Bactérias do mel de abelhas sem ferrão (apidae: meliponini) com potencial antagônico a microrganismos patogênicos de interesse para saúde humana

Abstract

Stingless bee colonies are a natural reservoir of microorganisms that may be present in honey, pollen and other microenvironments throughout the nest. Bees, like other social insects, have complex symbiotic interactions that, throughout evolution, provided an ecological interaction that helped preserve the hives, favouring the life of these insects and giving them a survival advantage. Several microorganisms associated with stingless bees, mainly sporulating bacteria of the Bacillus genus, produce substances that inhibit the growth of competing microorganisms that contaminate and deteriorate the food stored in the hives. In this context, this work aimed to isolate bacteria from stingless bees of the apidae: meliponini group to verify the capacity of the microbiota against pathogenic microorganisms of interest to human health. In the antagonism test, samples of honey from Melipona asilvai with 10-1 to 10-4 dilutions were used, which were then submitted to hyperthermia in a water bath at 80˚C. Ten sporogenic bacterial morphotypes were selected and submitted to an antagonism test, but only six inhibited the growth of pathogenic bacteria with an inhibition halo ranging from 1 to 3 mm. Honey samples from M. subnitida, scaptotrigona sp and Friosiomelitta stored for more than two years and from Melipona asilvai showed absence of yeasts, filamentous fungi and thermotolerant total coliforms. All honey samples showed total mesophilic aerobic bacteria, in concentrations ranging from 2.9 x 104 a 9.79 x 104 CFU/g of honey. Although honey has high concentrations of sugars that inhibit microbial growth, several bacteria are able to resist high osmotic pressure and survive in this substrate, making it a natural reservoir of microorganisms that end up being beneficial to the colony and serving as a barrier against contaminating microorganisms.