Abstract
Beeswax is composed of fatty acids, odd numbered n-alkanes and wax esters. Focusing on the most stable components of beeswax, namely the n-alkanes, we have found by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses of combs from twelve colonies from Israel and Jordan that as beeswax ages and darkens its n-alkane composition changes. The amount of even numbered n-alkanes (C22– C32) is significantly higher in darker colored beeswax as compared to light colored beeswax. We attribute this in part to the accumulation of cuticular residues found in the darker colored comb cells. Cuticular residues are known to contain C23–C32 odd and even numbered n-alkanes.
Zusammenfassung
Die Hauptbestandteile von Bienenwachs sind fettlösliche Substanzen wie Fettsäuren, langkettige Alkohole, geradzahlige n-Alkane und Wachsester (Tulloch, 1970; Aichholz and Lorbeer, 2000). Wir untersuchten die Zusammensetzung der n-Alkane in unterschiedlich gefärbtem Bienenwachs. Die Farbveränderungen der Wabe sind von der Brutaktivität abhängig und die dunkle Farbe soll durch eine Anhäufung von Resten der Nymphenhäutchen verursacht werden (Jay, 1963, Hepburn and Kurstjens, 1988; Hepburn et al., 1991; Berry and Delaplane, 2001). Gaschromatographie (GC) und GC—Massenspektrometrie wurden für die Analysen eingesetzt (Evershed et al., 1997; Regert et al., 2001). Wie bestätigten, dass helles Bienenwachs vor allem ungeradzahlige Alkane enthält. Überraschenderweise stellten wir fest, dass das dunkle Bienenwachs zusätzlich zu den ungeraden Alkanen durchschnittlich drei Mal mehr geradzahlige Alkane enthält (Abb. 3 und 4). Die Quelle für die geradzahligen Alkane im dunkleren Bienenwachs sind sehr wahrscheinlich die Wachse auf der Bienenkutikula, die sich im Bereich des Brutnestes anreichern. Es ist bekannt, dass diese Kutikulawachse sowohl geradzahlige als auch ungeradzahlige Alkane enthalten (Salvy et al., 2001). Dieser neue Befund zeigt, dass unterschiedliche Aktivitäten der Bienen innerhalb des Bienenvolkes Auswirkungen auf die Zusammensetzung des Bienenwachses haben (Hepburn and Kurstjens, 1988; Berry and Delaplane, 2001).
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Namdar, D., Neumann, R., Sladezki, Y. et al. Alkane composition variations between darker and lighter colored comb beeswax. Apidologie 38, 453–461 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2007033
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2007033