Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
The Sixth International Mediterranean Symposium on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MESMAP-6), Kilis, Türkiye, 15 - 17 Ekim 2020, ss.10
A symbiotic relationship between plants and bees is a well-known fact: plants serve as food and shelter for bees, and bees help plant reproduction, and biodiversity. Diversity among species, including agricultural crops, medicinal and aromatic plants rely on bee pollination to some extent. Nearly 16% of the world’s flowering plant species are pollinated by bees. Bees supply carbohydrates from nectar and proteins from pollen, and in return, they help plants to crosspollination, increase the genetic variety, and ensure the generation. There are around 20,000 distinct bee species around the world. Apis mellifera L. (European/western honeybee) is particularly well known as a honey producer, but also as an important pollinator of many crops and wild plants. Although, it is referred to as honey bee, there are at least eight other honey bee species in the Apis genus. Apart from its native populations, A. mellifera is managed by beekeepers for mainly honey production, and other beehive products like bee pollen, royal jelly, propolis and beewax for years. Recently, bee bread, a diet for bee larvae and young bees, appears in the market as a functional food. All these products have beneficial effects on human nutrition and health, as they contain various useful and bioactive compounds arised from plant sources visited by bees. For instance, bee pollen (agglutinated form of flower pollens) made by worker honey bees, using nectar and salivary secretions, contain carbohydrates, crude fibers, proteins, lipids, basic amino acids, carotenoids, phenolics, flavonoids, sterols, terpenes, vitamins and minerals. Honey bees provide main nutients from plants, carbohydrates and water from nectar, and proteins, lipids, vitamins and minerals from pollen. They also forage in compound-rich, ‘dirty’ water for their essential minerals since main floral diet only contains trace amounts of micronutrients. Composition and quality of both, diet of honey bees, and their attracting commercial products mainly depend on the floral and water resources, geographic origin, climate, soil, and to some extent, on beekeeping activities like handling, transportation and storage conditions. Besides, honey bees alter their foods, thereby quality of their products, according to the season. For example, phenolic and flavonoid contents, and antioxidant activity of autumn propolis are higher than those of spring propolis. Unfortunately, decline or disappear (colony collapse disorder) of honey bees arising from combination of various diseases, climate change, loss of habitats, environmental pollution, and farming practices mainly due to toxic phytosanitary products and large monoculture croping, is a serious threat. As a result, yield and quality of honey bee products may decline and/or contaminants arised from environmental pollution and detrimental beekeeping practices may exist in these products. This presentation covers the close relationship between honey bee products and flora, with all dimensions. Urgent implementations to create more sustainable ecosystems, and improve food security and nutrition will be discussed in detail.