Antiproliferative effects of Tubi-bee propolis in glioblastoma cell lines

Propolis is a resin formed by a complex chemical composition of substances that bees collect from plants. Since ancient times, propolis has been used in folk medicine, due to its biological properties, that include antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitumoral and immunomodulatory activities. Glioblastoma is the most common human brain tumor. Despite the improvements in GBM standard treatment, patients' prognosis is still very poor. The aim of this work was to evaluate in vitro the Tubi-bee propolis effects on human glioblastoma (U251 and U343) and fibroblast (MRC-5) cell lines. Proliferation, clonogenic capacity and apoptosis were analyzed after treatment with 1 mg/mL and 2 mg/mL propolis concentrations for different time periods. Additionally, glioblastoma cell lines were submitted to treatment with propolis combined with temozolomide (TMZ). Data showed an antiproliferative effect of tubi-bee propolis against glioblastoma and fibroblast cell lines. Combination of propolis with TMZ had a synergic antiproliferative effect. Moreover, propolis caused decrease in colony formation in glioblastoma cell lines. Propolis treatment had no effects on apoptosis, demonstrating a cytostatic action. Further investigations are needed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of the antitumor effect of propolis, and the study of its individual components may reveal specific molecules with antiproliferative capacity.

Genetic structure of drone congregation areas of Africanized honeybees in southern Brazil

As yet, certain aspects of the Africanization process are not well understood, for example, the reproductive behavior of African and European honeybees and how the first Africanized swarms were formed and spread. Drone congregation areas (DCAs) are the ideal place to study honeybee reproduction under natural conditions since hundreds of drones from various colonies gather together in the same geographical area for mating. In the present study, we assessed the genetic structure of seven drone congregations and four commercial European-derived and Africanized apiaries in southern Brazil, employing seven microsatellite loci for this purpose. We also estimated the number of mother-colonies that drones of a specific DCA originated from. Pairwise comparison failed to reveal any population sub-structuring among the DCAs, thus indicating low mutual genetic differentiation. We also observed high genetic similarity between colonies of commercial apiaries and DCAs, besides a slight contribution from a European-derived apiary to a DCA formed nearby. Africanized DCAs seem to have a somewhat different genetic structure when compared to the European.

Abelhas para a melhor idade: curso de meliponíneos, alfabetização técnica para a conservação / Bees for the best age: stingless bees course, technical teaching for conservation

O presente trabalho é resultado de uma experiência inédita desenvolvida por alunos do Programa de Pós-graduação em Entomologia da FFCLRP-USP, apresentando as abelhas sociais a grupos de pessoas da terceira idade, ministrando dois cursos de difusão cultural. Os objetivos, nestes cursos, foram despertar e desenvolver a consciência para a preservação dos recursos naturais, da diversidade da flora e fauna, redimensionar a prática pedagógica, com a universidade indo diretamente à comunidade unindo teoria e prática, utilizando como pano de fundo o estudo e o manejo de meliponíneos - abelhas sociais sem ferrão. Os resultados obtidos foram analisados pelo método qualitativo, considerando que as pessoas na terceira idade estão em uma fase de transição na qual deixam a obrigatoriedade das atividades escolhidas na juventude e têm a possibilidade de escolher outra atividade à qual queiram se dedicar só por prazer ou como atividade produtiva. A experiência com os grupos mostrou que a maneira como os conceitos foram trabalhados durante as aulas tornou muito fácil a compreensão e a prática, independentemente do nível de escolaridade dos alunos, visto que nos grupos havia desde pessoas com pós-graduação até pessoas que eram somente alfabetizadas. Outro aspecto educacional relevante é que se iniciou, a partir destes cursos, um grupo de discussões permanente com reuniões periódicas para aperfeiçoar e discutir propostas de preservação ambiental, caracterizando uma formação continuada.

The present work is the result of an unpublished experience developed by students of the Pos-Graduation Program in Entomology from FFCLRP-USP, presenting the social bees to senior citizen groups, carrying out two courses of cultural diffusion. The objectives, in these courses, were to arouse and develop the conscientious to preservation of natural resources, diversity of flora and fauna, resize the pedagogical practice, with the University acting directly in the community life joining theory and practice, having as a base the study and handling of stingless bees. The results were analyzed by the qualitative method, considering that senior citizen are in a transitory stage, on which they have already left the duties chosen at youth and have the possibility of choose another activity where they want to dedicate as a hobby or as a lucrative activity. The experience with the groups shown that the manner how the professors deal with some concepts during the classes made much easier the comprehension and practice, independently of the students scholar level, whereas in the groups there were pos graduated people until those that were just literate. Another important educational aspect is the initiation of a permanent discussion group with periodic meetings to improve and discuss proposal of environmental conservation characterizing a progressive learning.

Quantificação da produção do mel de Scaptotrigona aff. depilis (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Apinae) do município de Luiz Antônio, São Paulo, Brasil / Quantification of the Scaptotrigona aff. depilis (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Apinae) honey production from Luiz Antonio city, São Paulo, Brazil

O desenvolvimento da meliponicultura no Brasil vem sendo apoiado devido ao sabor diferenciado do mel dessas abelhas, sendo este produto muito utilizado na cura de inúmeras doenças. Além disso, o manejo dessas abelhas sem ferrão tem proporcionado a complementação de renda dos meliponicultores. Em função desse desenvolvimento, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo quantificar a produção de mel de Scaptotrigona aff. depilis. Foram realizados dois tratamentos: a influência do período do ano sobre a produção de mel; e a produção de mel de cada colônia. A análise do primeiro teste sugeriu que não há influência do período do ano sobre a produção de mel. O segundo tratamento sugeriu que as colônias produzem quantidades diferentes de mel, porém, ao analisá-las, duas a duas, verificou-se que um dos pares analisados é responsável pela produção diferencial entre as colônias, e a análise dos outros pares indica que as colônias produzem a mesma quantidade de mel. Há indícios para se afirmar que há variabilidade genética nessa espécie devido à produção diferencial; e que a produção poderia ser maior se houvesse o manejo de tais abelhas. O mel de meliponíneos tem um valor de comercialização considerável e a produção de Scaptotrigona aff. depilis é comparável à produção de outras espécies de abelhas.

The development of stingless bee keeping in Brazil has been supported due to the differentiated flavor of this bee honey, which is used to heal several illnesses. Moreover, the handling of these stingless bees has provided the complementation of families income. In function of this development, the present work had the aim of quantifying the Scaptotrigona aff. depilis honey production. Two treatments were carried out: the period of the year influence on the honey production and the production of each colony honey. The analysis of the first test suggested that the period of the year doesn’t influence the honey production. The second treatment suggested that the colonies produce different amounts of honey, however analyzing them two by two, it was verified that only one analyzed pair is responsible for the differential production between the colonies, and the analysis of the others pairs indicates that the colonies produce the same amount of honey. Thereare evidences to affirm that there is genetic variability in this species due to differential production; and that the production might be bigger if it the handling of such bees was practiced. The honey of stingless bees has a considerable value in commercialization and the production of Scaptotrigona aff. depilis is comparable to the production of other species of bees.

Flight a activity of Tetragona clavipes (Fabricius, 1804) (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini) at the São Paulo University campus in Ribeirão Preto / Atividade de vôo de Tetragona clavipes (Fabricius, 1804) (Hymenopetra, Apidae, Meliponini) no campus da Universidade de São Paulo em Ribeirão Preto

The Tetragona clavipes (Fabricius, 1804) bees, knowing as “borá”, is found in all Brazil country until south of Parana state. However in the São Paulo state, this species is not very common. Our main aim was, in São Paulo University Campus at Ribeirão Preto, to realize the characterization of the flight activity of this bee, showing possible relations some environmental factors, such as temperature, relative humidity and “A” type ultraviolet radiation. Data were obtained during September and October months (Spring) and showed that there is a high correlation between the start and finish of the flight activity and environmental temperature. However the UVA radiation and specially air relative humidity did not show relevant role on this behavior and they were considered secondary factors.

A abelha Tetragona clavipes (Fabricius, 1804), também conhecida como Borá, é encontrada em todo Brasil, até os limites sul do estado do Paraná. Embora ocorra no estado de São Paulo, ela não é uma espécie muito comum. Nosso principal objetivo foi realizar, no Campus da USP em Ribeirão Preto, a caracterização das atividades de vôo dessa abelha, mostrando suas possíveis relações com alguns fatores climáticos, tais como temperatura, umidade relativa do ar e radiação ultravioleta do tipo A. Após coleta e análise dos dados durante os meses de Setembro e Outubro (primavera), pôde-se afirmar que existe uma alta correlação entre o início e o término das atividades de vôo e a temperatura ambiente. Porém, os índices de radiação UVA e principalmente a umidade relativa do ar não apresentaram papel relevante neste tipo de comportamento e foram considerados como parâmetros secundários.

Genetic structure of honeybee populations from southern Brazil and Uruguay

Apis mellifera scutellata was introduced to Brazil in 1956 and Africanized honeybee populations have now spread from Argentina to the southwestern United States. Temperate climatic restrictions seem to be a natural limit to Africanized honeybee expansion around parallels 35º to 40º SL. We used allozyme loci (Mdh-1 and Hk-1) and mtDNA haplotypes to characterize honeybee populations in southern Brazil and Uruguay and define a possible transition area between Africanized and European bees. Samples of 194 bee colonies were collected from ten localities between 30º-35º SL and 52º-59º WL. The mtDNA restriction patterns of these colonies were obtained through digestion of the mitochondrial genome by Eco RI, or by digestion by Bgl II and Xba I of the cytochrome B locus and the COI-COII intergenic region, respectively. The distribution limit of African bee colonies, i.e., those populations with only the African mtDNA haplotype and with a high proportion of African genes as shown by allozyme analysis, is located in northern Uruguay, with a hybridization zone located farther south in Uruguay. A gradual cline from north to south was observed, confirmed by mtDNA, racial admixture, and genetic distance analyses. No evidence of either gametic disequilibrium between nuclear markers or cytonuclear disequilibrium among the nuclear and mtDNA genotypes was detected, suggesting that the hybridization process has been completed