title: Composition of fatty acids in the Varroa destructor mites and their hosts, Apis mellifera drone-prepupae.
abstract: The fatty acid (FA) profile of lipids extracted from the Varroa destructor parasitic mite and its host, drone-prepupae of Apis mellifera, was determined by gas chromatography (GC). The percentages of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were generally similar in parasites and their hosts. Fatty acids were arranged in the following descending order based on their content: MUFAs (ca. 52-55%), SFAs (ca. 41%) and PUFAs (ca. 3%). The predominant fatty acids were oleic acid (46% in mites, 44% in prepupae) and palmitic acid (23% and 30%, respectively). Varroa parasites differed from their hosts in the quantity of individual FAs and in their FA profiles. Three PUFAs noted in the host were not observed in parasitic mites, whereas the presence of C21:0, C24:0 and C22:1 FAs was reported in mites, but not in drones.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechatronics and IT Education, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury, Słoneczna 46A, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dmitryjuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechatronics and IT Education, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury, Słoneczna 46A, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
authors.forename: Kazimierz
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zalewski
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechatronics and IT Education, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury, Słoneczna 46A, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raczkowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechatronics and IT Education, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury, Słoneczna 46A, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
authors.forename: Krystyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Żółtowska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D057077:Varroidae / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids