Physicochemical patterns and determination of metals in honey from different species of stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponinae)

The breeding of stingless bees, known as meliponiculture, has increasingly occupied space in agribusiness, with honey being the target product of its breeders. The number of Meliponinae species is high, and these individuals have very diverse bioecological characteristics, and the products of their hive have peculiar characteristics. Therefore, the evaluation of the parameters indicating the quality of honey, an important product of the hive due to its commercial value, is necessary to guarantee the end consumer a product that has adequate organoleptic and nutritional characteristics. The objective of this study was to obtain information that contributes to the characterization of stingless bee honey, specifically the physical-chemical patterns and determination of metal concentration. The honey samples were collected in a meliponary located in southern Brazil and belonged to nine species of stingless bees. The collected honey was evaluated for physical-chemical parameters according to international protocols, and the determination of metal concentration was performed using the voltammetry technique. To better understand the results, multivariate statistical analyses were used (Principal Component Analysis – PCA and Canonical Discriminant Analysis – CDA). A total of 54 honey samples were evaluated; these honeys presented an amber color, moisture ranging from 20 to 36.3%. Only Melipona quadrifasciata honey presented average moisture values ​​above the maximum limit determined by Brazilian legislation. Most of the evaluated Meliponini honeys presented physical-chemical parameters in accordance with the quality standards established for stingless bees. The concentration of the metals Cd and Pb is above the maximum tolerable limit for human consumption. The results serve as a warning to be careful with sources of contamination of hive products, which can compromise their quality.