Bromatological and mineral compositions of collected pollen for africanized honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) in Botucatu, São Paulo State

Silvia Regina Funari; H. C. Rocha; J. M. Sforcin; H. Grassi Filho; P. R. Curi; S. M. G. Dierckx; A. R. M. Funari; R. de Oliveira Orsi

Silvia Regina Funari Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Campus de Botucatu, Estado de São Paulo
H. C. Rocha Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Campus de Botucatu, Estado de São Paulo
J. M. Sforcin Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Campus de Botucatu, Estado de São Paulo
H. Grassi Filho Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Campus de Botucatu, Estado de São Paulo
P. R. Curi Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Campus de Botucatu, Estado de São Paulo
S. M. G. Dierckx Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Campus de Botucatu, Estado de São Paulo
A. R. M. Funari Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Campus de Botucatu, Estado de São Paulo
R. de Oliveira Orsi

Abstract

The bromatological and mineral compositions of pollen collected by Africanized honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) in the Botucatu region, São Paulo State, Brazil, from August to November, 1966, were investigated. The pollen collections from six beehives, at weekly intervals, lasted for seven consecutive days. Mean fresh pollen composition was: 75.9% dry matter, 26.2% crude protein (CP), 5.1% ether extract (EE), 2.6% ash, 1.1% crude fiber, 3.58% nitrogen, 0.43% phosphorus, 0.67% potassium, 0.26% calcium, 0.08% magnesium, 0.21% sulfur, 114.2 ppm iron, 88.4 ppm zinc, 15.0 ppm copper, 32.4 ppm manganese, and 9.9 ppm boron. Statistical analysis showed that pollen collected in October had the highest contents of CP, and of the elements P, S and Mn compared to the other months. According to cluster and principal components analyses for bromatological composition, the variables with most and least discriminatory power were the percentages of CP and EE, respectively. As to mineral composition, the most discriminatory variables were S, Mn, and N, while the least discriminatory were Mg, B, and K.

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