Pollen quality assessment of Tetragonisca angustula, Melipona quadrifasciata and Apis mellifera

Abstract

Pollen is a product originating from the anthers of flowers. Members of the Apidae group feed on this floristic product, which is metabolized and stored in the hives. It is known that the pollen metabolized by stingless and stingless bees has medicinal and nutritional characteristics. This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical and microbiological quality of pollen collected by Tetragonisca angustula, Melipona quadrifasciata and Apis mellifera. Pollen was collected between January 2021 and January 2023 in a conservation area in Goiás, Brazil. The pollen was characterized by physicalchemical analysis for moisture, ash, proteins, lipids, total sugars and pH, and microbiological analysis on Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. The obtained results characterize the pollens of indigenous bees as suitable for consumption, since they presented good physicochemical characteristics for most of the analyzed parameters and free of pathogens.