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Objective: During the last few years, the production of honey from stingless bees has become significant, as a result of its therapeutic properties. However, its production and commercialization are limited by the low yield per colony and its high sale price. This study seeks to recover the lore and actions that a group of producers from Cuetzálan, Puebla, Mexico has about the production of honey from the Scaptotrigona mexicana species of stingless bees. The objective was to collect information about the handling, production, and commercialization of tis bee species, as well as the challenges that producers face in the Cuetzálan region. Design/Methodology/Approach: This research was carried out using a qualitative approach. Semistructured interviews were conducted to gather the information. The participants were chosen using the snowball sampling technique, contacting stingless bee honey producers in Cuetzálan, Puebla, Mexico. Results: The lore about the handling of the stingless bees is passed on from generation to generation. This traditional handling is understood as a cultural symbol. This type of honey is renowned for its medicinal properties; however, its production is scarce, and the resulting product is very expensive. Consequently, the theft and adulteration of honey has become a major problem, creating mistrust among consumers. Study Limitations/Implications: More producers should be interviewed, and additional proof of the handling processes used to identify adulteration should be gathered. This information would be used to develop recommendations that could be applied in other producing regions of the country. Findings/Conclusions: The social and scientific recognition of the properties of stingless bee honey shows the importance of adopting innovations; however, including organizational processes to improve the commercialization channels and to minimize unfair honey production practices is also very important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Capsicum provides antioxidant compounds, such as phenolics and carotenoids, into the diet. In Mexico, there is a wide diversity of species and varieties of chilli peppers, a fruit which has local cultural and gastronomic importance. In the present study, the relationship of the carotenoid and phenolic profiles with the RAPD fingerprint of three different commercial cultivars of chilli peppers of seven regions of Mexico was investigated. Through RAPD, the species of chilli were differentiated by means of different primers (OPE-18, MFG-17, MFG-18, C51, and C52). The genetic distance found with OPE 18 was in the order of 2.6. The observed differences were maintained when the chromatographic profile of carotenoids, and the molecular markers were analyzed, which suggest a close relationship between carotenoids and the genetic profile. While the chromatographic profile of phenols and the molecular markers were unable to differentiate between genotypes of chilli peppers. In addition, by using infrared spectroscopy and statistical PCA, differences explained by geographic origin were found. Thus, this method could be an alternative for identification of chilli species with respect to their geographic origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]