UNIVERSIDAD DEL TOLIMA

BOTANICAL ORIGIN AND PALEOBOTANICAL MARKERS ASSOCIATED WITH

PP-293 HONEY FROM SOME BEEKEEPERS IN ARAUCA, COLOMBIA

GRUPO DE
INVESTIGACIONES
Guillermo Salamanca Grosso. Oscar Julián Vanegas Flórez. Estefanía Hernández Muñoz. Mónica Patricia Osorio Tangarife
Grupo de Investigaciones Mellitopalinológicas y Propiedades Fisicoquímicas de Alimentos. Facultad de Ciencias
Universidad del Tolima, 730006299 Ibagué – Tolima Colombia. Email: gsalaman@ut.edu.co MELLITOPALINOLÓGICAS Y PROPIEDADES
FISICOQUÍMICAS DE ALIMENTOS

In Colombia, studies related to quality of Apis mellifera honeys, according to their nature, have
not been extensive, despite being considered a producing country, given the conditions of
Intertropical cofluence zone (ITCZ). Although the market for floral and monofloral honeys
is still being positioned. Studies on quality and diversity are still preliminary. Honey is the
natural product with sweetening properties more widely known, is produced by bees from
the nectar of flowers and secretions from the plants.
In the melissopalynological analysis of the samples 3207 microscopic observations
were recorded, which allowed the identification of 40 pollen types belonging to 22
botanical families. The Leguminosae family recorded the highest number of pollen
types (20%), followed by Anacardiaceae (14.3%), Solanaceae (9%), Clusiaceae (8.3%)
and Dilleniaceae (5.8%).

In Colombia, given the conditions of the intertropical confluence zone, honeys can be
harvested in different time periods depending on local climatic conditions and
microclimates. Although the market for floral and monofloral honeys is still being
positioned, studies on quality and diversity are still preliminary. Northeastern area of the
country, located in the Arauca region, is one of the areas with the greatest beekeeping
potential, since the region is composed of a high diversity in the floral offer that is
presented as an alternative for bees. Arauca is a geographical department located in the
extreme north of the Colombian Orinoquia, located between 06º 02′ 40″ and 07º 06′ 13″
north latitude and 69º 25′ 54″ and 72º 22′ 23″ west longitude, with an area of 23,818 km2
and bordered to the north and east by Venezuela, the west by the department of Boyacá
and to the south by the departments of Meta and Casanare. It has a great diversity of
climate, vegetation, and geographic areas.
A Attalea butyracea. B Bromelia sp. C Holcus lanatus. D Emilia sonchifolia. E Gliricidia sepium. F Citrus limon. G
Warszewiczia coccinea. H Hymenaea courbaril. I Miconia trinervia. J Pithecellobium dulce. K Warszewiczia coccinea. L
Hymenaea courbaril. M Davilla kunthii. N Solanum sp. O Austroeupatorium inulifolium. P Anacardium excelsum. Q
Anadenanthera peregrina. R Davilla kunthii. S. Pseudobombax sp. T Ricinus communis. Photographs x100.

Ten samples of honey harvested in 2022 from the four geographic zones of Arauca were
considered (premontane humid and very humid forest, pm-hf, vpm-hf were considered
premontane humid and very humid forest, (pm-hf, vpm-hf), tropical humid and very humid
forest (t-hf; vt-hf) and evaluated by palynological techniques.

Permanent glycerin gelatin-based slides were prepared recorded and incorporated into
the recent palynological collection of the Laboratory. With subsequent analysis under the
light microscope, and quantitative analyses were performed using the Dominance,
Margalef, Shannon, and Simpson indices. Melisopalynological analysis was operated after
processing 50 mL of each of the honey. In all cases, 5 g of sample were diluted in
distilled water at 45ºC. Pollen grains were removed by centrifugation.

Wildlife zone Location Latitude (N) Longitude (W)

pm-hf Cravo Corozo 6°18′15″ 70°12′14″
Fortul 6°47′03″ 71°46′30″ Biodiversity indices associated with the mellissopalynological assessments
vt-hf of samples from Arauca
Matelion 6°44′38″ 71°80′78″
Corocito 6°56′19″ 71°70′44″ Indices C CC EP FT LS ML NJ PP RH SA
El Pesebre 6°14′31″ 71°57′12″ ID 0.146 0.195 0.143 0.123 0.168 0.170 0.108 0.125 0.123 0.153
vpm-hf Naranjitos 6°25′13″ 71°43′38″ IM 1.289 0.867 1.209 1.720 1.651 1.040 1.459 1.355 1.391 1.038
Puna Puna 6°19′04″ 71°47′31″ IS 1.990 1.702 2.003 2.340 1.854 1.835 2.153 2.127 2.131 1.910
ISP 0.854 0.810 0.860 0.900 0.832 0.830 0.880 0.874 0.877 0.850
Rincón Hondo 6°27′22″ 71°38′37″
C: Corocito CC: Cravo Corozo. EP: El Pesebre. FT: Fortul. LS: La Soledad. ML: Matelion. NJ: Naranjitos. PP: Puna
Sarapay 6°26′36″ 71°29′34″ Puna. RH: Rincón Hondo. SA: Sarapay DI: Dominance Index. MI: Margalef Index. SI: Shannon Index. ISP: Simpson
t-hf
La Soledad 6°45′04″ 70°55′56″ Index.

The resulting sediment was acetolized, suspending the material for 24 h in glacial
acetic acid and treating it with acetic anhydride and sulfuric acid (9.1). Next, 5 mL of
a mixture of water and ethanol (30:70) was added to the final sediment.
Authors express their gratitude to the beekeepers of Tame Arauca, especially Luz Stella Sucre Valbuena
and those of the Asociacion Integral Tamarindo (Granita), for providing the honey samples that were
considered in the study. To the work team of the Mellitopalinological and Physicochemical Properties of
Food Research Group of the Universidad del Tolima for their work during the evaluation and
characterization of the samples.