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ABSTRACT
Propolis produced by honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) over a period of 24 months, in an Atlantic Forest area in the municipality of Entre Rios (Bahia, Brazil), was analysed palynologically. Climate data (precipitation and temperature) for the area were obtained during the same time period. A total of 115 pollen types were found, of which 92 were identified as belonging to 40 plant families and 71 genera. The study recorded the occurrence of pollen types related to resiniferous plant species (i.e. Cecropia, Maytenus, Phyllanthus, Protium heptaphyllum, Schinus terebinthifolius, Spondias tuberosa, Symphonia globulifera and Tapirira guianensis). However, the greatest percentage found was for the Eucalyptus type (60%), which was present in a sample from January 2014. Pollen from resiniferous plants, such as Schinus terebinthifolius and Cecropia spp., were present in most samples. Pollen of Eucalyptus spp. were an important marker of propolis produced in the northern Atlantic Rainforest of Bahia.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks are due to the Plant Micromorphology Laboratory (State University of Feira de Santana) for facilities, to Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for granting the first author, and to the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico de Tecnológico (CNPq) for supporting FARS (# 303862/2013-0).
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Vanessa Ribeiro Matos
VANESSA R. MATOS has a degree in biological sciences from the UNIJORGE, and a master's degree in botany from the State University of Feira de Santana. Currently, she is a PhD student comparing the pollen flow in M. scutellaris L. and Apis mellifera L. products in a rainforest region in the state of Bahia, Brazil. She has experience in palynology of pollen and pollen morphology.
Francisco de Assis Ribeiro dos Santos
FRANCISCO DE ASSIS R. DOS SANTOS has a degree in biological sciences from the Federal University of Bahia (1987), a master's degree in botany from the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (1993) and a PhD in sciences (botany) from the University of São Paulo (1998). He developed a postdoctoral program of study in palynology at the Escuela Nacional Biological Sciences (National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico, DF). He is currently a full professor at the State University of Feira de Santana. His research is on all aspects of palynology studies.