Fatty acid content of honeycombs depending on the level of technogenic loading on the environment

Abstract

The content of heavy metals, non-etherified and anionic forms of fatty acids, and also fatty acids of common lipids in honeycomb cells, obtained from hives placed in areas with high, medium and low levels of technogenic loading is investigated. The hives were located at the educational apiary of Lviv National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies named after S.Z. Gzhytskyj (area with very heavy traffic and industrial activity) and in private beekeeping farms in the town Vynnyky and the village Chyzhyky, Pustomyty district, Lviv region (areas with lower intensity of traffic and industrial activity). Our research has shown that the newly-built honeycomb cells obtained from hives placed in the territory with medium and low levels of technogenic loading contain a lower quantity of such heavy metals as iron, zinc, cuprum, chromium, nickel, lead and cadmium. The total amount of non-etherified fatty acids with even and odd number of carbon atoms in the chain, monounsaturated fatty acids of n-7 and n-9 families and polyunsaturated fatty acids of n-3 and n-6 families was higher in these honeycombs. However, the total concentration of anionic forms of fatty acids with even and odd number of carbon atoms in the chain, monounsaturated fatty acids of n-7 and n-9 families and polyunsaturated fatty acids of n-3 and n-6 families was lower in these honeycombs. Due to the above-mentioned monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids the amount of fatty acids of common lipids rises. It leads to increase in the antibacterial and antifungal properties of honeycomb cells and reduction of fragility of their walls. The greatest changes in concentration of heavy metals, non-etherified and anionic form of fatty acids, and also fatty acids of common lipids occur in the newly built honeycomb cells in the territory with low technogenic loading on the environment.

Keywords

• beehives
• heavy metals
• fatty acids