Caracterização físico-química do mel de abelhas proveniente da florada do cajueiro / Physicochemical characterization of the bee honey originating in the cashew flowering

O presente trabalho teve como objetivos identificar e caracterizar o mel proveniente da florada do cajueiro (Anacardium occidentale L.). O estudo foi realizado a partir de 24 amostras de mel coletadas em apiários distribuídos num cajueiral de aproximadamente 1000 hectares, localizado no município de Cascavel, Estado do Ceará, Brasil. As mesmas foram submetidas a análises melissopalinológicas e físico-químicas (umidade, acidez total, cinzas, açúcares totais, Lund, pH, condutividade elétrica, HMF, atividade de água e densidade). Com base nas análises melissopalinológicas, o mel foi considerado monofloral, proveniente da floradado cajueiro. Os intervalos de variação dos parâmetros físico-químicos analisados foram: 16,5-19,2 por cento (umidade), 22-40meq kg-1 (acidez total), 0,182-0,301 por cento (cinzas), 80,8-83,5 por cento (açúcares totais), 1,0-2,0mL (Lund), 3,48-3,83 (pH), 179-198µS cm-1 (condutividade elétrica), 9,6-30,91mg kg-1 (HMF), 0,62-0,76 (atividade de água) e 1,33-1,43g mL-1 (densidade). As análises mostraram que o mel da florada do cajueiro apresenta características físico-químicas dentro dos padrões estabelecidos pela legislação vigente.

The present study was aimed at the identification and characterization of the bee honey (Apis mellifera) derived from cashew flowers (Anacardium occidentale L.). The study was carried out through the analysis of 24 samples of honey collected from apiaries distributed in a cashew plantation of about 1000 hectares, located in the area around the town of Cascavel, in the state of Ceará, Brazil. The samples were submitted to melissopalinological and physicochemical analysis (humidity, total acidity, ashes, total sugars, Lund, pH, electrical conductivity, HMF, water activity, and density). On the basis of the melissopalinological analysis, the honey was considered unifloral, with its origin traced to the cashew flowering. The variation intervals of the physicochemical parameters under analysis were: 16.5-19.2 percent (humidity), 22-40meq kg-1 (total acidity), 0.18-0.30 percent (ashes), 80.8-83.5 percent (total sugars), 1.0-2.0mL (Lund), 3.48-3.83 (pH), 179-198µS cm-1 (electrical conductivity), 9.6-30.91mg kg-1 (HMF), 0.62-0.76 (water activity), and 1.337-1.437g mL-1 (density). The analyses show that the honey originating from the cashew flowering presents unique physicochemical characteristics which are within the standards established by the current legislation.

Correlation between honey production and some morphological traits in africanized honey bees (Apis melifera)

This study focused on the correlation between honey production length and width of the tibia of the third pair of legs, corbicular area, pupal weight, and glossal length, in Africanized honey bees in Viçosa/MG, Brazil. Correlation values were relatively low, though always positive. The traits glossal length and pupal weight presented the lowest correlation to honey production: 0.225 and 0.410, respectively. The highest correlations were observed between length of the tibia and corbicular area and honey production: 0.587 and 0.549, respectively. In all cases, except pupal weight, correlation was significant. These findings support the notion that worker bees with larger corbicular areas may have a better ability to carry larger quantities of pollen to their hives, so that it is possible to improve honey production through indirect selection of this trait