Honey bee viruses in the yellow-legged hornet Vespa velutina (Lepelieter 1836): Prevalence, loads, and detection of replicative DWV and LSV forms.

Apiaries in Galicia, northwestern Spain, are currently facing the invasive alien species Vespa velutina, which is well established in the region. The pressure on honey bee colonies is high, resulting in both economic and ecological losses. Honey bee colonies also face the challenge of viruses, which are becoming increasingly diverse.

Authenticity of Honey: Characterization, Bioactivities and Sensorial Properties Series II.

Honey is a food product globally appreciated by consumers due to its extremely reduced processing requirements and its nutritional properties [...

Predicting Daily Aerobiological Risk Level of Potato Late Blight Using C5.0 and Random Forest Algorithms under Field Conditions.

Late blight, caused by , is a major disease of the potato crop with a strong negative impact on tuber yield and tuber quality. The control of late blight in conventional potato production systems is often through weekly application of prophylactic fungicides, moving away from a sustainable production system. In support of integrated pest management practices, machine learning algorithms were proposed as tools to forecast aerobiological risk level (ARL) of (>10 sporangia/m) as inoculum to new infections.

Authenticity of Honey: Characterization, Bioactivities and Sensorial Properties.

Honey is a natural product well known for its beneficial properties, which depend on its composition [...

Assessment of the In Vivo and In Vitro Release of Chemical Compounds from .

has been rapidly expanding throughout Galicia since 2012. It is causing human health risks and well-known losses in the beekeeping sector. Control methods are scarce, unspecific, and ineffective.

Description of the volatile fraction of Erica honey from the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula.

Heather honey is highly appreciated by consumers for its sensorial profile, which varies depending on the flora used by the honeybees. Volatile compounds contribute to these qualities. Characterisation of the volatile profile related to the botanical origin is of great interest for the standardization of unifloral honey.

Botanical Origin, Pollen Profile, and Physicochemical Properties of Algerian Honey from Different Bioclimatic Areas.

The palynological and physicochemical analysis of 62 honey samples produced in different biogeographical areas of Algeria was conducted. Results showed high variety in the botanical origin of samples and their physicochemical profile. Twenty-six samples were polyfloral honey, 30 were unifloral honey from different botanical sources such as , , , , , , , or , and 6 were characterized as honeydew honey.

Honey: Chemical Composition, Stability and Authenticity.

This Special Issue contains innovative research papers on the characterization, chemical composition and physical properties of honey. This constitutes very useful information to avoid frauds and to guarantee the authenticity of this food product. The knowledge of the particularities of honey is increasingly demanded by beekeepers and consumers, and also by labs to typify honeys according to their botanical origin and to check their quality.

Differentiation of oak honeydew and chestnut honeys from the same geographical origin using chemometric methods.

Oak honeydew and chestnut honeys often share the same production area in Atlantic landscapes. Consequently these honeys have common physicochemical properties and pollen composition, making their differentiation by routine methods, a difficult task. The increase in the demands of consumers for clear honey labelling, identifying floral make-ups and the substantial health properties of both honey types, make it necessary to improve methods to differentiate the honeys.

Near infrared spectroscopy applied to the rapid prediction of the floral origin and mineral content of honeys.

Consumers demand to know the floral origins of honeys. Therefore, the use of simple and reliable techniques for differentiating among honeys by their origins is necessary. Multivariate statistical techniques and near infrared spectroscopy applied to palynological and mineral characteristics make it possible to differentiate among the types of honey collected from Northwestern Spain.

Assessment of physicochemical and antioxidant characteristics of Quercus pyrenaica honeydew honeys.

Consumers are exhibiting increasing interest in honeydew honey, principally due to its functional properties. Some plants can be sources of honeydew honey, but in north-western Spain, this honey type only comes from Quercus pyrenaica. In the present study, the melissopalynological and physicochemical characteristics and the antioxidant properties of 32 honeydew honey samples are described.

Contribution of botanical origin and sugar composition of honeys on the crystallization phenomenon.

The present work provides information regarding the statistical relationships among the palynological characteristics, sugars (fructose, glucose, sucrose, melezitose and maltose), moisture content and sugar ratios (F+G, F/G and G/W) of 136 different honey types (including bramble, chestnut, eucalyptus, heather, acacia, lime, rape, sunflower and honeydew). Results of the statistical analyses (multiple comparison Bonferroni test, Spearman rank correlations and principal components) revealed the valuable significance of the botanical origin on the sugar ratios (F+G, F/G and G/W). Brassica napus and Helianthus annuus pollen were the variables situated near F+G and G/W ratio, while Castanea sativa, Rubus and Eucalyptus pollen were located further away, as shown in the principal component analysis.

Near infrared spectroscopy for prediction of antioxidant compounds in the honey.

The selection of antioxidant variables in honey is first time considered applying the near infrared (NIR) spectroscopic technique. A total of 60 honey samples were used to develop the calibration models using the modified partial least squares (MPLS) regression method and 15 samples were used for external validation. Calibration models on honey matrix for the estimation of phenols, flavonoids, vitamin C, antioxidant capacity (DPPH), oxidation index and copper using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been satisfactorily obtained.

Nutritional value and antioxidant activity of honeys produced in a European Atlantic area.

One hundred eighty-seven honey samples from an Atlantic European area were studied to determine their nutritional compositions and antioxidant capacities, as well as the relationships between them. The results showed that heather, polyfloral, blackberry, and eucalyptus honeys had the highest carbohydrate contents, whereas honeydew and chestnut honeys had the lowest. There were some important differences among the honey types, which were related to the presence of minor components.

Spatial and temporal distribution of Alternaria spores in the Iberian Peninsula atmosphere, and meteorological relationships: 1993-2009.

This paper provides an updated of airborne Alternaria spore spatial and temporal distribution patterns in the Iberian Peninsula, using a common non-viable volumetric sampling method. The highest mean annual spore counts were recorded in Sevilla (39,418 spores), Mérida (33,744) and Málaga (12,947), while other sampling stations never exceeded 5,000. The same cities also recorded the highest mean daily spore counts (Sevilla 109 spores m(-3); Mérida 53 spores m(-3) and Málaga 35 spores m(-3)) and the highest number of days on which counts exceeded the threshold levels required to trigger allergy symptoms (Sevilla 38 % and Mérida 30 % of days).