The aim of the present study was to compare the physical, chemical and biological parameters and the microbiological quality of bee-pollen samples treated with different dehydration processes and to ...correlate the results. The samples came mainly from Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) and Eupatorium (Asteraceae) plants. The dehydration conditions of the samples influenced the L*a*b* colour parameters and the biological value. Unlike the protein and lipid content, the glucose and fructose content were unaffected. The vitamin E content (27.2 ± 0.3 μg/g, 27.5 ± 0.4 μg/g) in oven-dehydrated samples with forced air circulation was significantly lower (P < 0.05) compared with lyophilized samples (37.5 ± 0.2 g/100 g, 53.7 ± 3.9 g/100 g). Overall, the results were inconclusive for vitamin B complex, minerals and microbiological indicators. There was a positive correlation between the colour parameters L* and b* and the total phenolic content, as well as between phenolic content and the antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity. The data indicate that lyophilization might be a viable alternative to the current process, resulting in dehydrated bee-pollen with higher biological activity.
•No differences were observed for minerals and B complex vitamins between processes.•Vitamin E, protein and lipids content of the bee-pollens varied with drying treatment.•Drying in an electric oven had a negative influence on biological properties.•The L* a* b* colour parameters and bioactive properties of bee-pollen were correlated.•Microbial contamination of bee-pollens seemed unaffected by drying treatment.
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•We have provided detailed descriptions of different types of fermented bee products.•Various analyses of nutritional components in fermented bee products are reviewed.•The ...fermentation process using bee products as raw materials or excipients is summarized.•The bioactivities and health benefits of fermented bee products are discussed.•Future directions for the development of fermented bee products are proposed.
Bee products have garnered considerable interest due to their abundant nutritional content and versatile biological activities. The utilization of bee products as fermentation materials has shown favorable potential for increasing nutrients, altering texture, and endorsing unique tastes. This review critically examines the existing literature on fermented bee products, with a specific emphasis on the impact of fermentation on their nutritional composition and potential health benefits. The raw materials, strains, conditions, and methodologies employed in the fermentation of bee products, as well as the utilization of bee products as fermentation raw materials/excipients, are reviewed. We also present a special focus on the nutritional composition and content of bioactive substances, such as polyphenols and volatile organic compounds, in fermented bee products. Additionally, the influence of fermentation on bee product ingredients and their health benefits is summarized. Fermented bee products substantially benefit human health, with superior antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic properties compared to non-fermented bee products. Finally, this article discusses the types, strains, health benefits, production processes, and market prospects of fermented bee products, which are expected to become an important part of human food culture as functional food or nutritional supplements. The aforementioned findings highlight the remarkable nutritional value and bioactive properties exhibited by fermented bee products.
The present study evaluated the antifungal activity of honey samples collected from different locations at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK, Pakistan). Disc diffusion method was used to test the antifungal ...potential of twenty-one (branded, unbranded, and natural comb) honey samples from the different botanical origins at different concentrations (undiluted, 10%, 30%, and 50%, w/v) against Candida albicans and Rhodotorula species. Branded, unbranded, and natural comb honey samples generate different inhibition zones (4-13 mm, 5-15 mm, and 8-17 mm) against Rhodotorula species. Candida albicans showed resistance for all tested honey samples. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Candida albicans and Rhodotorula species were 53.33%-88.12% and 1.76%-90.22% for branded, 61.3% – 93.8% and 9.90% – 95.5% for unbranded, and 67.1%-96.8% and 6.39%-98.8% for natural comb honey. In conclusion, natural comb honey from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa may have antifungal therapeutic potential and could be a useful source for generating functional food.
•An analytical platform for the detection of PAs/PANOs in food matrices.•A diagnostic product ions filtering strategy for the characterization of PAs/PANOs.•An internal database of 779 known and ...expected unknown PAs/PANOs.•A spectral library containing HRMS/MS information of 118 PAs/PANOs.•The platform offers the possibility to detect both target and untarget PAs/PANOs.
An analytical platform for the detection of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) in honey, pollen, teas, herbal infusions, and dietary supplements is proposed; it includes a wide-scope suspect screening method, based on a diagnostic product ion filtering strategy for the characterization of PAs, and a target screening and identification method for the high-throughput detection of 118 PAs of a high-resolution mass spectral library. Salting-out assisted liquid–liquid extraction of aqueous extracts combined to ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry was employed. The limit of identification (0.6–30 µg kg−1) of 28 standards were fit-for-purpose in PA-monitoring applications, with a false negative rate <1.3 % at 4 µg L–1. The wide-scope suspect screening method allowed the tentative identification of 88 compounds. The screening of 282 commercial samples revealed a broad contamination of the studied matrices, demonstrating the effectiveness of the platform in detecting and identifying both target and untarget PAs.
Despite the virulence and high fatality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), no specific antiviral treatment exists until the current moment. Natural agents with immune-promoting potentials such ...as bee products are being explored as possible treatments. Bee honey and propolis are rich in bioactive compounds that express strong antimicrobial, bactericidal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant activities. This review examined the literature for the anti-COVID-19 effects of bee honey and propolis, with the aim of optimizing the use of these handy products as prophylactic or adjuvant treatments for people infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Molecular simulations show that flavonoids in propolis and honey (e.g., rutin, naringin, caffeic acid phenyl ester, luteolin, and artepillin C) may inhibit viral spike fusion in host cells, viral-host interactions that trigger the cytokine storm, and viral replication. Similar to the potent antiviral drug remdesivir, rutin, propolis ethanolic extract, and propolis liposomes inhibited non-structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro
and these compounds along with naringin inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection in Vero E6 cells. Propolis extracts delivered by nanocarriers exhibit better antiviral effects against SARS-CoV-2 than ethanolic extracts. In line, hospitalized COVID-19 patients receiving green Brazilian propolis or a combination of honey and
exhibited earlier viral clearance, symptom recovery, discharge from the hospital as well as less mortality than counterparts receiving standard care alone. Thus, the use of bee products as an adjuvant treatment for COVID-19 may produce beneficial effects. Implications for treatment outcomes and issues to be considered in future studies are discussed.
The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), or mostly known as COVID-19, has infected millions of people and led to a public health crisis. Various aspects ...including the economy and daily routine of life have also been severely affected. At the time being, treatment using previously FDA-approved antiviral such as hydroxychloroquine and remdesivir, as well as using convalescent plasma does not guarantee full recovery of COVID-19 infection. Thus, the search for effective treatment against COVID-19 is actively going on including using natural products. Bee products such as honey (with trehalulose sugar), propolis, royal jelly, bee pollen, and bee bread, are among the natural products that hold promises in attenuating COVID-19, either as an alternative source of the antiviral activity or to enhance the activity of current standard ward treatments. Besides being used in the human diet since ancient times, numerous pre-clinical and clinical studies have shown their pharmacological activities in improving general well-being as well as reducing the risk of developing various diseases. This review will consider a range of honey bee and stingless bee products and evaluate the evidence available for their therapeutic potential against COVID-19 infection. Here, we review the biological properties of bee products and evaluate the evidence available for their therapeutic potential in reducing the risk of developing COVID-19 as well as curing it.
The discovery of antibiotics saved many lives. Infections were not as deadly a problem for clinicians as they once were. However, due to inappropriate and excessive use of antibiotics, antibiotic ...resistance has increased dramatically worldwide. Infectious diseases are becoming more challenging to control, and they cause increased morbidity and mortality. Also, a significant risk to human health is posed by infections associated with biofilms. To combat these drug-resistant microorganisms, several novel and alternative strategies have been identified. Bee products such as honey, bee pollen, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom, bee wax, and bee bread have the potential of being used as antimicrobial or antibiofilm agents in various industrial and medical applications. Although these products have some restrictions such as their varying and complex composition, they possess significant potential in the field of medical practices as viable alternatives to antibiotics. They offer a potential solution to the issue of antibiotic resistance. The objective of this review was to offer a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of strategies based on bee products that are currently employed or have been suggested against antimicrobial resistance.
Nowadays, bee products are commended by consumers for their medicinal and dietary properties. This study aimed to differentiate between monofloral bee pollens originating from Portugal using phenolic ...and volatile profiles and investigate their antioxidant and cytotoxic activity. Total phenolic and flavonoid compounds were recorded between 2.9–35.8 mg GAE/g and 0.7–4.8 mg QE/g, respectively. The LC/DAD/ESI-MSn analytical results allowed us to identify and quantify a total of 72 compounds, including phenolic and phenylamide compounds, whereas GC-MS results revealed the presence of 49 different compounds, mostly ketones, aldehydes, esters, hydrocarbons, and terpenes. The highest DPPH• radical scavenging activity, EC50: 0.07 mg/mL, was recorded in the sample dominated by Castanae sp. pollen, whereas the Rubus sp. (1.59 mM Trolox/mg) and Cistaceae sp. (0.09 mg GAE/g) pollen species exhibited the highest antioxidant activity in ABTS•+ and reducing power assays, respectively. Regarding the anti-carcinogenic activity, only Carduus sp. showed remarkable cytotoxic potential against MCF-7.
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