Mycobiota and mycotoxins in bee pollen collected from different areas of Slovakia

Abstract

Contamination by microscopic fungi and mycotoxins in different bee pollen samples, which were stored under three different ways of storing as freezing, drying and UV radiation, was investigated. During spring 2009, 45 samples of bee-collected pollen were gathered from beekeepers who placed their bee colonies on monocultures of sunflower, rape and poppy fields within their flying distance. Bee pollen was collected from bees' legs by special devices placed at the entrance to hives. Samples were examined for the concentration and identification of microscopic fungi able to grow on Malt and Czapek-Dox agar and mycotoxins content [deoxynivalenol (DON), T-2 toxin (T-2), zearalenone (ZON) and total aflatoxins (AFL), fumonisins (FUM), ochratoxins (OTA)] by direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The total number of microscopic fungi in this study ranged from 2.98 ± 0.02 in frozen sunflower bee pollen to 4.06 ± 0.10 log cfu.g(-1) in sunflower bee pollen after UV radiation. In this study, 449 isolates belonging to 21 fungal species representing 9 genera were found in 45 samples of bee pollen. The total isolates were detected in frozen poppy pollen 29, rape pollen 40, sunflower pollen 80, in dried poppy pollen 12, rape pollen 36, sunflower 78, in poppy pollen after UV radiation treatment 54, rape 59 and sunflower 58. The most frequent isolates of microscopic fungi found in bee pollen samples of all prevalent species were Mucor mucedo (49 isolates), Alternaria alternata (40 isolates), Mucor hiemalis (40 isolates), Aspergillus fumigatus (33 isolates) and Cladosporium cladosporioides (31 isolates). The most frequently found isolates were detected in sunflower bee pollen frozen (80 isolates) and the lowest number of isolates was observed in poppy bee pollen dried (12 isolates). The most prevalent mycotoxin of poppy bee pollen was ZON (361.55 ± 0.26 μg.kg(-1)), in rape bee pollen T-2 toxin (265.40 ± 0.18 μg.kg(-1)) and in sunflower bee pollen T-2 toxin (364.72 ± 0.13 μg.kg(-1)) in all cases in frozen samples.

Mycobiota in bee pollen collected by different types of traps

“…Penicillium, Fusarium and Alternaria sp. fungi dominated in the pollen; similar results were obtained with fresh pollen by Nardoni et al (2016) and with dried pollen by Kačaniova et al (2011). According to the mentioned authors, the recovery of fungi such as Penicillium sp.…”

“…This genus was the most abundant in traps at the hive entrance and in low-bottom traps. Kačaniova et al (2011) found that Alternaria sp. is a common genus found in honey.…”

“…Aspergillus and Penicillium in the trapped pollen present a potential risk for human health (Nardoni et al, 2016). Alternaria and Cladosporium are considered to be hazardous moulds (Kačaniova et al, 2011). Microscopic fungi are very common in nature and have spores resistant to various environmental factors.…”

“…They can both contaminate pollen and be present in honey together with pollen (Popa et al, 2009). A number of studies (Brindza et al, 2010;Kačaniova et al, 2011;Petrovic et al, 2014) have revealed significant contamination levels of bee pollen by microorganisms. Therefore, it is very important to find out the presence and quantity of microscopic fungi that dominate pollen, as some of these fungi are potential mycotoxin producers, while others, although not producing toxic metabolites can cause allergic reactions (Estevinho et al, 2011).…”

Microbial Diversity of Betula Trees: Pollen, Catkins, Leaves Relatively of Flowering

“…But still more this question revealed about entomophilous pollen than anemophilous (Bogdanov, 2004(Bogdanov, , 2005González et al, 2005;Kačániová and Fikselová, 2007;Campos et al, 2008;Brovarskij and Brindza 2010;Brindza et al, 2010;Kačániová et al, 2011;Hani et al, 2012;Feás et al, 2012;Estevinho et al, 2012;Kačániová et al, 2014). These knowledges can be interesting from the point of view -microorganisms as an adjuvant factor of initiation of allergic immune responses; microbiological quality of pollen for its consumption as a source of nutrients and medicinal substances; the nature of the mutual relations of microorganisms/pollen grains.…”