COVID-19 pandemic: impacts on bees, beekeeping, and potential role of bee products as antiviral agents and immune enhancers

Effects of Artificial Sugar Supplementation on the Composition and Nutritional Potency of Honey from Apis cerana

In the global apiculture industry, reward feeding and supplementary feeding are essential for maintaining bee colonies. Beekeepers provide artificial supplements to their colonies, typically in the form of either a honey-water solution or sugar syrup. Owing to cost considerations associated with beekeeping, most beekeepers opt for sugar syrup. However, the effects of different types of artificial sugar supplements on bee colonies and their subsequent impact on honey composition remain unclear. To address this gap, this study compared the chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and nutritional potency of three types of honey: honey derived from colonies fed sugar syrup (sugar-based product, SP) or a honey-water solution (honey-sourced honey, HH) and naturally sourced honey (flower-sourced honey, FH), which served as the control. The results revealed that FH outperformed HH and SP in terms of total acidity, sugar content, total protein content, and antioxidant capacity, and HH outperformed SP. Regarding nutritional efficacy, including the lifespan and learning and memory capabilities of worker bees, FH exhibited the best outcomes, with no significant differences observed between HH and SP. This study underscores the importance of sugar source selection in influencing honey quality and emphasizes the potential consequences of substituting honey with sugar syrup in traditional apiculture practices.

Quantitative Analysis of Bioaccessible Phenolic Compounds in Aegean Bee Bread Using LC-HRMS Coupled with a Human Digestive System Model

Bee bread, a valuable bee product that has recently attracted significant public interest as a nutritional supplement. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of phenolic compounds in bee bread samples from the Aegean Region and assess their bioaccessibility using a simulated human digestion model. Various extraction techniques, such as maceration, ultrasound-assisted extraction, and supercritical fluid extraction were employed to obtain extracts of bee bread. The antioxidant capabilities of these extracts were carried out using assays like DPPH⋅, ABTS⋅+ , CUPRAC, and β-carotene linoleic acid bleaching, and their effectiveness was quantified through IC50 values. The bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds was analysed by using LC-HRMS in a simulated human digestive system using ethanol extracts obtained from bee bread samples of each season by ultrasound-assisted extraction, which has the highest antioxidant activity. In the Aegean bee bread, a total of 25 phenolic compounds which were major phenolics including quercetin, ascorbic acid, isorhamnetin, kaempferol, and hyperoside were identified and quantified. Also, ascorbic acid was the one of the most bioaccessible compounds with the bioaccessibility index 35.38 % for 2021, 16.79 % for 2022. These findings underscore the substantial transformation of the phenolic profile of bee bread as it traverses the human digestive system.

Lesson learned from COVID-19 pandemic for the future of food industry

With WHO announcing COVID-19 no longer as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on May 5, 2023, coupled with the fact that the majority of the countries of the world have dropped strict city lockdown or border closure, this perhaps signals the end of the COVID-19 crisis caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in far-reaching effects affecting nearly every aspect of our lives and society. Notably, the food industry including agriculture, food manufacturers, food logistics, distributors and retailers have all felt the profound impact and had experienced significant stress during the pandemic. Therefore, it is essential to retrospect the lessons that can be learned from this pandemic for the food industry. This short review aims to address the food safety issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic by focusing on its foodborne transmission potential, innovations of virus detection strategies suitable for food industry; development of phathogenicaidal methods and devices to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 virus (particularly in industrial scale); and the set-up of related food regulations and guidelines as preventive and control measures for preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus through the food supply chain during the pandemic. This article may provide useful references for the food industry to minimize the food safety impact of COVID-19 (as well as other respiratory virus) and allows them to better prepare for similar future challenges.

Phyto-Inhibitory and Antimicrobial Activity of Brown Propolis from Romania

The objective of this paper was to study the phyto-inhibitory and antimicrobial activity of brown propolis collected from the counties of four regions in Romania. The main physico-chemical and functional properties of 16 samples of propolis from different landforms of geographical regions were determined. Their antimicrobial activities were established against 5 bacterial strains (Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabilis) and 5 fungal strains (Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Fusarium oxysporum, Mucor racemosus, and Aspergillus niger). Simultaneously, the phyto-inhibitory effect of propolis samples on different cereals was highlighted: hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), maize (Zea mays L.), oats (Avena sativa L.), and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Correlations between the antioxidant activity and total flavonoid and phenol content of the propolis samples were identified, respectively, and the statistical analysis highlighted that the diameter of the inhibition zone was influenced by the strain type (bacterial and fungal) and the geographical regions of propolis. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that out of seven principal components, only two exhibited > 0.5. Pearson's correlation coefficient showed a low and moderate positive linear relationship between the diameter of the inhibition zone and the flavonoid and phenol concentration of the propolis samples.

Royal Jelly as a Nutraceutical Natural Product with a Focus on Its Antibacterial Activity

Royal jelly (RJ) is one of the most valued natural products and is known for its health-promoting properties. Due to its therapeutic effects, it has been used in medicine since antiquity. Nowadays, several studies indicate that RJ acts as a powerful antimicrobial agent. Indeed, researchers shed light on its antioxidant and anticancer activity. RJ’s biological properties are related to its bioactive compounds, such as proteins, peptides, phenolic, and fatty acids. The aim of this review is to highlight recent findings on RJ’s main bioactive compounds correlated with its health-promoting properties. The available literature suggests that these bioactive compounds can be used as an alternative approach in order to enhance human health. Moreover, throughout this paper, we underline the prominent antibacterial effect of RJ against several target bacterial strains. In addition, we briefly discuss other therapeutic activities, such as antioxidative and anticancer effects, of this outstanding natural product.