Bee Bread: A Promising Source of Bioactive Compounds with Antioxidant Properties-First Report on Some Antimicrobial Features

• Published in: Antioxidants 2024-03, Vol.13 (3), p.353
• Main Authors: Ilie, Cornelia-Ioana, Spoiala, Angela, Geana, Elisabeta-Irina, Chircov, Cristina, Ficai, Anton, Ditu, Lia-Mara, Oprea, Eliza
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum; Amino acids; antibiofilm activity; Antifungal activity; Antimicrobial activity; Antimicrobial agents; Antioxidants; Bee bread; Beekeeping; Bees; Bioactive compounds; Cancer; Carotenoids; Chromatography; Electron microscopes; Flavonoids; Gallic acid; Glycerol; Honey; Honeybee; Infrared spectroscopy; Isoflavones; Microorganisms; Nutritive value; Phenolic acids; phenolic compounds; Phenols; Polyphenols; Probiotics; Quality of life; Quercetin; Scanning electron microscopy; Strains (organisms)
• ISSN: 2076-3921; 2076-3921
• DOI: 10.3390/antiox13030353

Bee bread has received attention due to its high nutritional value, especially its phenolic composition, which enhances life quality. The present study aimed to evaluate the chemical and antimicrobial properties of bee bread (BB) samples from Romania. Initially, the bee bread alcoholic extracts (BBEs) were obtained from BB collected and prepared by bees. The chemical composition of the BBE was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and the total phenols and flavonoid contents were determined. Also, a UHPLC-DAD-ESI/MS analysis of phenolic compounds (PCs) and antioxidant activity were evaluated. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of BBEs was evaluated by qualitative and quantitative assessments. The BBs studied in this paper are provided from 31 families of plant species, with the total phenols content and total flavonoid content varying between 7.10 and 18.30 mg gallic acid equivalents/g BB and between 0.45 and 1.86 mg quercetin equivalents/g BB, respectively. Chromatographic analysis revealed these samples had a significant content of phenolic compounds, with flavonoids in much higher quantities than phenolic acids. All the BBEs presented antimicrobial activity against all clinical and standard pathogenic strains tested. , , , and strains were the most sensitive, while BBEs' antifungal activity on and was not investigated in any prior research. In addition, this study reports the BBEs' inhibitory activity on microbial (bacterial and fungi) adhesion capacity to the inert substratum for the first time.