Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Amaçları
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- MakaleAçık Erişim2026Scopus SJRQ4Climate-driven synchronization of honey bee flight activity and plant phenology in Türkiye: development of a Beekeeping Climate Suitability Index (BCSI)
Erdoğan, Yaşar; Erdoğan, Ümmügülsüm
Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) provide essential pollination services that depend on the temporal synchronization between flight activity and plant flowering phenology, both strongly influenced by climatic conditions. However, this relationship remains insufficiently quantified at large spatial and temporal scales. In this study, we quantified climate-driven honey bee flight activity and its alignment with flowering phenology of major nectar plants in Türkiye using ERA5-Land data for the period 1981–2023. Suitable flight days were defined based on temperature (≥12°C) and precipitation (0 mm), and seasonal suitability was evaluated at a monthly scale. A composite Beekeeping Climate Suitability Index (BCSI) was developed by integrating flight activity, flowering overlap and nectar flow window. The number of suitable flight periods ranged between 4 and 7 months (mean ≈5.5), indicating substantial interannual variability. Flight flowering synchrony was low for early-spring species (23–35%) but reached 100% for summer species. BCSI values ranged from 0.44 to 1.00, capturing variability in climatic suitability for beekeeping. These findings demonstrate that climatic variability plays a decisive role in shaping bee plant interactions and provide a quantitative basis for climate-informed beekeeping management.
- MakaleYayıncıda açık erişim2026Scopus SJRQ3Effects of phenolic-standardized Crataegus orientalis flower extract on honey bee colony development and seasonal honey yield; [Efectos del extracto floral de Crataegus orientalis estandarizado en compuestos fenólicos sobre el desarrollo de colonias de abejas melíferas y el rendimiento estacional de miel]
Erdoğan, Yaşar; Erdoğan, Ümmügülsüm
Aim of study: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a phenolic-standardized flower extract from Crataegus orientalis Pall. on honey bee colony development and end-of-season honey yield under field conditions, and to assess its lasting colony-level effects. Area of study: The study was conducted during the 2025 beekeeping season at the apiary of Bayburt University Beekeeping Application and Research Center, located in northeastern Türkiye. Material and methods: Twenty-four initially balanced honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 6): a control group receiving 1:1 sucrose:water syrup and three treatment groups receiving 50, 100, or 200 mg GAE L⁻¹ of phenolic-standardized Crataegus orientalis flower extract. Colonies were fed daily for 21 days in early spring and monitored at seven time points (T0–T6) from mid-May to late August. Colony development was assessed using brood area (cm²) and number of frames with bees, while hive-front dead bees were recorded as a safety indicator. Net honey yield was determined at the end of the season. Main results: Daily syrup consumption did not differ among groups (P > 0.05), whereas daily phenolic intake increased in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). Brood area increased significantly with dose and was generally higher in the high-dose group than in the control group throughout the season (P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed among groups for seasonal averages of frames with bees or mortality index; however, a significant treatment × time interaction was detected for frames with bees. Net honey yield was significantly higher in the high-dose group compared to the control group (P < 0.01). Research highlights: Short-term early spring supplementation with phenolic-standardized Crataegus orientalis flower extract supported brood development without increasing adult bee mortality. This early developmental advantage resulted in a measurable improvement in end-of-season honey yield under field conditions.
- MakaleAçık Erişim2026Scopus SJRQ1Dietary chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) supplementation improves colony development, nutritional status, antioxidant defences, and honey production in honey bee colonies
Erdoğan, Yaşar; Erdoğan, Ümmügülsüm
This study evaluated the effects of chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) fruit powder as a functional dietary supplement for honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies, focusing on colony development, antioxidant defences, nutritional status, behaviour, and honey yield under field conditions. A total of 48 colonies were randomly assigned to four feeding treatments (control, 2, 5, and 10 g L−1 chokeberry supplementation), with six colonies per treatment in each apiary (n = 6 per apiary; n = 12 per treatment). The experiment was conducted as a balanced field trial across two apiaries. Colonies were fed sucrose syrup supplemented with chokeberry powder for 21 days. Following the feeding period, colonies were transferred to two high-altitude summer apiaries where colony development, flight activity, defensive behaviour, antioxidant biomarkers, and end-of-season honey yield were evaluated. Results demonstrated that chokeberry supplementation significantly improved colony development, with significant dose effects on brood area and bee-covered frames (both p < 0.001). Flight activity also increased with supplementation dose (p < 0.001), whereas defensive behaviour was not affected. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activity, and haemolymph total protein concentration all increased significantly with supplementation (all p < 0.001). End-of-season honey yield was significantly higher in supplemented colonies than in the control group (p < 0.001). Overall, these findings demonstrate that chokeberry fruit powder represents a promising functional dietary supplement capable of improving colony performance through the combined contribution of its nutritional composition and bioactive phytochemicals under practical field conditions.
- MakaleAçık Erişim2021Scopus SJRQ3Synthesis of alternan-stabilized zinc nanoparticles: morphological, thermal, antioxidant and antimicrobial characterization
Yücel, Nur; İspirli, Hümeyra; Mercan, Emin; Erdoğan, Ümmügülsüm; Dertli, Enes
This study aimed to synthesize zinc nanoparticles with antimicrobial and antioxidant activities using alternan (ZnNPs-Alt) produced by Lactobacillus reuteri E81 as the stabilizing agent. For the characterization of the ZnNPs-Alt, UV–vis spectroscopy, SEM, TEM and EDX analysis, XRD, FTIR and DSC analysis were applied. The functional role of ZnNPs-Alt was tested by determination of their antioxidant activities by DPPH and CUPRAC methodologies and their antibacterial and antifungal activities. Results of this study demonstrated that alternan was utilized as a successful stabilizer to produce crystalline, thermally stabile ZnNPs-Alt with a particle size of ∼ 100 nm. Importantly, strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were observed for ZnNPs-Alt in a concentration dependent manner. These findings confirmed the role of alternan as a stabilizing agent for the production of ZnNPs-Alt with functional roles.
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