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18 pages, 2456 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Enriching Honey with Propolis on the Antioxidant Activity, Sensory Characteristics, and Quality Parameters

by Celina Habryka, Robert Socha and Lesław Juszczak

Molecules 2020, 25(5), 1176; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25051176 - 05 Mar 2020

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 3810

Abstract

Bee products, including propolis, are a valuable source of biologically active substances. The most natural way to introduce propolis in the diet seems to be its addition to honey. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of honey enrichment with [...] Read more.

Bee products, including propolis, are a valuable source of biologically active substances. The most natural way to introduce propolis in the diet seems to be its addition to honey. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of honey enrichment with propolis on the content of selected bioactive compounds, antioxidant potential, as well as sensory and qualitative characteristics of honey. On the basis of the obtained results, it was stated that the addition of propolis extract to honey contributed to a significant increase in the content of polyphenolic compounds, including flavonoids and phenolic acids, among which chrysin, pinocembrin, p-coumaric, and ferulic acid reached the highest level. The increase of antioxidant, antiradical, and reduction in activity of enriched honey was observed as a result of increasing addition of propolis extract. However, the enrichment of honey with propolis contributed to deterioration of the sensory properties. The changes in color, smell, texture, and taste were observed. The addition of propolis to honey had no significant effect on 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and sugar content, and specific conductivity. On the other hand, a significant increase in free acidity and content of substances insoluble in water was observed. The obtained results indicate that honey supplemented with propolis extract can be an excellent source of antioxidant compounds, nevertheless, the amount of additive used is strongly dependent on changes in sensory characteristics and consumer acceptability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bee Products: From Molecules to Human Health)

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13 pages, 1829 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Novel Insights into Dietary Phytosterol Utilization and Its Fate in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.)

by Priyadarshini Chakrabarti, Hannah M. Lucas and Ramesh R. Sagili

Molecules 2020, 25(3), 571; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25030571 - 28 Jan 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4616

Abstract

Poor nutrition is an important factor in global bee population declines. A significant gap in knowledge persists regarding the role of various nutrients (especially micronutrients) in honey bees. Sterols are essential micronutrients in insect diets and play a physiologically vital role as precursors [...] Read more.

Poor nutrition is an important factor in global bee population declines. A significant gap in knowledge persists regarding the role of various nutrients (especially micronutrients) in honey bees. Sterols are essential micronutrients in insect diets and play a physiologically vital role as precursors of important molting hormones and building blocks of cellular membranes. Sterol requirements and metabolism in honey bees are poorly understood. Among all pollen sterols, 24-methylenecholesterol is considered the key phytosterol required by honey bees. Nurse bees assimilate this sterol from dietary sources and store it in their tissues as endogenous sterol, to be transferred to the growing larvae through brood food. This study examined the duration of replacement of such endogenous sterols in honey bees. The dietary ¹³C-labeled isotopomer of 24-methylenecholesterol added to artificial bee diet showed differential, progressive in vivo assimilation across various honey bee tissues. Significantly higher survival, diet consumption, head protein content and abdominal lipid content were observed in the dietary sterol-supplemented group than in the control group. These findings provide novel insights into phytosterol utilization and temporal pattern of endogenous 24-methylenecholesterol replacement in honey bees. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bee Products: From Molecules to Human Health)

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13 pages, 1980 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Morphological, Physicochemical and FTIR Spectroscopic Properties of Bee Pollen Loads from Different Botanical Origin

by Sara Castiglioni, Paola Astolfi, Carla Conti, Elga Monaci, Mariassunta Stefano and Patricia Carloni

Molecules 2019, 24(21), 3974; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24213974 - 03 Nov 2019

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 4099

Abstract

Bee pollen loads generally have a homogeneous and monospecific pollen content and assume a typical form and color, due to the typical bee foraging habits, thus having a typical composition related to the botanical origin. The present study aims to characterize bee pollen [...] Read more.

Bee pollen loads generally have a homogeneous and monospecific pollen content and assume a typical form and color, due to the typical bee foraging habits, thus having a typical composition related to the botanical origin. The present study aims to characterize bee pollen loads belonging to different botanical species using morphological, spectroscopic and color properties and to find relationships between these variables. IR spectra analysis allowed to have a reliable picture of the components present in the different samples; color and granulometry permits a visual identification of pollen load belonging to different species. Multivariate analysis enabled differentiation among the botanical origin of most of the bee pollen samples, grouping them according to the family and the genus and confirming the possibility to use IR and color measurements for the evaluative analysis and classification of bee pollen samples, to promote the consumption of this bee product as functional food. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bee Products: From Molecules to Human Health)

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13 pages, 1886 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A New Propolis Type from Changbai Mountains in North-east China: Chemical Composition, Botanical Origin and Biological Activity

by Xiasen Jiang, Jing Tian, Yufei Zheng, Yanzheng Zhang, Yuqi Wu, Cuiping Zhang, Huoqing Zheng and Fuliang Hu

Molecules 2019, 24(7), 1369; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24071369 - 08 Apr 2019

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3474

Abstract

Propolis is a bee product with a wide range of biological activities and its chemical compounds depend highly on the type of plant accessible to the bees. The Changbai Mountains are a major mountain range in Northeast China and are one of the [...] Read more.

Propolis is a bee product with a wide range of biological activities and its chemical compounds depend highly on the type of plant accessible to the bees. The Changbai Mountains are a major mountain range in Northeast China and are one of the major bee product-producing areas in China. In this study, we evaluated the total phenolic acids and flavonoid contents as well as the antioxidant activity of propolis sampled from the Changbai Mountains area (CBM). We identified the major compounds and qualified their contents by HPLC-ESI/MS and HPLC-UV, and found that the content of p-coumaric acid and an unknown peak (CBE) in CBM propolis was higher than in propolis from other parts of China. The unknown compound CBE was isolated, purified, and identified as benzyl p-coumarate by MS and NMR. Possible plant sources of CBM propolis are Populus davidiana dode and Populus simonii Carr, which widely distributed in the Changbai Mountains area. CBM propolis is a new propolis type, that could be an excellent raw material for health foods and pharmaceuticals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bee Products: From Molecules to Human Health)

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19 pages, 3116 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Royal Jelly Ameliorates Behavioral Deficits, Cholinergic System Deficiency, and Autonomic Nervous Dysfunction in Ovariectomized Cholesterol-Fed Rabbits

by Yongming Pan, Jianqin Xu, Ping Jin, Qinqin Yang, Keyan Zhu, Mengmeng You, Fuliang Hu and Minli Chen

Molecules 2019, 24(6), 1149; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24061149 - 22 Mar 2019

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4841

Abstract

Estrogen deficiency after menopause is associated with autonomic nervous changes, leading to memory impairment and increased susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Royal jelly (RJ) from honeybees (Apis mellifera) has estrogenic activity. Here, we investigated whether RJ can improve behavior, cholinergic and [...] Read more.

Estrogen deficiency after menopause is associated with autonomic nervous changes, leading to memory impairment and increased susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Royal jelly (RJ) from honeybees (Apis mellifera) has estrogenic activity. Here, we investigated whether RJ can improve behavior, cholinergic and autonomic nervous function in ovariectomized (OVX) cholesterol-fed rabbits. OVX rabbits on high-cholesterol diet were administered with RJ for 12 weeks. The results showed that RJ could significantly improve the behavioral deficits of OVX cholesterol-fed rabbits and image structure of the brain. RJ reduced body weight, blood lipid, as well as the levels of amyloid-beta (Aβ), acetylcholinesterase (AchE), and malonaldehyde (MDA) in the brain. Moreover, RJ also increased the activities of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the brain, and enhanced heart rate variability (HRV) and Baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in OVX cholesterol-fed rabbits. Furthermore, RJ was also shown to reduce the content of Evans blue and the expression levels of Aβ, beta-site APP cleaving enzyme 1(BACE1), and receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), and increase the expression level of LDL(low density lipoprotein) receptor-related protein 1 (LRP-1) in the brain. Our findings suggested that RJ has beneficial effects in neurological disorders of postmenopausal women, which were associated with reducing cholesterol and Aβ deposition, enhancing the estrogen levels and the activities of cholinergic and antioxidant systems, and ameliorating the blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability and restoring autonomic nervous system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bee Products: From Molecules to Human Health)

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12 pages, 2517 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antioxidative and Cardioprotective Effects of Schisandra chinensis Bee Pollen Extract on Isoprenaline-Induced Myocardial Infarction in Rats

by Zhenhuang Shen, Qianqian Geng, Haibo Huang, Hong Yao, Tianyu Du, Lifu Chen, Zhenhong Wu, Xiaoqing Miao and Peiying Shi

Molecules 2019, 24(6), 1090; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24061090 - 20 Mar 2019

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 4648

Abstract

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction (MI). Schisandra chinensis bee pollen extract (SCBPE) possesses powerful antioxidant capacity. This study aimed to further explore the antioxidative and cardioprotective effects of SCBPE on acute MI induced by isoprenaline (ISO) [...] Read more.

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction (MI). Schisandra chinensis bee pollen extract (SCBPE) possesses powerful antioxidant capacity. This study aimed to further explore the antioxidative and cardioprotective effects of SCBPE on acute MI induced by isoprenaline (ISO) in rats. The rats were intragastrically administrated with SCBPE (600, 1200, or 1800 mg/kg/day) and Compound Danshen dropping pills (270 mg/kg/day) for 30 days, then subcutaneously injected with ISO (65 mg/kg/day) on the 29th and 30th day. Compared with the model group, pretreatment with middle and high doses of SCBPE significantly reduced serum aspartate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase activities and increased myocardial superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase activities. The histopathologic aspects showed that pathological heart change was found in the model group and reduced to varying degrees in the SCBPE groups. Moreover, the protein expression of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and Bcl2 in the heart increased in the SCBPE groups, while that of Bax decreased compared to the model group. Besides this, uridine was isolated from S. chinensis bee pollen for the first time. This study could provide a scientific basis for using Schisandra chinensis bee pollen as a functional food for the prevention of MI. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bee Products: From Molecules to Human Health)

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9 pages, 1622 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Authentication of Apis cerana Honey and Apis mellifera Honey Based on Major Royal Jelly Protein 2 Gene

by Yan-Zheng Zhang, Shuai Wang, Yi-Fan Chen, Yu-Qi Wu, Jing Tian, Juan-Juan Si, Cui-Ping Zhang, Huo-Qing Zheng and Fu-Liang Hu

Molecules 2019, 24(2), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24020289 - 14 Jan 2019

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4734

Abstract

In Asia, honey is mainly produced by Apis mellifera and Apis cerana. However, the price of A. cerana honey is usually much higher than A. mellifera honey. Seeing considerable profits, some dishonest companies and beekeepers mislabel A. mellifera honey as A. cerana [...] Read more.

In Asia, honey is mainly produced by Apis mellifera and Apis cerana. However, the price of A. cerana honey is usually much higher than A. mellifera honey. Seeing considerable profits, some dishonest companies and beekeepers mislabel A. mellifera honey as A. cerana honey or incorporate A. mellifera honey into A. cerana honey. In the present study, we developed methods to discriminate A. cerana honey from A. mellifera honey based on the MRJP2 (major royal jelly protein 2) gene. Two pairs of species-specific primers were designed. The amplification products of A. cerana and A. mellifera were 212 and 560 bp, respectively. As little as one percent incorporation of A. mellifera honey in the mixture can be detected by duplex PCR. Additionally, another method based on the melt curve analysis using the same primers was also developed, allowing a rapid discrimination of real-time PCR product of different species. Our study shows that the entomological authentication of honey samples can be identified by nuclear genes other than mitochondrial genes and this extends the possibility of gene selection in identification. The authentication system we proposed could be a useful tool for discriminating A. cerana honey from A. mellifera honey. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bee Products: From Molecules to Human Health)

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Review

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53 pages, 3833 KiB

Open AccessReview

Effects of Propolis Extract and Propolis-Derived Compounds on Obesity and Diabetes: Knowledge from Cellular and Animal Models

by Hiroshi Kitamura

Molecules 2019, 24(23), 4394; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24234394 - 01 Dec 2019

Cited by 41 | Viewed by 10758

Abstract

Propolis is a natural product resulting from the mixing of bee secretions with botanical exudates. Since propolis is rich in flavonoids and cinnamic acid derivatives, the application of propolis extracts has been tried in therapies against cancer, inflammation, and metabolic diseases. As metabolic [...] Read more.

Propolis is a natural product resulting from the mixing of bee secretions with botanical exudates. Since propolis is rich in flavonoids and cinnamic acid derivatives, the application of propolis extracts has been tried in therapies against cancer, inflammation, and metabolic diseases. As metabolic diseases develop relatively slowly in patients, the therapeutic effects of propolis in humans should be evaluated over long periods of time. Moreover, several factors such as medical history, genetic inheritance, and living environment should be taken into consideration in human studies. Animal models, especially mice and rats, have some advantages, as genetic and microbiological variables can be controlled. On the other hand, cellular models allow the investigation of detailed molecular events evoked by propolis and derivative compounds. Taking advantage of animal and cellular models, accumulating evidence suggests that propolis extracts have therapeutic effects on obesity by controlling adipogenesis, adipokine secretion, food intake, and energy expenditure. Studies in animal and cellular models have also indicated that propolis modulates oxidative stress, the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and adipose tissue inflammation, all of which contribute to insulin resistance or defects in insulin secretion. Consequently, propolis treatment may mitigate diabetic complications such as nephropathy, retinopathy, foot ulcers, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This review describes the beneficial effects of propolis on metabolic disorders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bee Products: From Molecules to Human Health)

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13 pages, 226 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Using Bee Products for the Prevention and Treatment of Oral Mucositis Induced by Cancer Treatment

by Karsten Münstedt and Heidrun Männle

Molecules 2019, 24(17), 3023; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24173023 - 21 Aug 2019

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 6652

Abstract

Oral mucositis is one of the most frequent complications after chemotherapy or radiotherapy or a combination of both. There is no standard therapy for its prevention or treatment. Considering that some bee products have been found to be of value in this situation, [...] Read more.

Oral mucositis is one of the most frequent complications after chemotherapy or radiotherapy or a combination of both. There is no standard therapy for its prevention or treatment. Considering that some bee products have been found to be of value in this situation, we decided to analyze the scientific literature on the subject. Scientific publications on bee products were identified by a literature search on Pubmed, Scopus and Google Scholar. There is a lot of evidence regarding the use of honey for oral mucositis due to chemotherapy or radiotherapy or a combination of both. Unfortunately, the quality of several meta-analyses on the topic is very low. There is some evidence on propolis, a little on royal jelly and none whatsoever on pollen and other bee products like apilarnil or bee venom. Bee products such as honey, propolis and royal jelly may be well suited to be integrated into a general concept for the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis which should also include other established concepts like oral care, oral cryotherapy, topical vitamin E and low-level-laser therapy. Bee products could become an integral part in the treatment of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and radio chemotherapy. High-quality meta-analyses and further studies, especially on the combinations of various strategies, are needed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bee Products: From Molecules to Human Health)

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