ENHANCED DNA EXTRACTION FROM TRIGONA HONEY: A LOW-VOLUME OF SAMPLE, HIGH-PURITY APPROACH FOR MOLECULAR RESEARCH

Bees synthesize honey from floral nectar, with pollen inadvertently incorporated during the foraging process. Pollen constitutes the primary source of plant DNA in honey; however, its extraction is impeded by the high concentrations of sugars, phenolic compounds, and carbohydrates, often resulting in low purity and necessitating substantial sample volumes. This study presents a modified DNA extraction technique specifically optimized for Trigona honey, aimed at enhancing both efficiency and practicality. The protocol involves a pretreatment step where honey is diluted in a 1:4 ratio with distilled water, incubated at 60 °C for 25 minutes, followed by extraction without sample destruction. The quality of the extracted DNA was assessed using a nano spectrophotometer and PCR, demonstrating a high concentration of 1,790 ng/μL with distinct, smear-free bands. This method is straightforward, time-efficient, and resource-conserving, rendering it highly applicable for molecular research and honey authentication.