Search Results (160)

Enhanced colony nutrition can support brood development, resulting in better physiological conditions and increased resilience in adult honey bees, particularly under stress. This study investigated the effects of colony nutrition and adult dietary supplementation with green propolis on bee health under fungicide exposure. Colonies were managed under food restriction or nutritional supplementation for 22 weeks. Newly emerged bees from each colony were then caged and fed protein diets consisting of honey-pollen patties contaminated or not with fungicide, and sucrose sugar syrup with or without aqueous green propolis extract. Bees from supplemented colonies showed greater body weight, higher hemolymph protein levels, and higher consumption of protein food after seven days in cages. Fungicide exposure reduced hemolymph protein levels, altered the expression of detoxification and immune-related genes, and significantly decreased bee survival. Interestingly, propolis supplementation alone changed gene expression patterns and slightly reduced longevity compared to bees not exposed to propolis or fungicide. However, under fungicide stress, bees that ingested propolis survived longer, indicating a protective effect. While colony nutritional supplementation clearly promotes honey bee resilience against fungicide exposure, feeding propolis also showed promising effects, though further studies are needed to determine an optimal dietary concentration. Full article

This study evaluated the activity concentrations of radionuclides in honey, bee pollen, bee bread, and propolis from multiple regions in Poland (Europe) to assess the levels of radiological contamination and their implications for public health. Furthermore, the work considers the use of bee products as bioindicators of the state of environmental contamination with radionuclides. The apiaries from which the samples were collected were selected in eight provinces in Poland, and are also complemented by reference data from soil contamination monitoring. Radionuclide measurements included both natural (e.g., ⁴⁰K, ²²⁶Ra) and anthropogenic isotopes (e.g., ¹³⁷Cs). The results show that although the overall activity concentrations were generally low, certain locations exhibited elevated levels of ¹³⁷Cs in bee products, likely reflecting historical deposition in soils. Propolis was best correlated with ¹³⁷Cs deposited in soil compared to the other products studied. The patterns observed substantiate the hypothesis that bee products, predominantly propolis, accurately reflect local radiological conditions, thereby providing a practical and non-intrusive approach to monitoring radionuclide contamination and informing risk management strategies. An assessment of potential health risks indicates that the effective dose is safe and ranges from 0.02 to 10.3 µSv per year, depending on the type of product and consumption. Full article

Honey bees play a vital role in ecosystem stability, and the need to monitor colony health has driven the development of IoT-based systems in beekeeping, with recent studies exploring both empirical and machine learning approaches to detect and analyze key hive conditions. In this study, we present an IoT-based system that leverages sensors to record and analyze the acoustic signals produced within a beehive. The captured audio data is transmitted to the cloud, where it is converted into mel-spectrogram representations for analysis. We explore multiple data pre-processing strategies and machine learning (ML) models, assessing their effectiveness in classifying queenless states. To evaluate model generalization, we apply transfer learning (TL) techniques across datasets collected from different hives. Additionally, we implement the feature extraction process and deploy the pre-trained ML model on a deep edge IoT device (Arduino Zero). We examine both memory consumption and execution time. The results indicate that the selected feature extraction method and ML model, which were identified through extensive experimentation, are sufficiently lightweight to operate within the device’s memory constraints. Furthermore, the execution time confirms the feasibility of real-time queenless state detection in edge-based applications. Full article

Fermented plant-based beverages represent promising functional foods due to their content of bioactive compounds (polyphenols, prebiotics) and viable probiotic microorganisms. Sprouted buckwheat is a rich source of bioactives and nutrients, which makes it a promising ingredient for the development of synbiotic formulations. This study aimed to optimize the fermentation process of a plant-based beverage composed of germinated buckwheat, honey, inulin, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (Lpb. plantarum), using Box–Behnken experimental design (BBD) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) tools. The influence of three independent variables (inulin, honey, and inoculum concentration) was evaluated on five key response variables: total polyphenol content, flavonoid content, antioxidant activity (RSA%), pH, and starter culture viability. The optimal formulation—comprising 3% inulin, 10% honey, and 6.97 mg/100 mL inoculum—demonstrated functional stability over 21 days of refrigerated storage (4 °C), maintaining high levels of antioxidants and probiotic viability in the fermented beverage. Kinetic analysis of the fermentation process confirmed the intense metabolic activity of Lpb. plantarum, as evidenced by a decrease in pH, active consumption of reducing sugars, and organic acids accumulation. Full article

With the advancement of Agriculture 4.0, intelligent systems and data-driven technologies offer new opportunities for pork supply-demand balance regulation, while also confronting challenges such as production cycle fluctuations and epidemic outbreaks. This paper introduces a knowledge-driven smart system for pork supply-demand regulation, which integrates essential components including a knowledge base, a mathematical-model-based expert system, an enhanced optimization framework, and a real-time feedback mechanism. Around the core of the system, a nonlinear constrained optimization model is established, which uses adjustments to newly retained gilts as decision variables and minimizes supply-demand squared errors as its objective function, incorporating multi-dimensional factors such as pig growth dynamics, epidemic impacts, consumption trends, and international trade into its analytical framework. By harnessing dynamic decision-making capabilities of reinforcement learning (RL), we design an optimization architecture centered on the Q-learning mechanism and dual-strategy pools, which is integrated into the honey badger algorithm to form the RL-enhanced honey badger algorithm (RLEHBA). This innovation achieves an efficient balance between exploration and exploitation in model solving and improves system adaptability. Numerical experiments demonstrate RLEHBA’s superior performance over State-of-the-Art algorithms on the CEC 2017 benchmark. A case study of China’s 2026 pork regulation confirms the system’s practical value in stabilizing the supply-demand balance and optimizing resource allocation. Finally, some targeted managerial insights are proposed. This study constructs a replicable framework for intelligent livestock regulation, and it also holds transformative significance for sustainable and adaptive supply chain management in global agri-food systems. Full article

Background: Honey is a beekeeping product with high nutritional value, considered a bio-indicator of environmental pollution. The aim of this study was to determine the mineral content in honey by analyzing toxic metals in accordance with EU regulations and evaluating the intake of microelements through honey consumption. Methods: Honey samples of different floral origins were subjected to ICP-MS analysis for the determination of toxic metals and metalloids (Cd, Pb, As) as well as microelements (Cu, Zn, Se, Fe, Mn, Co, and Al). The data were considered significant for p-values < 0.05. Results: All analyzed minerals were detected above the limit of detection (LOD) in every sample. Among toxic metals, lead (Pb) levels exceeded the maximum residue limit (MRL) of 0.1 mg/kg, as established by EU Regulation 2023/915, in most samples. However, these levels corresponded to a small percentage of the Provisional Tolerable Weekly and Daily Intake. The concentrations of microelements significantly contributed to the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). Conclusions: This study documents the presence of toxic metals in the analyzed honey, with lead (Pb) levels exceeding the MRL. The microelement content provides adequate nutritional intake through honey consumption. Therefore, studying the mineral profile can be used to monitor environmental pollution in the areas where the apiaries are located and to assess the safety of honey. Full article

Chronic alcohol consumption is a major contributor to gastric injury, yet current therapeutic strategies predominantly rely on chemical agents with limited efficacy and potential side effects. Natural products, with their multi-target biocompatibility and safety advantages, offer promising alternatives for gastric protection. We examined the phenolic compounds of Elaeagnus angustifolia honey (EAH) and investigated its prophylactic potential against ethanol-induced chronic gastric injury in mice. HPLC-DAD-Q-TOF-MS analysis showed that 21 phenolic compounds were tentatively and qualitatively identified in EAH, as well as 14 phenolic compounds. Moreover, gastric ulcer indices, histopathological morphology, oxidative stress markers (MDA, GSH, SOD), inflammatory mediators (NO, PGE2), and cytokine gene expression (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, iNOS) were evaluated via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and quantitative real-time PCR. Western blot was employed to assess COX-2 protein expression, while 16^S rRNA sequencing analyzed gut microbiota composition. The results demonstrated that EAH could play a role in gastric injury caused by long-term alcoholism by protecting gastric tissue structure, interfering with oxidative stress and inflammatory response, and remodeling the intestinal microbial community. Full article

This study quantifies the market values, or implicit prices, of honey quality features (e.g., organic and origin information, package-related features) and floral varieties for supporting beekeepers in differentiating their products to escape from price competition characterizing the Italian honey market. The research employed a sample of sales data, 660 observations collected from the Italian market, and a hedonic price model, estimated via Ordinary Least Squares, to assess the implicit prices of honey characteristics. A high premium price was recorded for honey with added royal jelly and propolis, as well as for “100% Italian” honey. In contrast, moderate price premiums were recorded for Protected Designation of Origin and organic honey. Furthermore, the floral varieties used largely affected the product price: the highest premium prices were estimated for the Manuka, Kanuka, and Tawari floral varieties. Price premiums above +50% were estimated for floral varieties such as Strawberry tree, Pine, Cistus, Tree of Heaven, Sainfoin, Marruca, and Solidago. Results suggest that honey quality features and some floral varieties can effectively differentiate products, supporting beekeepers to achieve higher revenues. This study offers empirical evidence of the extent to which floral varieties and other product characteristics affect the market price of honey using a dataset of secondary data, with the aim to support producers to improve their competitive position in the market. Full article

The development of an effective artificial diet is essential for the mass rearing of insects used in pest management programs, including augmentative biological control, insecticide resistance monitoring, and sterile insect release. This study evaluated the consumption, utilization, and enzymatic responses of the polyphagous pest Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner, 1808) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) when reared on meridic diets supplemented with different pollen grains. The control diet followed a well-established meridic formulation, while the eight experimental diets incorporated pollen from the honey bee, rapeseed, maize, sunflower, hollyhock, glossy shower, saffron, and date palm. The findings indicate that pollen supplementation enhances the quality of artificial diets for H. armigera. Larvae fed on the date palm pollen-supplemented diet exhibited significantly higher weight gain, efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI), efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD), and relative growth rate (RGR) compared to those fed on the control diet. The highest relative consumption rate (RCR) was observed in larvae fed on the sunflower pollen-supplemented diet. Additionally, pollen-supplemented diets influenced the amylolytic and proteolytic enzyme activities of H. armigera larvae in a diet-dependent manner. Nutritional analysis of the pollen types revealed significant variations in the sugar, lipid, and protein contents. Cluster analysis further identified the date palm pollen-supplemented diet as the most nutritionally beneficial, suggesting its potential application in the large-scale production of H. armigera. Full article

This feasibility study investigates the relationship between functional food consumption and mental well-being, focusing on natural foods traditionally linked to mental health benefits. This research also examines consumer preferences to identify key characteristics that novel functional foods designed to enhance mental well-being should possess. Additionally, this study lays the groundwork for a clinical trial exploring the effects of a novel functional food on mental health and well-being. Data were collected through an online bilingual survey (Greek/English) from 362 participants across Greece and Cyprus, using an adapted Functional Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFFQ) featuring 30 foods with documented effects on cognitive function and mood regulation. The survey included validated scales measuring mental well-being, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), sleep quality, and food choice motives, along with demographic and anthropometric data. Analysis revealed significant associations between functional food consumption and mental health outcomes, particularly in HRQoL, sleep quality, and body mass index (BMI). Most functional foods consumed were natural and aligned with the Mediterranean dietary pattern, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbal infusions, and honey, all demonstrating positive effects on mental and physical health. Consumer preferences showed a strong inclination toward functional foods that balance sensory appeal with health benefits, including milk-based and plant-based beverages, protein bars, and granola bars. Ingredients like St. John’s wort and Greek mountain tea were identified as potentially beneficial for mental well-being, consistent with their established efficacy in psychological health. A significant majority of participants (66.9%) expressed interest in participating in clinical trials, highlighting the need for further research into the efficacy of functional food components. This study provides a foundation for future clinical trials examining the impact of novel functional food formulations on mental and physical health, addressing the growing consumer demand for products that enhance psychological resilience and well-being. Full article

In recent years, honey bees have been stressed by multiple factors, with malnutrition posing a significant threat to the healthy development of honey bee colonies. To keep a colony healthy and productive, beekeepers supply their colonies with supplementary pollen or commercial pollen substitutes during periods of pollen dearth or insufficient pollen quantity or quality. In this study, we evaluated the effects of four natural pollen types (oilseed rape pollen, camellia pollen, lotus pollen and buckwheat pollen) and two commercial pollen substitutes (Diet 1 and Diet 2) against a control group (sucrose solution) on Apis cerana through cage experiments. The food consumption, live body weight, longevity, hypopharyngeal gland development and midgut proteolytic enzyme activity of caged workers were measured. The food consumption rates of oilseed rape pollen and buckwheat pollen were greater than the other diets. Oilseed rape pollen and camellia pollen were recognized as excellent-quality diets for hypopharyngeal gland development and midgut proteolytic enzyme activity. Over the entire experimental period, the caged workers fed with lotus pollen had a similar diet consumption and body weight to those fed with pollen substitutes, and these bees had a significantly higher survival rate than those fed with other diets. The results indicated that the commercial pollen substitutes appeared to be less beneficial to caged A. cerana workers than the natural pollen resources. Full article

The role of experimental data and the use of IoT-based monitoring systems are gaining broader significance in research on bees across several aspects: bees as global pollinators, as biosensors, and as examples of swarm intelligence. This increases the demands on monitoring systems to obtain homogeneous, continuous, and standardized experimental data, which can be used for machine learning, enabling models to be trained on new online data. However, the continuous operation of monitoring systems introduces new risks, particularly the cumulative impact of electromagnetic radiation on bees and their behavior. This highlights the need to balance IoT energy consumption, functionality, and continuous monitoring. We present a novel IoT-based bee monitoring system architecture that has been operating continuously for several years, using solar energy only. The negative impact of IoT electromagnetic fields is minimized, while ensuring homogeneous and continuous data collection. We obtained experimental data on the adverse phenomenon of honey robbing, which involves elements of swarm intelligence. We demonstrate how this phenomenon can be predicted and illustrate the interactions between bee colonies and the influence of solar radiation. The use of criteria for detecting honey robbing will help to reduce the spread of diseases and positively contribute to the sustainable development of precision beekeeping. Full article

Honey bees are known for their wide global distribution, their ease of handling, and their economic and ecological value. However, they are often exposed to a wide variety of stress factors. Therefore, it is essential for beekeepers to maintain healthy bee colonies. In this context, a balanced diet is recommended to support the growth of strong and healthy honey bee colonies. The purpose of this review is therefore to provide an overview of the nutritional requirements of Apis mellifera and their importance for the maintenance of healthy bee colonies. An adequate diet includes the consumption of sufficient amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, water, and essential sterols, and a diet based on multi-floral pollen is desirable. However, when honey bee colonies are located near agroecosystems with lower resource diversity, both brood rearing and colony longevity may decrease, making them more susceptible to parasites and diseases. On the other hand, efforts have been made to improve the health of honey bee colonies with the help of nutritional supplements consisting of a variety of components. Nevertheless, studies have shown that even with these supplements, a lack of nutrients can still be an issue for honey bee colonies. Furthermore, future research should focus on identifying nutritional supplements that can better replicate natural diet diversity and assessing long-term effects on honey bee colony resilience, especially in low-flowering areas. This review discusses the interaction between nutrient requirements and the effects of supplements on colony health. Full article

Background/Objectives: Hormonal changes throughout a woman’s life cycle significantly affect serum lipid levels. Alterations in the serum lipid profile can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Additionally, nutrition and dietary habits are crucial for managing dyslipidemia. The current study evaluated the association between dietary habits and plasma lipid profiles among perimenopausal women in Latvia. Methods: The randomized clinical trial involved perimenopausal women (n = 61) aged 49 ± 3 years with moderately high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels of 3.61 ± 0.30 mmol L⁻¹. A series of questionnaires were completed, including a questionnaire on the subject’s demographic, anthropometric, lifestyle, health, physical activity, and dietary factors, a 24 h food diary, a 72 h food diary, and a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Blood testing was conducted for all participants, which included total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), and glucose level analyses. Results: The consumption of refined sugar, honey, syrup, and jam demonstrated a strong positive association with higher levels of remnant cholesterol (β = 0.462, p ≤ 0.05) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) (β = 0.395, p ≤ 0.05). Similarly, the consumption of fruit juices is associated with increased LDL-C (β = 0.303, p ≤ 0.05) and non-HDL-C (β = 0.285, p ≤ 0.05). Conversely, higher meat and poultry consumption negatively correlates with TC levels (β = −0.290, p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: This underscores the need for further examination to understand the impact of dietary habits on lipid profile. Full article

The four honeybee species native to Cambodia—Apis dorsata, Apis cerana, Apis florea, and Apis andreniformis—play a vital role in ecosystem health and agricultural productivity through their pollination activities. Beekeeping in Cambodia has primarily developed around the introduced species Apis mellifera. However, it remains underdeveloped compared to neighboring countries, with wild honey collection continuing to play a significant role. Although native bees are not at immediate risk of extinction, their crucial ecological and socio-economic roles, coupled with the threats to their populations, necessitate the urgent implementation of conservation policies. The beekeeping sector in Cambodia faces numerous challenges that hinder its development. These include a lack of documentation and official data, limited access to productive apiaries, inappropriate pesticide practices, insufficient knowledge about bee health, diseases, and parasites, inadequate organization and representation of beekeepers, the high cost of Cambodian honey, and a lack of consumer awareness and trust in local bee products. This paper provides an overview of the status and distribution of honeybee species, along with the production, value chain, and trade of bee products in Cambodia. It examines the challenges of conserving native honeybees and developing the beekeeping sector while proposing strategies to strengthen bee conservation and support the growth of beekeeping in the country. Key recommendations focus on integrating bee conservation strategies with broader conservation goals, such as reducing deforestation, promoting sustainable agriculture, and regulating the consumption of wild bee brood. Key strategies for the development of beekeeping are documenting and conserving bee floral resources and habitats, reducing the use of bee-toxic pesticides, developing research and training capacities in beekeeping, regulating bee imports, and enhancing quality and authenticity testing facilities. Additionally, building capacity among honey value chain stakeholders in areas such as quality control, authenticity, processing, packaging, and marketing is essential. Full article