TITLE:
Palynology as a Tool to Distinguish between Propolis and Geopropolis: Southern Brazilian Samples
AUTHORS:
Ortrud Monika Barth, Alex da Silva de Freitas
KEYWORDS:
Propolis, Geopropolis, Palynology, Pollen Analysis, Southern Brazil
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.2 No.12,
December
16,
2015
ABSTRACT: Propolis is a product elaborated by honey bees (Apis) and comprises plant resins, bee wax, glandular secretions of
the worker bees and pollen grains.Geopropolis is a product elaborated
by stingless bees and comprises similar compounds of honey bees and soil, mud,
clay, earth or sand. The present study intends to distinguish between propolis
and geopropolis using pollen analysis. A total of 12 samples were obtained in
the Southern Brazilian macro-region and processed by standard melissopalynological methodology. All structural components recovered after alcoholic extraction and
before acetolysis treatment were evaluated. Four of the eight samples collected
in the State of Paraná were prepared by Apis and showed a strong contribution of Asteraceae and Eucalyptus pollen grains. On the other hand, the two geopropolis
samples of Tetragonisca angustula contained mainly Cecropia pollen
grains, while the samples of Melipona
quadrifasciata and Melipona mondury showed a predominance of Melastomataceae pollen grains. The four propolis
samples obtained in the Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul States were characterized
by a predominant pollen contribution of Asteraceae and Eucalyptus. Additional structured elements in propolis samples
comprised frequently plant trichomes and tissue fragments. On the contrary, the
geopropolis samples showed high values of spores of fungi, amorphous organic
matter, sand or clay and sometimes remainder of resin. In conclusion, the
pollen grain spectra do not distinguish between propolis of Apis and geopropolis of stingless bees,
but the accessory elements are conclusive.