Avaliação da presença de coliformes, bolores e leveduras em amostras de mel orgânico de abelhas africanizadas das ilhas do alto rio Paraná / Presence of coliforms, molds and yeasts in organic honey samples of Africanized honeybees from Paraná River islands

O presente trabalho foi desenvolvido para caracterizar a microbiota do mel produzido nas ilhas Floresta e Laranjeira do alto rio Paraná, na região de Porto Brasílio, Paraná (PR). O mel foi coletado diretamente das melgueiras das colônias avaliadas, em três apiários distribuídos nas ilhas Floresta e Laranjeira. O período de coleta das amostras de mel foi de novembro de 2005 a fevereiro de 2006, perfazendo o total de 24 amostras de mel orgânico produzido por abelhas Apis mellifera africanizadas. Seguindo o método das normas internacionais da Compendium of Methods for the Microbiology Examination of Foods, os parâmetros analisados foram: presença de coliformes a 35°C e 45°C e quantificação de bolores e leveduras. Verificou-se que todas as amostras apresentaram-se em conformidade com o Regulamento Técnico MERCOSUL de Identidade e Qualidade do Mel (MERCOSUL/GMC/RES no 15/94). As amostras analisadas indicaram excelente qualidade microbiológica para o mel orgânico.

This research was carried out to characterize the microbial flora of the organic honey produced in Paraná River islands. The honey was directly collected in the evaluated colonies, in three apiaries distributed at Floresta and Laranjeira Islands. The collection period was from November 2005 to February 2006. It was evaluated 24 organic honey samples produced by Africanized honeybees. Following the international standard Compendium method for the Microbiology Examination of Foods, the analyzed parameters used were: presence of coliforms at 35°C and 45°C, and molds and yeasts quantification. All samples were in conformity with the MERCOSUL Technical Regulation Identity and Quality for Honey (MERCOSUL/GMC/RES no. 15/94. The analyzed samples indicated excellent microbiologic honey quality.

Plants and pollinating bees in Maringá, State of Paraná, Brazil

The present study was carried out to survey the bees as visitors to melliferous flora in the region of Maringá, state of Paraná, Brazil. A total of 331 insects were captured, and the fauna comprised 39.88 percent Trigona spinipes, 38.37 percent Apis mellifera, 8.16 percent Tetragonisca angustula, 3.93 percent Halictidae, 1.21 percent Megachilidae, 2.42 percent Anthophoridae, and 3.32 percent other Hymenoptera. Eleven plant species from nine families were observed. The four families most frequently visited by A. mellifera were Pontederiaceae (93.53 percent), Sterculiaceae and Polygoniaceae (47.22 percent), Apocynaceae and Apiaceae (42.86 percent). The families most visited by T. spinipes were Lamiaceae (64.70 percent), Apocynaceae (57.14 percent), Sterculiaceae (51.85 percent) and Anacardiaceae (48.39 percent), and the families most visited by T. angustula were (28.57 percent), Asteraceae (22.22 percent) and Labiatae (16.47 percent). Three species predominated in number of bee visits Dombeya wallichii (32.63 percent), Ocimum americanum (15.5 percent) and Antigonon leptopus (15.2 percent). T. angustula was the most frequent visitor of O. gratissimum flowers (60.87 percent)