MIEL DE ANGELITA’: NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION and PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES of Tetragonisca Angustula HONEY

‘MIEL DE ANGELITA’: NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF Tetragonisca angustula HONEY Carlos Alberto Fuenmayor, Carlos Mario Zuluaga-Domínguez, Amanda Consuelo Díaz-Moreno and Martha Cecilia Quicazán SUMMARY Pre-Hispanic cultures that lived in territories of Central and cal properties is of interest. In this study, the main nutritional South America practiced meliponiculture, extracting and process- and physicochemical characteristics were analyzed in 44 samples ing honey and other products from several stingless bee species. from seven regions of Colombia. Results showed a major compo- Colonization of these territories introduced beekeeping of Apis sition of 24.3 ±2.3% moisture, 23.5 ±6.4% glucose, 30.1 ±5.4% mellifera, and practically eliminated meliponiculture. Neverthe- fructose and 4.2 ±2.4% disaccharides (sucrose and maltose). less, honey of the species Trigona angustula (Latreille, 1811), The honeys presented 0.205 ±0.070% ash, 155.0 ±65.1ppm Na, called ‘miel de angelita’ (or ‘little-angel honey’) has retained a 576.6 ±177.6ppm K, 199.6 ±63.4ppm Ca, 56.0 ±27.5ppm Mg, 5.8 place in the traditional market, with about ten times the cost of ±2.3ppm Fe, 0.9 ±0.3ppm Cu, and 19.6 ±8.3 Zn. Free acidity, hy- A. mellifera honey. Due to its scarcity and to the fact that it is droxymethylfurfural (HMF) content, pH, conductivity, specific ro- popularly considered to have medicinal properties. Although there tation, diastase activity and color (on the Pfund scale) were also are noticeable differences between miel de angelita and common assessed. This study constitutes the basis for establishing quality A. mellifera honeys, the lack of objective quality standards has standards of this valuable honey in Colombia. often allowed falsification. Thus, assessment of its physicochemi- Introduction in native bee species, the at- liponiculture is growing; prod- Worker bees of this species tempt to recover traditional ucts, such as honey of the are small, ~4mm long, with a Pre-Hispanic cultures that knowledge about them and to species Trigona angustula, slender body, yellow belly and lived in different territories of characterize their possible called ‘miel de angelita’ (or shiny black head and thorax; Central and South America functional and therapeutic ‘little-angel honey’) retain a their hind legs are character- practiced meliponiculture features under a bioprospec- place in markets associated to ized by shiny black shins, (comprising many species of tive approach. folk medicine in countries which have a small pollen the tribe Meliponini) since The geographic location of such as Venezuela, Colombia basket (Nates-Parra, 2001b). times that have not been well Latin America and its mega- and Ecuador, and a signifi- Although practically no re- established, mainly for extrac- biodiversity are ideal for bee- cantly higher cost compared liable data on the marketing tion and processing of honey, keeping, which is a highly to Apis mellifera honey, reach- of honey of native bees in and for application of the ce- sustainable activity and an in- ing over ten times its price, Latin America is available, rumen in metalwork. The teresting opportunity to iden- due to its scarcity, its pleasant the main supply of this prod- colonization of America, dur- tify products, mostly yet-to-be- flavor and the attributed bioac- uct is related to naturist ing the fifteenth and sixteenth discovered, with unique fea- tive properties, specially for stores and beekeeper-consum- centuries introduced beekeep- tures. Only in Colombia, it is treatment of respiratory and er retailing. Beekeepers gen- ing of Apis mellifera and min- estimated that the number of eye infections (Nates-Parra, erally take care of few nests imized this practice, almost native bee species is far more 2001a; Vit et al., 2004; Rosso without making economic use extinguishing meliponiculture. than 900 (Freitas et al., 2009). and Nates-Parra, 2005). T. of them, often expressing a More recently, the ‘africaniza- Honeys of stingless bee spe- angustula is one of the better desire to use them as a tion’ of A. mellifera and the cies are also known as ‘pot known and most widely dis- source of income, but at the growing demand for natural honeys’ since many of the tributed stingless bees in Lat- same time showing lack of foods and health care prod- species of the tribe Meliponini in America, and can be found technical knowledge on ucts have played an important store both pollen and honey in from nearly 2000masl down breeding techniques and col- role in the renewal of interest egg-shaped beeswax pots. Me- to the sea level (Table I). ony maintenance. PALABRAS CLAVE / Honey / ‘Miel de Angelita’ / Physicochemical Characteristics / Trigona angustula / Stingless Bees / Received: 05/09/2011. Modified: 02/15/2012. Accepted: 02/21/2012. Carlos Alberto Fuenmayor. de Alimentos (ICTA), UNAL, Amanda Consuelo Díaz-Moreno. Martha Cecilia Quicazán. Chemical Engineer, M.Sc. in Av. Kr. 30 # 45-03 Ed. 500C, Food Engineer, Universidad de Chemical Engineer, UNAL, Chemical Engineering, Universi- Bogotá, Colombia. e-mail: ca- la Salle, Colombia. Master in Colombia. M.Sc. in Food Sci- dad Nacional de Colombia [email protected]. Agro-Industrial Administration, ence and Technology, Universi- (UNAL), Colombia. Ph.D. stu- Carlos Mario Zuluaga-Domín- Ph.D. in Food Quality, Safety dad de la Habana (UH), Cuba. dent in Biotechnology of Food- guez. Chemical Engineer, M. and Technology, Universidad de Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, stuffs, Università degli Studi di Sc. and Ph.D. student in Food Zaragoza, Spain. Professor, UNAL, Colombia. Professor Milano (UNIMI), Italy. Address: Science and Technology, ICTA- ICTA, UNAL, Colombia. ICTA-UNAL, Colombia. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología UNAL, Colombia. 142 0378-1844/12/02/142-06 $ 3.00/0 FEB 2012, VOL. 37 Nº 2 MIEL DE ANGELITA: COMPOSICIÓN NUTRICIONAL Y PROPIEDADES FISICOQUÍMICAS DE LA MIEL DE Trigona angustula Carlos Alberto Fuenmayor, Carlos Mario Zuluaga-Domínguez, Amanda Consuelo Díaz-Moreno y Martha Cecilia Quicazán RESUMEN Las culturas prehispánicas que habitaron territorios de Centro des fisicoquímicas. En este estudio, 44 muestras de siete regiones y Suramérica practicaron la meliponicultura, empleando miel y de Colombia fueron analizadas por sus principales características otros productos de varias especies de abejas sin aguijón. Poste- nutricionales y fisicoquímicas, encontrándose una composición de riormente, la colonización de dichos territorios introdujo la crian- 24,3 ±2,3% de humedad, 23,5 ±6,4% glucosa, 30,1 ±5,4% fructo- za de Apis mellifera y prácticamente anuló la meliponicultura. A sa y 4,2 ±2,4% disacáridos (sacarosa y maltosa); 0,205 ±0,070% pesar de esto, la miel de la especie Tetragonisca angustula (La- cenizas, y en minerales: 155,0 ±65,1ppm Na; 576,6 ±177,6ppm treille, 1811), conocida como ‘miel de angelita’, ha conservado un K; 199,6 ±63,4ppm Ca; 56,0 ±27,5ppm Mg; 5,8 ±2,3ppm Fe; 0,9 lugar en el mercado tradicional con precios de hasta diez veces ±0,3ppm Cu; y 19,6 ±8,3ppm Zn. Fueron determinados la acidez el de la miel común, debido a su escasez y a que popularmente se libre, el contenido de hidroximetilfurfural (HMF), el pH, la con- le atribuyen propiedades medicinales. Aunque existen diferencias ductividad eléctrica, la rotación específica, la actividad diastásica notorias entre la miel de angelita y la miel común, la falta de es- y el color. Este estudio constituye la base para el establecimiento tándares objetivos ha permitido la ocurrencia de prácticas de fal- de una norma de calidad para este producto en Colombia. sificación, haciendo de interés la determinación de sus propieda- MEL DA JATAÍ: COMPOSIÇÃO NUTRICIONAL E PROPRIEDADES FISICOQUÍMICA DE MEL DE Trigona angustula Carlos Alberto Fuenmayor, Carlos Mario Zuluaga-Domínguez, Amanda Consuelo Díaz-Moreno e Martha Cecilia Quicazán RESUMO As culturas pré-hispânicas que habitaram territórios de Cen- químicas. Neste estudo, 44 amostras de sete regiões de Colômbia tro e América do Sul praticaram a meliponicultura, empregando foram analisadas por suas principais características nutricionais mel e outros produtos de varias espécies de abelhas sem ferrão. e físico-químicas, encontrando-se uma composição de 24,3 ±2,3% Posteriormente, a colonização de ditos territórios introduziu a de umidade, 23,5 ±6,4% glicose, 30,1 ±5,4% frutose e 4,2 ±2,4% criação de Apis mellifera e praticamente anulou a meliponicul- dissacarídeos (sacarosa e maltosa); 0,205 ±0,070% cinzas, e em tura. Apesar disto, o mel da espécie Tetragonisca angustula (La- minerais: 155,0 ±65,1ppm Na; 576,6 ±177,6ppm K; 199,6 ±63,4ppm treille, 1811), conhecida como ‘mel da Jataí’, tem conservado um Ca; 56,0 ±27,5ppm Mg; 5,8 ±2,3ppm Fe; 0,9 ±0,3ppm Cu; e 19,6 lugar no mercado tradicional com preços de até dez vezes o do ±8,3ppm Zn. Foram determinadas a acidez libre, o conteúdo de mel comum, devido a sua escassez e a que popularmente se lhe hidroximetilfurfural (HMF), o pH, a condutividade eléctrica, a ro- atribuem propriedades medicinais. Ainda que existam diferenças tação específica, a atividade diastásica e a cor. Este estudo cons- notórias entre o mel de angelita e o mel comum, a falta de pa- titui a base para o estabelecimento de uma norma de qualidade dronização objetiva tem incentivado práticas de falsificação, tor- para este produto na Colômbia. nando de interesse a determinação de suas propriedades físico- Technological and environ- Material and Methods ble I provides general infor- dex according to method mental issues related to fac- mation and location of the 969.38B (AOAC, 2005) with tors such as complex ecosys- Samples nests. an instrument ABBE (Euro- tem interactions, susceptibil- mex, Netherland) at 20°C. ity of some native bee spe- Forty-four samples of honey Physicochemical analyses Water content was calculated cies to human practices and from Trigona angustula La- from a Chataway table (Chat- the relatively low yields of treille (1811) (Hymenoptera: Because of the relatively away, 1935).

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