Pollen diversity in honey from Sergipe, Brazil

Abstract

The pollen contents of honeys from 22 different municipalities of the Brazilian state of Sergipe were analysed. A total of 90 pollen types distributed in 32 plant families were identified. Fabaceae had the highest representation in number of pollen types (29 types), followed by Asteraceae (eight types), Rubiaceae (seven types), Anacardiaceae and Malvaceae (four each) and Euphorbiaceae and Myrtaceae (three each). The presence of dominant pollen was detected in 14 samples, with the dominant types Mimosa pudica in five samples, Alternanthera in two samples, Angelonia, Cocos nucifera, Mimosa arenosa, Mimosa tenuiflora, Myrcia, Prosopis juliflora, Protium and Schinus in one sample each. Eleven pollen types were recorded as accessory pollen: Borreria verticillata, Mimosa pudica, Tapira in three samples, Mitracarpus hirtus in two samples, Angelonia, Baccharis, Cocos nucifera, Melastomataceae, Protium, Salvia and Senna macranthera in one sample each. Pollen types from the genus Mimosa were prominent in the samples indicating the important contribution of species with palynological affinities with the pollen types found in this genus in the apicultural production of the region. Pollen types from species endemic to the Caatinga were found in the pollen spectrum for Sergipe: Mimosa adenophylla, Mimosa ophthalmocentrica, Mimosa setuligera and Mimosa xiquexiquensis from Fabaceae, and Ziziphus joazeiro from Rhaminaceae.

Keywords:

• pollen analysis
• native flora
• floral resources
• pollen types

Acknowledgements

The authors thank CAPES for granting a master’s degree scholarship to APCS, CNPq for providing a productivity grant to FARS, the apiculturists, Sebrae/SE and the Laboratory of Food Research of the Institute of Technology and Research (Tiradentes University) for donating the honey samples used in this study. The programme of postgraduation in Botany and the Laboratory of Plant Micromorphology of the State University of Feira de Santana are acknowledged for allowing the use of their facilities for the research conducted.