Published in Scientific Papers. Series D. Animal Science, Vol. LXVI, Issue 1
Written by Rodica MARGAOAN, Ştefan ARĂDĂVOAICEI, Cristian Radu SISEA, Mihaiela CORNEA-CIPCIGAN, Mirela Irina CORDEA
Palynological research has applicability in several scientific fields, the most important being taxonomy, plant evolution, medicine and the analysis of honey - melissopalynology. The palynology provides data regarding the botanical and geographical origin of bee products like bee pollen, bee bread, royal jelly and propolis, which is useful in establishing their provenance and correct labelling. This paper details the characteristics and investigation of several methods for obtaining microscope slides from different bee products. The microscopic examination represents an essential part of the palynological analysis. Several methods for the preparation of microscopic slides were selected and assessed regarding preparation time, costs, dangerous substances used and results. The methods were employed successfully for different bee products, but the non-acetolysis method published by Louveaux et al. (1978) offers several advantages in terms of ease of use, safety and efficiency. The results of our comparative analysis emphasize that some methods are recommended for the creation of reference libraries, while others are well suited for being used in routine analysis of bee products.
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