Scienceblogtwo

In conjunction with Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, researchers from The University of Queensland have discovered the secret of how the uncommon, beneficial sugar found in stingless bee honey is produced. The research team discovered that the bees' guts create the sugar trehalulose, which is not present in other honey or as a significant component in other foods. Dr. Natasha Hungerford, an organic chemist and research director at UQ, said that since significant amounts of sugar trehalulose were found in stingless bee honey, the origin of this unusual sugar has remained a mystery. Dr. Hungerford stated, "We did not know if the trehalulose was originating from an external source — possibly from natural vegetation. As opposed to European honey bees, who only store their honey in honeycomb made entirely of beeswax, stingless bees store their honey in small pots made from a mixture of beeswax and tree resins, so it may have been something in the resin from the t...