Caracterização química, físico-química e espectroscópica do pólen coletado por abelhas sem ferrão Amazônicas.

Abstract

Bee pollen is produced by bees through the assemblage of pollen mixed with nectar from flowers and their salivary substances. There are times has been used as a food supplement in human nutrition, and represent an important source of nutrients and antioxidants that help prevent many degenerative and cardiovascular diseases. Pollen most studied worldwide is collected by honeybee Apis mellifera, and little is known about the chemical makeup of pollen collected by stingless bees. Besides the conventional methods of analysis of food composition, a method that can be used in the analysis of pollen is the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR), with chemometric methods to determine similarities or differences in chemical composition of samples. Therefore, the objective was to determine the chemical composition, physical-chemical and antioxidant potential of pollen collected by Amazon stingless bees Melipona seminigra and M. interrupta, from Meliponary Bee Research Group of National Institute of Amazonian Research in Manaus - AM. The results of chemical analysis and physical-chemical properties of pollen collected by M. seminigra and M. interrupta were respectively 53.39% and 37.12% moisture content in fresh pollen, 12.55% and 8.85% moisture in lyophilized pollen, 11.34% and 6.86% protein, 10.8% and 6.47 % Fat, 4.03% and 2.74% ash, 9.3% and 13.65% fiber, 51.94% and 61.4% carbohydrate, caloric value of 311.3kcal% and 310.7kcal%, total solids of 46.60% and 62.87%, pH 3.70 and 3.34 and water activity of 0.91 and 0.85. Only the pH of the pollen collected by the two bee species and the protein percentage of pollen collected by M. interrupta was at odds with the Technical Regulations Brazilian Fixing the Identity and Quality of pollen. In the analysis by comparative thin layer chromatography was possible to observe characteristic spots of phenolic substances, mainly in the pollen of M. seminigra, which showed antioxidant activity. By 1H NMR spectroscopy was possible to identify characteristic signals of substances α and β-glucose, alanine, ethanol and acetic acid, indicating that pollen is the kind acetic fermentation. The analysis of 1H NMR data by chemometric revealed that Amazonian stingless bees are collecting pollen from different botanical sources and therefore with different chemical compositions, in both the season, as in seasons same. The pollen collected by bees from Amazon, seems to be a very valuable food supplement nutritional standpoint, as well as contain several important nutrients for maintaining health, also has antioxidant activity, which can help prevent several diseases.