Unsaponifiable Matter of Six Pollens Collected by Honeybees in Egypt

SummaryGas-liquid chromatography (GLC) was used for the identification and quantitative analysis of unsaponifiables of samples from the 6 major pollen sources in the Nile Delta region of Egypt (families Leguminosae, Cruciferae, Compositae, Linaceae, Rutaceae). The composition of the sterol compounds was much simpler than that of the hydrocarbons; usually 6 to 8 sterols were detected and 13 to 16 hydrocarbons. Cholesterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were the major sterol components, β-sitosterol being predominant. Results indicated that unsaponifiables, taken as a group, may provide a key for the identification of pollen sources.