Fungal Diversity Associated with the Hive Stored Pollen of Stingless Bees Tetragonula travancorica Shanas and Faseeh
Bindu Gudi Ramakrishna *
Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, India.
Mani Chellappan
Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, India.
Surendra Gopal Kulkarni
Department of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, India.
Deepu Mathew
Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, India.
Ranjith Matta Thodikayil
Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, India.
Shanas Sudheer
Integrated Farming System, KAU, Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The process of collecting and storing pollen by stingless bees involves a complex fermentation process, enriching it with nutrients and probiotics, making it valuable as a dietary supplement. However, the presence of mycotoxins-producing fungi in bee pollen poses health risks to humans. Thus, the study aims to characterize the fungi associated with hive-stored pollen of stingless bees. The results revealed the presence of various fungal species, including Penicillium spp. P. chrysogenum, Aspergillus flavus, and A. aculeatus. This species has a symbiotic association with hive-stored pollen and is capable of producing mycotoxins. This necessitates post-harvest processing to reduce microorganisms ensuring the safety and quality of bee-derived food products for consumer health
Keywords: Stingless bees, Tetragonula travancorica, microbiota, hive-stored pollen, fungi