Palynological Characteristic Of Honey From Altai Territory
Abstract
G. I. Nenasheva, M. S. Ivanova, N. S. Malygina, T. M. Kopytina
The present paper contains results of the palynological research in Altai Territory which takes first place in the Siberian Region and fourth place in Russia in honey production. The development of criteria of the palynological authenticity of Altai honey is of great practical importance, since beekeeping is one of the priority directions of the of the region's economy development. We studied the honey resources of the mountain forest (Charysh, Soloneshnoe and Altaiskoe Districts), foothills-forest steppe (Smolenskoe District) and pinery (Pervomaiskoe District) zones of Altai Territory. The palynological analysis of 103 honey examples from 18 apiaries was carried out. The melisopalinological analysis of honey examples revealed that the pollen composition of honey reflects the type of vegetation in a locality where the honey was produced. We studied both polyflorous and monoflorous honey. In samples studied the pollen of 25 plant families was identified, herewith the families Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Polygonaceae, Rosaceae dominate. To visualize the data the ternary plots were constructed. The plots demonstrate a composition of plants families in honey samples from forest-steppe, subtaiga, foothills forest-steppe and mountain forest zones. The analysis of the plot illustrating a composition of plant families in the forest-steppe and the foothills forest-steppe zones revealed the prevalence of Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Fabaceae and Polygonaceae, whereas in a composition of plant families in the forest-steppe subtaiga and mountain forest zones Apiaceae, Brassicaceae, Fabaceae and Polygonaceae prevail. The analysis of the plot illustrating a composition of plant families in the the foothills forest-steppe and the mountain forest zones revealed the prevalence of Apiaceae, Brassicaceae, Fabaceae and Polygonaceae. For the analysis of the melisopalinological data an agglomeration hierarchical clustering was used. The central objects determining the formation of classes were identified, their contribution to the formation of honey samples pollen spectra was calculated. For honey from forest-steppe subtaiga, foothills forest-steppe and mountain forest zones originated from five districts of Altai Territory the minimum thresholds which determine their palynological authenticity were given.
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