• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.109-116
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• 2018

We investigated the effects of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colony size on the pollination of greenhouse-cultivated watermelon grown under the forcing cultivation system. The highest pollination activity of bees was observed ($14.3{\pm}5.0$ honey bees/day) when the bee colony size was 10,000 followed by 7,500 and 5,000 honey bees. There was a positive correlation between the bee colony size and pollination activity (R = 0.262) but insignificant difference in fruit set with different honey bee colony sizes (88%-91%). Evaluation of physical properties revealed that the weight and shape of watermelon were also not significantly different among different colony sizes. However, larger the bee colony size, higher the number of seeds were fertilized and rate of seed fertilization (p > 0.05). Number of seeds and content of sugar were negatively correlated (R = -0.714). Fertilized seeds showed a significant increase in mealy flesh, which has a negative effect on fruit quality, compared with that of the unfertilized seeds. Overall, we found that a colony size of 5,000 honey bees was the most effective for the pollination of watermelon grown under forcing cultivation. A comparison of the effects of bee pollination with those of artificial pollination suggested that artificial pollination can be effectively replaced by bee pollination in the forcing cultivation of watermelon, because fruit set, weight, and shape by bee pollination were similar to those achieved by artificial pollination.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.252-261
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• 2019

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are a group of secondary metabolites that are produced by plants all over the world as a defense mechanism against herbivores. To date, over 660 PAs have been identified from more than 6,000 plant species that have been reported to be widely present in plants belonging to Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, and Fabaceae. This study describes an analytical method based on UPLC-MS/MS for the quantitation of 7 pyrrolizidine alkaloids (Lycopsamine, Echimidine, Retrorsine, Retrorsine N-oxide, Senecionine, Heliotrine, and Trichodesmine) in honey, and was applied to 84 honey samples for validation. Quantitation was performed based on a matrix-matched calibration to compensate for the matrix effect on the electrospray ionization. Good linear calibrations were obtained for all 7 PAs in the spiked honey samples (2.575-202.14 ㎍/kg; R² ≥ 0.998). The extraction recoveries for most of the PAs in the honey samples were in the range of 81 %-108 %. The analysis showed that 6 of the 84 honey samples were contaminated by the PAs with the mean total sum of PAs being 47.19 ㎍/kg, and the concentrations of the PAs were observed to be in the range of 1.76-202.1 ㎍/kg. The retronecine type compounds (Echimidine, Lycopsamine) were the most frequently found PAs in honey. These data provide useful information for the assessment of human risk posed by the consumption of honey contaminated PAs.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.102-109
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• 1991

Quality of three kinds of honey from acacia, chestnut and polyflower sources, was evaluated by physicochemical and GC-MS analysis in respect to some chemical composition. The average contents of moisture, ash, HMF(hydroxy methyl furfurol) and free acidity were 19.7% , 0.028% , 18.28mg/kg and 8.85meq/kg , respectively, in acacia honey, 19.1% , 0.05% , 18.47mg/kg and 10.24 meq/kg , respectively, in polyflower honey, and 18.9% , 0.050% , 20.21mg/kg, 12.28meq/kg respectively, in chestnut honey. The average contents of glucose and fructose ranged from 31.0 to 32.0% and from 35.0 to 36.0% , respectively, in all three kinds of honey. The average ratio of fructose to glucose was 1.14 in all three kinds of honey. Fatty acid composition in honey identified by GC-MS analysis was dodecanoic acid, 10-hydroxy-2-decanoic acid, 6,9-undecadienoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, 12-(acetyl oxy) -9-octadecenoic acid and 14-octadecenoic acid. The content of 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid was about 10% in three kinds of honey.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.311-325
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• 2023

This study was conducted to analyze the habitat suitability of the major honey trees including Kalopanax septemlobus Koidz., Prunus spp., Tilia spp., and Styrax obassia Siebold & Zucc. indigenous to mountain Gariwang and Yumeong using the machine learning approach (i.e., MaxEnt model). The AUC values of the model predictions were mostly above 0.7, and the results of the response curves showed that the environmental drivers that had effects on the habitat suitability of the major honey trees were elevation, mean annual precipitation, and mean annual temperature. These results indicate that climatic drivers along the elevation gradient are the main environmental drivers in explaining the distribution patterns of the major honey trees. In addition, the results of the response curves of Prunus spp. and Styrax obassia Siebold & Zucc. differed slightly in terms of slope and mean annual solar radiation as the main environmental drivers. The results of this study will be valuable for the establishment of honey tree forests and management plans for the natural and artificial forests in South Korea, as well as for the mapping the distribution of honey trees. Further studies at different regional levels, reflecting biotic drivers, will be needed to expand the production of honey and pollen at different strata and to produce honey annually.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.90-94
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• 2008

Dynamic rheological properties of honey samples with 3 different moisture contents (17.2, 19.0, and 21.0%) were evaluated at various low temperatures (-15, -10, -5, and $0^{\circ}C$) using a controlled stress rheometer. The honey samples displayed a liquid-like behavior, with loss modulus (G") predominating over storage modulus (G') (G">>G'), showing the high dependence on frequency ($\omega$). The magnitudes of G' and G" decreased with an increase in temperature and water content while a predominant increase of G' was noticed at $-15^{\circ}C$. The time-temperature superposition (TTS) principle was applied to bring G" values for honeys at various temperatures together into a master curve. The G" over the temperature range of -15 to $0^{\circ}C$ obeyed the Arrhenius relationship with a high determination coefficient ($R^2=0.98-0.99$). Activation energy value (Ea=112.4 kJ/mol) of honey with a moisture content of 17.2% was higher than those (Ea=98.8-101.1 kJ/mol) of other honey samples with higher moisture contents.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.2249-2254
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• 2013

The study was conducted to determine the effect of Malaysian jungle Tualang Honey (TH) on development of breast cancer induced by the carcinogen 7,12-dimethylbenz(${\alpha}$)anthracene (DMBA) in rats. Forty nulliparous female Sprague-Dawley rats were given 80 mg/kg DMBA then randomly divided into four groups: Group 1 served as a Control while Groups 2, 3 and 4 received 0.2, 1.0 or 2.0 g/kg bodyweight/day of TH, respectively, for 150 days. Results showed that breast cancers in the TH-treated groups had slower size increment and smaller mean tumor size (${\leq}2cm^3$) compared to Controls (${\leq}8cm^3$). The number of cancers developing in TH-treated groups was also significantly fewer (P<0.05). Histological grading showed majority of TH-treated group cancers to be of grade 1 and 2 compared to grade 3 in controls. There was an increasing trend of apoptotic index (AI) seen in TH-treated groups with increasing dosage of Tualang Honey, however, the mean AI values of all TH-treated groups were not significantly different from the Control value (p>0.05). In conclusion, Tualang Honey exerted positive modulation effects on DMBA-induced breast cancers in rats in this preliminary study.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.695-701
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• 2012

This study was conducted to improve the quality of Kongsulgidduk prepared with soyflour and sweeteners. The quality was affected by the type of sweeteners used (sugar, syrup, honey), as well as the amount used (5-20%). Rheological properties showed that when more sugar was added to Kongsulgidduk, the hardness, gumminess and brittleness were lower. In addition, more than 10% sugar led to a significant decrease in hardness, gumminess and brittleness. The addition of honey increased the hardness, but decreased cohesiveness and brittleness of Kongsulgidduk. When color was evaluated, the L-value and a-value decreased, but the b- value increased as sugar was added. The addition of honey resulted in a decreased L-value. Sensory evaluation revealed that the addition of sugar resulted in better overall quality. The color score was highest when 5% sugar was added, while the flavor, moisture and chewiness scores were best when 10% sugar was added. Sweetness and consistency were good when 20% sugar was added. Honey improved the color, flavor and chewiness of Kongsulgidduk; however, sugar produced the best moisture, consistency and overall scores.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.555-564
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• 2019

Biodiesel is produced through the transesterification process in the presence of alcohol and a catalyst that catalyzes the conversion of triglycerides to esters and glycerol compounds. A more optimal product conversion can be achieved using enzymes, such as lipase. Lipase is reported to be produced in osmophilic yeasts due to the low water content in their natural habitats. Wild forest honey is one of the osmophilic natural habitats in Indonesia. However, lipase-producing yeast has not been reported in the Indonesian honey. In this study, we screened the lipase-producing yeasts isolated from wild forest honey collected from Central Sulawesi. The production profile and activity of lipase were determined at different pH values and temperatures. One promising yeast was isolated from the honey, which was identified as Zygosaccharomyces mellis SG 1.2 based on ITS sequence. The maximum lipase production (24.56 ± 1.30 U/mg biomass) was achieved by culturing the strain in a medium containing 2% olive oil as a carbon source at pH 7 and 30℃ for 40 h. The optimum pH and temperature for lipase activity were 6 and 55℃, respectively. The enzyme maintained 80% of its activity upon incubation at 25℃ for 4 h. However, the enzyme activity decreased by more than 50% upon incubation at 35 and 40℃ for 2 h. This is the first study to report the lipase producing capability of Z. mellis. Further studies are needed to optimize the enzyme production.

• Mycobiology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.204-208
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• 2017

Nosema ceranae is an obligate intracellular fungal parasite that causes mortality in honey bees and enhances the susceptibility of honey bees to other pathogens. Efficient purification of Nosema spores from the midgut of infected honey bees is very important because Nosema is non-culturable and only seasonably available. To achieve a higher yield of spores from honey bees, in this study, we considered that the initial release of spores from the midgut tissues was the most critical step. The use of 2 mm beads along with enzymatic treatment with collagenase and trypsin enhanced the homogenization of tissues and the yield of released spores by approximately 2.95 times compared with the use of common 3 mm beads alone. The optimal time for the enzyme treatment was determined to be 1 hr as measured by the yield and viability of the spores. A one-step filtration using a filter paper with an $8-11{\mu}m$ pore size was sufficient for removing cell debris. This method may be useful to purify not only N. ceranae spores but also other Nosema spp. spores.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.605-611
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• 1995

Carbohydrase enzymes in honey catalyze transglucosylation reactions which result in the formation of structurally similar oligosaccharides. These oligosaccharides make up a small portion of the total carbohydrates in honey. These minor oligosaccharides in native-bee honeys were identified and quantitated employing trimethylsilylation by capillary Gas Chromatography. The minor oligosaccharides found in honey were eight disaccharides and five trisaccharides. The main oligosaccharide components of honey were erlose, maltose, turanose and sucrose.