Pollen Types Reveal Floral Diversity in Natural Honeys from Campeche, Mexico

Abstract

The Yucatan Peninsula, located in southern Mexico, is a central honey-producing region with extraordinary biodiversity of melliferous plants. Approximately 900 plant species have been described as being a source of nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinators. They provide ecosystem services that help to keep plant biodiversity high and mitigate the effects of climate change. This study aimed to reveal the diversity of the pollen content in honey through a melissopalynological analysis of 22 honey samples collected in February–August 2021 from the north-central area of Campeche, Mexico. The extraction of pollen from the honey was carried out using standard methods for melissopalynological analysis. The honeys were classified by botanical origin to determine their floral sources and a diverse spectrum of 19 pollen types from 13 families was identified. Only eight were predominant: Milleria quinqueflora, Gymnopodium floribundum, Terminalia buceras, Amaranthus spinosus, Zea mays, Talisia floresii, Guazuma ulmifolia, and Croton icche. Our research shows the high quality of the honey analyzed and highlights the diversity and critical role of local melliferous flora and crops in beekeeping development in southern Mexico. The results in this study are useful for confirming the botanical origins of honey, generating information for designing nature conservation and agroecosystem management strategies, and increasing the knowledge of beekeepers in Campeche, Mexico.

Botanical characterization of Apis mellifera honeys in areas under different degrees of disturbance in the southern Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

“…According to the Shannon-Weiner diversity index, the samples with dominant pollen were less diverse, as described by Villalpando-Aguilar et al (2022). These authors reported lower (higher) pollen diversity in monofloral (multifloral) honeys.…”

“…This could also be the case for Gymnopodium floribundum ‘ dzidzil che ’, a small tree species present in several vegetation types in Mesoamerica, including the states of Tabasco, Chiapas, and the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico (vicario-Mejía and Echazarreta 1999). It is known by beekeepers as one of the main floral resources for honey production in the Yucatan península (Villanueva-Gutiérrez et al 2009; Villalpando-Aguilar et al 2022). However, this species is also reported as a highly nectariferous plant, though low polliniferous (Porter-Bolland 2003; Coh-Martínez et al 2019), which could explain the low percentages in our pollen counts.…”

Evaluation of the antioxidant potency of Greek honey from the Taygetos and Pindos mountains using a combination of cellular and molecular methods

“…Honey may emanate both from single (unifloral honey) or multiple (multifloral honey) plant species depending on the diet of bees ( 25 ). In order to define the pollen inside the honey sample and therefore its type, melissopalynological analysis has been proven to be a reliable method ( 26 ).…”