Stabilized Synthetic Bee Pheromone Antioxidant Storage

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Solution Overview

Problem

The instability of synthetic honey bee brood pheromone compositions at room temperature leads to rapid loss of bioactivity, making them unsuitable for commercial products, as they require low-oxygen conditions and freezing, which is impractical and costly for long-term storage and use.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a food-grade antioxidant, such as tertiary-butylhydroquinone, into the synthetic pheromone composition to form an 11-component stabilized pheromone, which maintains bioactivity and stability for extended periods, allowing for the development of commercial products that can be stored at room temperature.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If synthetic honey bee brood pheromone composition is stored at room temperature, then ease of operation and storage is improved, but the composition loses bioactivity rapidly due to oxidation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage convenienceVSAvoidbioactivity retention

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A food-grade antioxidant (tertiary-butylhydroquinone) is introduced as an intermediary substance to prevent oxidation of the pheromone components. The antioxidant acts as a mediator between the pheromone composition and oxygen, sacrificing itself to protect the valuable pheromone components from degradation, thereby enabling room temperature storage while maintaining bioactivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The chemical composition parameters of the pheromone blend are modified by adding the antioxidant component. This changes the oxidative stability parameter of the overall composition, transforming it from a rapidly degrading substance to a stable formulation that can be stored at room temperature without significant loss of bioactivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If freezing and low-oxygen conditions are used to store synthetic pheromone, then bioactivity retention is improved, but cost and complexity of storage increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebioactivity retentionVSAvoidstorage infrastructure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The antioxidant serves as a disposable protective agent that is inexpensive compared to the infrastructure costs of freezing and low-oxygen storage. By using this cheap chemical protector, the need for expensive and complex storage infrastructure is eliminated, making the pheromone product economically viable for commercial use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Stability of the object's composition

If freezing is used for long-term storage of synthetic pheromone, then stability is improved, but productivity and ease of commercial use deteriorate due to cost and infrastructure requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepheromone stabilityVSAvoidcommercial viability

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The storage temperature parameter is changed from requiring freezing conditions to allowing room temperature storage. This parameter change is achieved through the addition of the antioxidant, which fundamentally alters the stability characteristics of the pheromone composition, enabling productive commercial applications without costly freezing infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The stabilized 11-component synthetic pheromone composition retains bioactivity for over a year, enabling the creation of commercially viable products that can enhance honey bee foraging and hive performance without the need for freezing or low-oxygen storage.

Implementation Method 1

The instability of synthetic honey bee brood pheromone compositions at room temperature leads to rapid loss of bioactivity... incorporating a food-grade antioxidant, such as tertiary-butylhydroquinone, into the synthetic pheromone composition to form an 11-component stabilized pheromone, which maintains bioactivity and stability for extended periods

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOxidation: Oxidation

Data Source

PatentUS9107396B2Stabilized synthetic brood pheromone and race-specific ratios of components for manipulating the behavior and physiology of honey bees

Publication Date: 2015.08.18 OMS INVESTMENTS INC

AI summary

This invention relates to a 10-component stabilized synthetic honey bee brood pheromone and methods of stabilizing said pheromone by adding one or more antioxidants, thereby enabling the production and sustained use of commercial products based on that pheromone. The 11-component stabilized pheromone composition formed by adding the antioxidant tertiary-butyl hydroquinone to a synthetic blend of ethyl linoleate, ethyl linolenate, ethyl oleate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl stearate, methyl linoleate, methyl linolenate, methyl oleate, methyl palmitate and methyl stearate can be used in generic or race-specific ratios to manipulate the behavior and improve the performance of worker honey bees, resulting in overall increased vigor of the hive.