Acta Chimica Slovaca (ACS) publishes papers on fundamental and applied aspects of chemistry, biochemistry, chemical technology, chemical engineering and process control, biotechnology and food technology. Welcome are also topics which include chemical aspects of materials, physical chemistry and chemical physics, analytical chemistry, macromolecular chemistry and biomedical engineering.

Pollen microbial colonization and food safety

Ján Brindza, Ján Gróf a, Kamila Bacigálová b, Peter Ferianc c, Dezider Tóth *

Institute of Biodiversity Conservation and Biosafety, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture, Tr. A.Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovakia.
a Vega Konti Ltd., Hlohovecká 850, 925 53 Pata, Slovakia
b Botanical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 14, 842 24 Bratislava, Slovakia
c Institute of Molecular Biology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia.

E-mail: * dezider.toth@uniag.sk

Abstract: Pollen samples collected in the spring of 2002 in 8 south-western Slovakia localities and 40 live individuals of bumblebee were analyzed for the presence of bacteria and microscopic fungi. Microorganisms occurring on pollen and bumblebees were identified using cultivation and microscopic methods supplemented with biochemical tests. In the pollen were found fermenting and non-fermenting Gram-negative rods, Gram-positive sporulating cocci and non-haemolytic Gram-positive cocci. Analyses of microscopic fungi on bumblebee bodies showed the presence of only four species - Acremonium murorum, Aspergillus penicilloides, Fusarium oxysporum, Harpografium fasciculatum representing Fungi imperfecti. The highest amount of microscopic fungi occurred on drone, lower numbers on queen and worker bees. In the pollen samples 21 fungal species forming 13 genera of microscopic fungi were detected. The highest number of mould species was classified in the genera of Mucor, Rhizopus, Aspergillus, Alternaria and Paecilomyces, the species of other genera occurred in lower frequency. As the majority of the identified micromycetes represent the mitosporic fungal group of saprophytic microorganisms inhabiting soil or the organic residues of plants lacking pathogenic effects, it could be concluded, the tested pollen samples may be declared for safe resource of food and/or feed.

Keywords: Bacteria, bumblebee, microscopic fungi, pollen microorganisms

Full paper in Portable Document Format: acs_0061.pdf

Acta Chimica Slovaca, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2010, pp. 95—102