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Research Article Open access CC BY 4.0

Fungal Diversity Associated with the Hive Stored Pollen of Stingless Bees Tetragonula travancorica Shanas and Faseeh

Bindu Gudi Ramakrishna, Mani Chellappan, Surendra Gopal Kulkarni, Deepu Mathew, Ranjith Matta Thodikayil, Shanas Sudheer

Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology · pp. 498–503 · Published 17 Apr 2024

10.9734/jabb/2024/v27i5811

Abstract

The process of collecting and storing pollen by stingless bees involves a complex fermentation process, enriching it with nutrients and probiotics, making it valuable as a dietary supplement. However, the presence of mycotoxins-producing fungi in bee pollen poses health risks to humans. Thus, the study aims to characterize the fungi associated with hive-stored pollen of stingless bees. The results revealed the presence of various fungal species, including Penicillium spp. P. chrysogenum, Aspergillus flavus, and A. aculeatus. This species has a symbiotic association with hive-stored pollen and is capable of producing mycotoxins. This necessitates post-harvest processing to reduce microorganisms ensuring the safety and quality of bee-derived food products for consumer health

Stingless bees Tetragonula travancorica microbiota hive-stored pollen fungi

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Cited by 2

Bee pollen as functional food and environmental bioindicator: current evidence and future challenges.

L. Parrotta, S. Del Duca · The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture · 2026

An Update on Mycotoxins in Bee Pollen

Nela Drača, Sunčana Včelik, R. Krska · Toxins · 2026

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