Agriculture and forestry

Halina Hutsol – Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Associate Professor at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Vinnytsia National Agrarian University (21008, Vinnytsia, 3 Soniachna Street, e-mail: gucolg@ukr.net). ORCID: 0000-0001-6327-6555.

Olha Mazur – PhD in Agronomy, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Vinnytsia National Agrarian University, str. Sonyachna, 3, Vinnytsia, Ukraine, 21008 (mad12olya@gmail.com) ORCID: 0000-0002-1763-7548.

The article presents the results of a comprehensive study on the toxicological and microbiological indicators of beekeeping products ‒ in particular, bee pollen and propolis ‒ collected from private apiaries in the Vinnytsia region of Ukraine. The aim of the study was to assess the safety and quality of protein-based bee products for their potential application in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and veterinary sectors. According to the results of laboratory analyses, the content of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, copper, and zinc) in most of the studied samples did not exceed the maximum permissible concentrations established by current Ukrainian and international safety standards. However, certain bee pollen samples failed to meet microbiological safety criteria due to excessive levels of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms, which may indicate contamination during collection, transportation, or storage of the products. These findings highlight the need for adherence to proper hygiene conditions and the implementation of regular quality control measures at all stages of production. A separate section of the study was devoted to examining the effect of liming acidic soils on the accumulation of radionuclides 137Cs and 90Sr) in protein-rich apicultural products formed from the pollen of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). The study confirmed that the applied agrochemical measure ‒ soil liming ‒ is effective in reducing the bioaccumulation of radionuclides in bee products and contributes to increased yields and productivity of apicultural resources. The presented results are of significant practical value for ensuring the environmental safety of bee products and enhancing consumer trust. They can also serve as a scientific basis for the development of recommendations regarding safe and sustainable beekeeping practices in regions affected by man-made or radiological pollution and requiring ecological restoration.

1. Brodschneider R., Crailsheim K. (2010). Nutrition and health in honey bees. Apidologie, 41(3), 278–294. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1051/apido/2010012 [In English].

2. Skrypka H.A., Khimych M.S., Salata V.Z., Naidich O.V., Horobei O.M., Matviishyn T.S. (2021). Monitoring of compliance of quality and safety of sunflower honey with the requirements of the national standard. Scientific Messenger of Lviv National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies. Series: Veterinary Sciences, 23(103), 162–167. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32718/nvlvet10323 [In English].

3. DSTU 3127-95. Obnizhzhia bdzholyne (pylok kvitkovyi) i yoho sumishi. Tekhnichni umovy [Bee pollen and its mixtures. Technical specifications]. Kyiv, 1995. 25 p. [In Ukrainian].

4. DSTU 4662:2006. Propolis (bdzholynyi klei). Tekhnichni umovy [Propolis (bee glue). Technical specifications]. Kyiv, 2007. 13 p. [In Ukrainian].

5. DSTU 7670:2014. Syrovyna i produkty kharchovi. Hotuvannia prob. Mineralizatsiia dlia vyznachennia vmistu toksychnykh elementiv [Raw materials and food products. Sample preparation. Mineralization for determination of toxic elements content]. Kyiv, 2014. 25 p. [In Ukrainian].

6. DSTU EN 12824:2004. Mikrobiolohiia kharchovykh produktiv i kormiv dlia tvaryn. Horyzontalnyi metod vyiavlennia Salmonella (EN 12824:1997, IDT) [Microbiology of food and animal feed. Horizontal method for the detection of Salmonella (EN 12824:1997, IDT)]. Kyiv, 2005. 24 p. [In Ukrainian].

7. DSTU EN ISO 4833-1:2014. Mikrobiolohiia kharchovykh produktiv i kormiv dlia tvaryn. Horyzontalnyi metod pidrakhunku mikroorhanizmiv. Tekhnika pidrakhunku kolonii za temperatury 30°C [Microbiology of food and animal feed. Horizontal method for the enumeration of microorganisms. Colony count technique at 30°C]. Kyiv, 2014. 21 p. [In Ukrainian].

8. DSTU ISO 6887-1:2003. Mikrobiolohiia kharchovykh produktiv ta kormiv dlia tvaryn. Hotuvannia doslidzhuvanykh prob vykhidnoi suspenzii ta desiatykratnykh rozveden dlia mikrobiolohichnoho doslidzhennia. [Microbiology of food and animal feed. Preparation of test samples, initial suspension and decimal dilutions]. Kyiv, 2004. 10 p. [In Ukrainian].

9. DSTU ISO 7954:2006. Mikrobiolohiia kharchovykh produktiv i kormiv dlia tvaryn. Zahalni nastanovy z pidrakhuunku drizhdzhiv i mikroskopichnykh hrybiv. [Microbiology of food and animal feed. Guidelines for the enumeration of yeasts and molds]. Kyiv, 2007. 10 p. [In Ukrainian].

10. Kalynychenko O.O., Kalynychenko A.O. (2017). Vplyv probiotyktiv na produktyvnist bdzholynykh rodyn [Effect of probiotics on the productivity of bee colonies]. Problemy ta shliakhy intensyfikatsii vyrobnytstva produktsii tvarynnytstva: Zb. materialiv dop. uchasn. mizhnar. nauk.-praktych. konf. Dnipro: DDAEU. P. 100–102. [In Ukrainian].

11. Mishchenko O.A., Lytvynenko O.M., Afara K.D., Kryvoruchko D.I. (2021). Vplyv vidboru bdzholynoho obnizhzhia pylkolovliuvachem na liotnu aktyvnist ta povedinku bdzhol-zbyralʹnyts kvitkovoho pylku [Effect of bee pollen trap sampling on the flight activity and behavior of pollen-collecting bees]. Tekhnolohiia vyrobnytstva i pererobky produktsii tvarynnytstva – Technology of Livestock Production and Processing, 1(164), 25–33.DOI: https://doi.org/10.33245/2310-9289-2021-164-1-25-33 [In Ukrainian].

12. Nedashkivskyi V.M., Razanov S.F. (2020). Vplyv vesnianoho popolnennia kormovykh zapasiv bdzholynykh simei na vyrobnytstvo kvitkovoho pylku, perhy ta homohenatu trutnevykh lychynok [Effect of spring supplementation of bee colonies with feed reserves on the production of flower pollen, bee bread and drone larvae homogenate]. Visnyk Poltavskoi derzhavnoi ahrarnoi akademii – Bulletin of the Poltava State Agrarian Academy, 4, 157–162. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31210/visnyk2020.04.19 [In Ukrainian].

13. Skoromna O.I., Razanova O.P. (2019). Rozvytok haluzi bdzhilnytstva yak dzherelo struktury prodovolchoi bezpeky [Development of the beekeeping sector as a source of food security structure]. Ahrarna nauka ta kharchovi tekhnolohii – Agrarian Science and Food Technologies, 3(106), 70–82. DOI:http://nbuv.gov.ua/UJRN/anxt_2019_3_9 [In Ukrainian].

14. Skrypka H., Naidich O., Timchenko O., Dankevych N. (2023). Toksykolohichni i mikrobiolohichni kryterii bezpechnosti obnizhzhia bdzholinoho ta propolisu [Toxicological and microbiological safety criteria of bee pollen and propolis]. Aharnyi visnyk Prychornomoria – Agrarian Bulletin of the Black Sea Littoral Region, (109), 95–102. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37000/abbsl.2023.109.15 [In Ukrainian].

15. Skrypka H., Naidich O., Timchenko O. (2023). Vyznachennia zalyshkovykh kilkosteĭ antybakterialʹnykh rechovyn u medi vitchyznianykh ta zakordonnykh vyrobnykiv [Determination of residual amounts of antibacterial substances in honey of domestic and foreign producers]. Aharnyi visnyk Prychornomoria – Agrarian Bulletin of the Black Sea Littoral Region. Veterinary Sciences, 106, 93–100. DOI:https://doi.org/10.37000/abbsl.2023.106.11 [In Ukrainian].