Background Consumption of natural products has increased significantly due to the idea that if nutrition improves, this leads to improved health, general well-being and reduces the risk of developing certain diseases. Bee products, especially bee pollen (BP) and bee bread (BB), have demonstrated several nutritional and bioactive properties, which make them functional foods par excellence. Thus, understanding the digestibility and the changes of phytochemicals along the digestive tract, which give BP and BB the functional food attribute, is crucial. Scope and approach This review describes the digestibility, bioavailability, and absorption behaviors of dietary phytochemicals present in BP and BB. It also addresses possible factors that may adversely affect the human health due to its intake and highlights food practices for the industry. Key findings and conclusions Many studies have been conducted on BP and BB, which mostly evaluated the nutritional values and the bioactive compounds. However, few studies have addressed the nutritional and phytochemical content of BP and BB after digestion. Topics such as changes in the digestive tract, post-digestive bioaccessibility, tissue absorption scores and the degree of presence in the circulatory system of the phytochemicals that provide strong biological properties to BP and BB, should be taken into consideration in future researches.

From the hive to the table: Nutrition value, digestibility and bioavailability of the dietary phytochemicals present in the bee pollen and bee bread

This research reports the characterization of bee pollen of Apis andreniformis colonies on the basis of morphology, proximate composition, the amino acid, and nutritive patterns in relation with their honey. The pollen gains of the sampling colonies revealed variations in their structure, symmetry, and sculpture. The exile surfaces of the pollens showed psilate, scabrate, clavate, and echinate types of morphology. Total amino acid content of black dwarf honeybee collected pollen (150 mg/g) was found significantly higher than that of honey (15 mg/g) from the same colony. Threonine, phenylalanine, and leucine were among the highest essential amino acid types found in the analyzed pollen and honey samples. The proline content in both products was found the lowest comparing to other amino acid types. The moisture content of the honey samples were found to exceed the limit as prescribed by Codex Alimentarius Commission (<20%). The ash content of the analyzed samples was mostly within the limits (<0.6%) prescribed by international norms. The fat content of the pollens varied from 5.01 to 5.05%, and the honey showed zero fat content. The carbohydrate content in the honey samples was found to differ significantly from each other with a maximum content (73.16%), and the lowest carbohydrate content was 67.80%. The pollen and honey samples were found to have positive effect on in vitro digestibility of proteins.

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Amino Acid Profiling and Chemometric Relations of Black Dwarf Honey and Bee Pollen

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

Bee bread is a product with unique properties for humans and bees that is produced through the fermentation of pollen in the honeycomb, mainly caused by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast strains present in the environment. It is a rich source of nutrients such as proteins, polyphenols and vitamins. Despite the potential nutritional value of bee bread, it is consumed at low levels, as harvesting bee bread from the hives is costly and difficult. This study aimed to produce a standard bee bread by using different strains of the fructophilic lactic acid bacteria (FLAB) Lactobacillus kunkeei and the yeasts Starmeralla magnolia MP-2 and Zygosaccharomyces siamensis MP-14, previously isolated from bee products. In this context, bee bread was produced from pollen by solid-state fermentation using selected FLAB and yeast species, which were then compared with spontaneously developed and commercially available bee bread in terms of microbial stability, physicochemical properties, total phenolic component amounts, in vitro digestibility and amino acid profiles. As a result, it was determined that bee bread made from bee pollen fermented with starter cultures showed improved characteristics than commercial bee bread and was more advantageous in terms of absorption as well as production processes.

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Characterization of Bee Bread Produced with Defined Starter Cultures Mimicking the Natural Fermentation Process

. Globally, the use of natural products as remedies for poultry health calls for a systematic exploration of their potential. Furthermore, there is an increasing popularity and utilization of bee-based products due to their inherent benefits. The current review was aimed at analysing empirical results, biological activities and secondary metabolites of bee pollen that are beneficial to the poultry industry. Eligible literature was retrieved from different databases. The findings from the literature search indicated that bee-collected pollen has received attention from researchers owing to its positive effects as a possible growth promoter in poultry production. It contains antioxidants, antimicrobials, emulsifiers, vitamins and minerals which can meet the biochemical and functional needs of poultry flocks. We identified a minimum of 17 research articles that captured various observations on the effects of bee pollen in poultry. The most common observations were on growth performance and gastrointestinal morphology. The search results also indicated that there are several factors such as floral species, climatic conditions and soil types which influence the nutritional composition of bee pollen. Studies gathered revealed that the antioxidant properties found in bee pollen are due to the phenolic compounds it possesses. Overall, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the health effects of supplementing bee pollen indicating a major knowledge gap that requires more research.

/pdf/bee-pollen-an-alternative-to-growth-promoters-for-poultry-30k4choz.pdf

Bee pollen an alternative to growth promoters for poultry production-a review

Bee pollen is characterized by its high nutritional value that could be used in human diet, specifically for its value in protein and antioxidant capacity. Different studies emphasize that pollen shows a restriction in nutrient absorption caused by its complex external cell wall, being not easily digestible by monogastric species as bees and humans. The objective of this study was to apply different pretreatments: enzymatic, alkaline, dry thermal and wet thermal. In order to evaluate the effect of each pretreatment, protein by Bradford method, in vitro digestibility, antioxidant capacity and total phenols were quantified. Protein estimated by Bradford method decreased in pretreated pollen, due to the breakage of peptide bonds, and the digestibility raise from 62% in untreated pollen to 85-98% in pretreated pollen. In relation to antioxidant capacity, it showed a nonrepresentative decrease regarding other vegetable matrices, with the exception of a raise in phenols for some pretreatments. Such results coincide with microstructural changes observed in pretreated pollen micrographs. Finally, the variables assessed by principal component analysis showed differences for every pretreatment.

http://www.scielo.org.co/pdf/inco/v19n1/0123-3033-inco-19-01-00119.pdf

Digestibility and availability of nutrients in bee pollen applying different pretreatments

Bee pollen is characterized by its high nutritional value that could be used in human diet, specifically for its value in protein and antioxidant capacity. Different studies emphasize that pollen shows a restriction in nutrient absorption caused by its complex external cell wall, being not easily digestible by monogastric species as bees and humans. The objective of this study was to apply different pretreatments: enzymatic, alkaline, dry thermal and wet thermal. In order to evaluate the effect of each pretreatment, protein by Bradford method, in vitro digestibility, antioxidant capacity and total phenols were quantified. Protein estimated by Bradford method decreased in pretreated pollen, due to the breakage of peptide bonds, and the digestibility raise from 62% in untreated pollen to 85-98% in pretreated pollen. In relation to antioxidant capacity, it showed a non-representative decrease regarding other vegetable matrices, with the exception of a raise in phenols for some pretreatments. Such results coincide with microstructural changes observed in pretreated pollen micrographs. Finally, the variables assessed by principal component analysis showed differences for every pretreatment.

/pdf/evaluacion-de-la-digestibilidad-y-disponibilidad-de-1p0i39iora.pdf

Evaluación de la digestibilidad y disponibilidad de nutrientes del polen apícola al aplicar diferentes pretratamientos

El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la sustitución parcial de la harina de trigo por harina de quinua de Cundinamarca Colombia, su efecto sobre las propiedades tecnofuncionales, fisicoquímicas, texturales y sensoriales de las mezclas de harinas y la elaboración de las galletas con la muestra control. Se evalúan tres formulaciones con diferentes niveles de inclusión de harina de quinua, mezcla 1 (T0):control, mezcla 2 (T1): 10% y mezcla 3 (T2): 20%. La incorporación de harina de quinua afecta las propiedades tecnofuncionales al disminuir la capacidad de absorción de agua (CAA) para T1 y T2, mientras la capacidad de absorción de aceite (CAAc) aumenta para T3, el contenido de humedad presentó diferencias significativas para la muestra control T0 . En las galletas se encontró diferencias en el contenido de humedad entre los tratamientos T0, T1 frente a T2, mientras en la actividad de agua se evidencia diferencias significativas para todos los tratamientos, en la relación de extensión no se evidencia diferencias, respecto a textura se encuentra que afecta la dureza de todos los tratamientos a excepción de fracturabilidad que no afectó a los productos. En la parte superior de las galletas se encuentra diferencias significativas de los parámetros L* (luminosidad) y a*(de verde a rojo) en los tratamientos T1 y T2, al obtener una galleta de color dorado, en la parte inferior se encontró diferencias en todos los tratamientos. Sin embargo, el producto aceptado fue T1 con 10% de sustitución de harina de quinua. Al analizar el contenido nutricional, se encuentra un alto contenido proteico en comparación con otros productos similares desarrollados en otras investigaciones y los resultados microbiológicos cumplen de manera satisfactoria con la normatividad vigente.

Ruth M. Benavides-Guevara

Papers

Digestibility and availability of nutrients in bee pollen applying different pretreatments

Evaluación de la digestibilidad y disponibilidad de nutrientes del polen apícola al aplicar diferentes pretratamientos

Propiedades fisicoquímicas, texturales y sensoriales en galletas elaboradas con mezcla de trigo, avena y quinua