THE EFFECT OF WILD HONEY (Apis dorsata Fabr.) CONCENTRATIONS ON PH AND ORGANOLEPTIC VALUES OF ULTRA HIGH TEMPERATURE (UHT) MILK

The research aims to observe the effect of addition wild honey (Apis dorsata Fabr.) on pH and organoleptic values of ultra high temperature milk (UHT). The research was done using an experimental method using a non-factorial completely randomized design with five levels using SPSS 16. Different concentrations of wild honey (A1= control; A2= 5%; A3= 10%; A4= 15% and A5=20%) were used. The data was statistically analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with 5% significance level and further processed with Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT). Organoleptic tests for colour, taste and overall preference were also done using qualitative tests (scores). The value of pH gave a significant value (P<0,01) between treatment. The higher the use of wild honey concentration, the lower the pH value produced. The higher the concentration of wild honey, the higher the organoleptic value. The best treatment in terms of colour, taste, and level of preference was observed in the sample with the 20% honey concentration, each of which resulted in an average score of 4.

In Silico and In Vitro Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Potential of Bacillus cereus Isolated from Apis dorsata Gut against Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health and development concern on a global scale. The increasing resistance of the pathogenic bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae to antibiotics necessitates efforts to identify potential alternative antibiotics from nature, including insects, which are already recognized as a source of natural antibiotics by the scientific community. This study aimed to determine the potential of components of gut-associated bacteria isolated from Apis dorsata, an Asian giant honeybee, as an antibacterial against N. gonorrhoeae by in vitro and in silico methods as an initial process in the stage of new drug discovery. The identified gut-associated bacteria of A. dorsata included Acinetobacter indicus and Bacillus cereus with 100% identity to referenced bacteria from GenBank. Cell-free culture supernatants (CFCS) of B. cereus had a very strong antibacterial activity against N. gonorrhoeae in an in vitro antibacterial testing. Meanwhile, molecular docking revealed that antimicrobial lipopeptides from B. cereus (surfactin, fengycin, and iturin A) had a comparable value of binding-free energy (BFE) with the target protein receptor for N. gonorrhoeae, namely penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 1 and PBP2 when compared with the ceftriaxone, cefixime, and doxycycline. The molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) study revealed that the surfactin remains stable at the active site of PBP2 despite the alteration of the H-bond and hydrophobic interactions. According to this finding, surfactin has the greatest antibacterial potential against PBP2 of N. gonorrhoeae.

Optimization of Various ITS rDNA Amplification Protocol of Yeast Isolated from Giant Honey Beehives (Apis dorsata)

Indonesia is a country with high variability of microorganisms, including bacteria, yeast, and fungi. Yeast isolates could be isolated from the honeycomb of Apis dorsata. Molecular approaches were used to identify yeast using ribosomal DNA gene sequences, called the ITS gene. The optimum condition for DNA extractions and amplifications are needed for the successfully of molecular identification. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the DNA extraction and amplification of several protocols to obtain good identification results. This study aimed to compare the effects of DNA extraction with various temperatures and different amplification protocols. LIPI reference DNA extraction protocol with the boiling method and variations in incubation time of 10, 15, and 20 minutes at a temperature of 98° C. Meanwhile, for the amplification of yeast DNA using a variety of different amplification protocols. The results showed the optimal time of incubation was 10 minutes in K1 isolates with DNA purity of 1.896. meanwhile, for isolates K2, K3, and K4 each with a purity of 2.246, 2.335, and 1.748. optimal DNA amplification results were indicated by the presense of DNA bands for each sample K1, K2, K3, and K4, namely 503, 542, 492, and 526 bp. In this study, it can be concluded that the optimal incubation time for the extraction process is 10 minutes. In addition, the optimal amplification protocol was shown in the DNA bands in all sample.

Chemical analysis of summer honeys collected from Apis dorsata hives of Chandrapur Tahsil of Chandrapur District of Maharashtra State (India)

The present investigation was undertaken to determine the chemical analysis of 5 summer honey samples (CHN-CHN-LOH, CHN-CHN-AJA, CHN-CHN-NAN, CHN-CHN-URJ, and CHN-CHN-CHI) collected from forest area of Chandrapur Tahsil of Chandrapur District of Maharashtra State (India). These samples were analyzed for several parameters such as moisture, total reducing sugar, Levulose or Fructose, Dextrose or Glucose, L/D ratio, Sucrose, Acidity. This type of chemical analysis favours the utilization of the honey for good quality in this area.

Propolis Extract and Chitosan Improve Health of Nosema ceranae Infected Giant Honey Bees, Apis dorsata Fabricius, 1793

Nosema ceranae is a large contributing factor to the most recent decline in honey bee health worldwide. Developing new alternative treatments against N. ceranae is particularly pressing because there are few treatment options available and therefore the risk of increased antibiotic resistance is quite high. Recently, natural products have demonstrated to be a promising avenue for finding new effective treatments against N. ceranae. We evaluated the effects of propolis extract of stingless bee, Tetrigona apicalis and chito-oligosaccharide (COS) on giant honey bees, Apis dorsata, experimentally infected with N. ceranae to determine if these treatments could improve the health of the infected individuals. Newly emerged Nosema-free bees were individually inoculated with 106N. ceranae spores per bee. We fed infected and control bees the following treatments consisting of 0%, 50%, propolis extracts, 0 ppm and 0.5 ppm COS in honey solution (w/v). Propolis extracts and COS caused a significant increase in trehalose levels in hemolymph, protein contents, survival rates and acini diameters of the hypopharyngeal glands in infected bees. Our results suggest that propolis and COS could improve the health of infected bees. Further research is needed to determine the underlying mechanisms responsible for the improved health of the infected bees.