Terra Roxa, refletindo a cobertura vegetativa predominante de matas ciliares e culturas agrícolas, respectivamente, em cada município.

Honey from the western region of Paraná receives the seal of origin and in-process denomination of origin because it is mostly produced in permanent preservation areas, adherence to hygiene and sanitary standards, proper management techniques and agro-industrial management. The objective of this study was to verify the microbiological quality of honey produced by beekeepers associated with Cooperative. Sixty-seven honey samples were evaluated for microbiological quality, and the mean values observed to total aerobic mesophiles were 2.52 log CFU/g; Clostridium spp. 1.46 log CFU/g; total coliforms 0.78 log CFU/g; fecal coliforms 0.50 log CFU/g; total yeasts 0.46 log CFU/g, and 2.95 log CFU/g total molds. The evaluations showed the incidence of anaerobic mesophilic in 70% of the samples, Clostridium spp. 77%; total coliforms 60%, fecal coliforms 62%, molds 83% and 34% yeasts. Five genera of the isolated molds commonly found in honey were Fusarium spp. 0.35 log CFU/g; Aspergillus spp. 0.52 log CFU/g; Cladosporium spp. 1.2 log CFU/g, Phoma spp. 0.71 Phoma spp. and 0.16 log CFU/g Penicillium spp. Multivariate analysis showed the formation of two groups and indicated the heterogeneity in the bacterial load of the samples. Although microbiological analyses were not mandatory for honey, these results demonstrated the hygienic-sanitary quality of the samples of honey produced. For the reduction of secondary-origin microorganisms, the handlers were recommended to follow the sanitary hygiene norms and handling techniques.

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Bee colony health is declining as a result of several factors, including exposure to pesticides. The development and strength of honey bee colonies depend on the reproductive success of queen bees. Because flowers are sources of food for bees, foragers can accidentally collect and carry contaminated pollen and nectar to their hives; and this may compromise the longevity and the life span of individuals. Thus, the present study aimed to observe the action of imidacloprid in the midgut and ovaries of Apis mellifera queens, as well as the effects on sperm stored in their spermatheca. To this end, the apiary was divided into three experimental groups: control, commercial imidacloprid, and active ingredient imidacloprid. For toxicity assays, a sucrose solution containing 1 µg/L of imidacloprid was offered to the colonies for 42 days. A control group received only food in the same period. In both treatments with imidacloprid, the midgut of queens showed modifications in the external musculature and cellular alterations. Such changes could lead to the nonrecovery of the epithelium and subsequently malabsorption of nutrients. Moreover, the digestive cells of queen bees exposed to the commercial imidacloprid presented pyknotic nuclei, suggesting a cell death process. The main alterations observed in the ovaries of these reproductive bees treated with commercial imidacloprid were degeneration and resorption of the ovariole content, which probably affected their fertilization and colony development. There were no significant changes in the spermatozoa morphology for both treatments with imidacloprid, but this insecticide may interfere with the development and reproductive success of A. mellifera colonies because it affects the morphology and function of essential organs for the survival of queens. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1637–1648. SETAC