Red propolis produced on the island of San Andrés, Colombia: Palynological profile

• Published in: Acta Botânica Brasílica Vol. 39
• Main Authors: Vanegas-Florez, Oscar Julian, Villa, Pedro Manuel, Salamanca-Grosso, Guillermo, Santos, Francisco de Assis Ribeiro dos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Botânica do Brasil 01.01.2025
• Subjects: Apis mellifera; Colombian Caribbean; honeybee products; melissopalynology; red propolis; resinous plants
• ISSN: 0102-3306; 1677-941X
• DOI: 10.1590/1677-941x-abb-2024-0193

ABSTRACT Propolis primarily comprises resins, waxes, pollen, and several compounds collected by honeybees and mixed with secreted fluids. Globally, red propolis production is limited to a few regions, and San Andrés Island (Colombia) is one of these locations. This study aims to outline the palynological profile of red propolis produced by Apis mellifera on San Andrés Island, Colombia, to identify its relationship with the local vegetation. Red propolis samples were collected for the production year 2022 from two apiaries located on the island. Red propolis samples were initially treated with ethanol and KOH for pollen grain analysis, followed by the standard acetolysis techniques. After the palynological analysis and botanical identification, 76 pollen types were identified, associated with 32 plant families, 61 genera, and 42 species. Leguminosae and Asteraceae were the botanical families with the most representative, each with seven pollen types. Pollen types such as Mimosa pudica, Cecropia peltata, and Byrsonima crassifolia exhibited the highest importance values within the pollen spectrum. Most pollen types were associated with arboreal and shrubby taxa, predominantly distributed in forest formations and vegetation characteristic of anthropic areas. The analyses highlighted the distribution and diversity of pollen types within red propolis samples from San Andrés Island.