Bee pollen and bee bread nutritional potential: Chemical composition and macronutrient digestibility under in vitro gastrointestinal system

• Published in: Food chemistry 2023-07, Vol.413, p.1-10, Article 135597
• Main Authors: Aylanc, Volkan, Falcão, Soraia I., Vilas-Boas, Miguel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino acids; Animals; Bee bread; Bee pollen; Bees; Digestibility degree; Fatty acids; Nutrients; Nutritional composition; Nutritive Value; Pollen - chemistry; Propolis - analysis; Proteins - analysis
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.135597

[Display omitted] •Nutritional composition of BP and BB depends on their botanical origin.•Both bee products are rich natural sources of amino acids, fatty acids, and minerals.•BB showed a more digestible profile than BP in terms of protein and soluble sugars.•The gastric phase contributes most for protein digestibility of both bee products.•Sugar digestibility increase for all stages, with maltose showing the highest level. Bee pollen (BP) and bee bread (BB) have been often investigated as potential functional foods. Both bee products are generally characterized by their high nutritional content, with BB being referred as more digestible than BP, however, there is a lack of scientific studies proving this claim. Here, we present a comparative evaluation of the macronutrient digestibility of BP and BB after applying a simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestive system, together with the evaluation of its nutritional value and chemical composition. The digestibility scores for protein content were calculated on average as 69% and 76% for BP and BB, respectively, whereas digestibility scores for soluble sugars varied depending on bee product and sugar type. The results demonstrated that the nutritional values of both bee products changed depending on their botanical origin but BB is more accessible in the intestinal lumen, especially regarding protein.