ESTERIFIED CHOLESTEROL IN THE TISSUES OF HEAD AND EGGS LAYING OF QUEENS AND HONEY PRODUCTIVITY OF BEES UNDER THE CONDITION OF ADDING SOME SUNFLOWER OIL TO FOOD ADDITIVES

NAAS UKRAINE There is no information in the specialized literature about the content of esterified cholesterol and its saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in honeybee tissues depending on the amount and composition of fatty acids in the feed. This determines the relevance of this research. The aim of this research was to identify the relationships between the content of esterified cholesterol and its fatty acids composition in the tissues of head and laying eggs by queen bees and honey productivity of worker bees depending on the amount of sunflower oil in their feed additives. Experimental trials were carried out in spring-summer period on clinically healthy honey bees of Carpathian breed. By principle of analogues, 3 groups of bee families have been formed (3 bee families in each group). Every week, during the period of 36 days, the families of control group have been feeding on a supplement consisting of 100 g defatted natural soybeans flour (soya variety Chernivetska-9), and 100 g sugar syrup (correlation sugar-water 1:1). The families of І and ІІ trial groups have been getting additionally sunflower oil in amount respectively 10 and 20 g/bee family/week. During the trial, the queens reproductive ability and workers honey productivity have been controlled. After the additional feeding was over some samples of honeybees were taken for laboratory tests. In the tissues of head there was identified the content of esterified cholesterol and its fatty acid composition. In the result of adding of sunflower oil in the amount of 10 and 20 g to feed additives which were composed of fat-free soymeal and sugar syrup, we can see the increase of saturated, monounsaturated 1 . cholesterol and its fatty acid composition in the tissues of the head of honey bees of I and II experimental groups are accompanied by changes in the reproductive capacity of the queen bees and honey productivity of working bees. In particular, there is an increase in egg laying at the queen bees of the mentioned groups and the increase of honey productivity at