Biologichni Studii / Studia Biologica

Background. There is a debate in the literature about the presence of heavy metals, including toxic ones, in freshly built bee combs (tongues). At the same time, heavy metals in the wax-synthesizing glands of bees are involved in the synthesis of various forms of fatty acids. There are also no data in the literature on the coefficients of the transition of heavy metals from bee pollen and abdominal tissues of bees to wax during its synthesis in the wax-synthesizing glands and the content of various forms of fatty acids in freshly built bee combs (tongues) in territories with different ecological situations.
Materials and Methods. The material for research was selected in the mountai­nous, foothill, and forest-steppe territories of the Carpathian region. The content of heavy metals in the selected material was determined, as well as the transition coefficients of heavy metals from bee pollen and bee abdomen tissues to wax during its synthesis in the wax-synthesizing glands of bees. Heavy metals in wax-synthesizing glands of bees are involved in the metabolic processes of fatty acids. In connection with the above, the content of non-esterified forms of fatty acids was determined in freshly built bee combs. The obtained research results were statistically processed.
Results. It was established that the content of heavy metals in bee pollen, abdominal tissues of bees, and in freshly built bee combs increases in the direction from the mountain to the foothills and further to the forest-steppe territories of the Carpathian region. At the same time, the transition coefficients of heavy metals from bee pollen and the abdominal tissues of honey bees to bee combs are increasing in the above direction. At the same time, the content of non-esterified forms of fatty acids decreases in freshly built bee combs. Given that studies on the ecological state of the environment are being conducted worldwide, we propose using the content of heavy metals in newly constructed bee combs as an indicator.
Conclusion. In the direction from the mountains to the foothills and further to the forest-steppe territories of the Carpathian region, the content of heavy metals in bee pollen, bee abdomen tissues, and in newly constructed bee combs increases. In the above direction, the transition coefficients of heavy metals from bee pollen and bee abdomen tissues to bee combs are increasing. The total content of non-esterified fatty acids in bee combs from the foothills, and especially from the forest-steppe area of the Carpathian region, is lower than in the combs from the mountain area. Additionally, in the above direction, the total content of non-esterified fatty acids, which exhibit antimicrobial activity, decreases. All over the world, the search for means of bioindication of the ecological state of the environment is underway. We found that freshly built bee combs can serve as bioindicators of the ecological state of the environment.