Antioxidant, Nutraceutical Properties, and Fluorescence Spectral Profiles of Bee Pollen Samples from Different Botanical Origins

Bee pollen is made by honey bees (Apis Mellifera) from the pollen of plants and flowers and represents an apiary product enriched in essential amino acids, polyphenols, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids. This study investigated the botanical origin, micronutrient profile, and antioxidant activity of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Antioxidants 2020-10, Vol.9 (10), p.1001
Main Authors: Barbieri, Daniele, Gabriele, Morena, Summa, Martina, Colosimo, Raffaele, Leonardi, Donatella, Domenici, Valentina, Pucci, Laura
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aluminum
antioxidant activity
Antioxidants
bee pollen
Bees
Biological activity
Ethanol
Fatty acids
Flavonoids
Flowers
Fluorescence spectroscopy
front-face fluorescence spectroscopy
Functional foods & nutraceuticals
Health aspects
Investigations
Iron
Phenolic acids
phenolic composition
Pigments
Pollen
Polyphenols
Sodium
Spectrum analysis
UV-vis spectroscopy
Vitamin B6
Vitamins
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Summary:Bee pollen is made by honey bees (Apis Mellifera) from the pollen of plants and flowers and represents an apiary product enriched in essential amino acids, polyphenols, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids. This study investigated the botanical origin, micronutrient profile, and antioxidant activity of bee pollen samples (n = 10) harvested in Lucca and Massa Carrara (Tuscany, Italy) between 2016 and 2017. The palynological analysis showed that bee pollen samples were composed of nine botanical families. Front-face fluorescence spectroscopy was performed on bee pollen samples in bulk, without any treatment, and in ethanol extracts to determine the characteristic fluorescent profile and, to identify the main chemical compounds with biological activity. The main chemical compounds detected were polyphenols (mainly flavonoids and phenolic acids), hydro-soluble vitamins (B2, B3, B6, and B9), amino acids, and pigments. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity was investigated, and one of the two Viburnum pollens resulted in the highest polyphenols and flavonoids content (20.15 ± 0.15 mg GAE/g fw and 23.46 ± 0.08 mg CE/g fw, respectively). However, Prunus and Eucalyptus families showed the highest in vitro (190.27 ± 8.30 µmol Fe2+/g) and ex vivo (54.61 ± 8.51 CAA unit) antioxidant capacity, respectively. These results suggested that Tuscan bee pollen, depending on the botanical family, is rich in essential nutrients and potential nutraceutical product.
ISSN:2076-3921
2076-3921
DOI:10.3390/antiox9101001