Honeybees (Apis mellifera) Produce Honey from Flowers of Tea Plants (Camellia sinensis) | Chapter 02 | Advances and Trends in Agricultural Sciences Vol. 1
We obtained honey from the blooming
flowers of tea plants (Camellia sinensis L.) pollinated by honeybees (Apis
mellifera L.). Functional amino acids, theanine, which is a unique ingredient
to tea, was determined using reversed-phase chromatography. We also determined
the main ingredients: caffeine and catechins. The obtained honey contained
theanine, which shows that it was derived from tea flowers. The theanine
concentration of the nectar of the tea flowers exceeded that of the honey.
Caffeine was detected (but no catechins) in both the honey and the nectar of
the tea flowers. Our results refute the previously held view that tea nectar is
toxic to honeybees. Our new finding reveals that it is possible to obtain honey
from the nectar of tea flowers. The obtained honey and the nectar of tea
flowers contained a very rare amino acid, theanine, indicating that the honey
was derived from tea flowers. Furthermore, the nectar of tea flower contained
the best caffeine concentration that activated the brain function of honeybees
to produce the honey.
Author(s) Details
Dr. Kieko Saito
Institute for Environmental
Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Yada, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan and Faculty of
Social Environment, Tokoha University, Yayoi, Shizuoka 422-8581, Japan.
Dr. Yoriyuki Nakamura
Tea Science Center,
University of Shizuoka, Yada, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan.
View Volume: https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/atias/v1
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