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Anjum SI, Ullah A, Gohar F, Raza G, Khan MI, Hameed M, Ali A, Chen CC, Tlak Gajger I. Bee pollen as a food and feed supplement and a therapeutic remedy: recent trends in nanotechnology. Front Nutr 2024; 11:1371672. [PMID: 38899322 PMCID: PMC11186459 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1371672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Pollen grains are the male reproductive part of the flowering plants. It is collected by forager honey bees and mixed with their salivary secretions, enzymes, and nectar, which form fermented pollen or "bee bread" which is stored in cells of wax honeycombs. Bee pollen (BP) is a valuable apitherapeutic product and is considered a nutritional healthy food appreciated by natural medicine from ancient times. Recently, BP has been considered a beneficial food supplement and a value-added product that contains approximately 250 different bioactive components. It contains numerous beneficial elements such as Mg, Ca, Mn, K, and phenolic compounds. BP possesses strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, analgesic, immunostimulant, neuroprotective, anti-cancer, and hepatoprotective properties. It is used for different purposes for the welfare of mankind. Additionally, there is a growing interest in honey bee products harvesting and utilizing for many purposes as a natural remedy and nutritive function. In this review, the impacts of BP on different organisms in different ways by highlighting its apitherapeutic efficacy are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Ishtiaq Anjum
- Department of Zoology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Amjad Ullah
- Department of Zoology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
- Department of Plant Protection, Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Faryal Gohar
- Department of Zoology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Ghulam Raza
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Baltistan, Skardu, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Ilyas Khan
- Department of Zoology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Mehwish Hameed
- Department of Zoology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Abid Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Chien-Chin Chen
- Department of Pathology, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan
- Department of Cosmetic Science, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Translational Medicine, Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ivana Tlak Gajger
- Department for Biology and Pathology of Fish and Bees, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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Kacemi R, Campos MG. Translational Research on Bee Pollen as a Source of Nutrients: A Scoping Review from Bench to Real World. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15102413. [PMID: 37242296 DOI: 10.3390/nu15102413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The emphasis on healthy nutrition is gaining a forefront place in current biomedical sciences. Nutritional deficiencies and imbalances have been widely demonstrated to be involved in the genesis and development of many world-scale public health burdens, such as metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. In recent years, bee pollen is emerging as a scientifically validated candidate, which can help diminish conditions through nutritional interventions. This matrix is being extensively studied, and has proven to be a very rich and well-balanced nutrient pool. In this work, we reviewed the available evidence on the interest in bee pollen as a nutrient source. We mainly focused on bee pollen richness in nutrients and its possible roles in the main pathophysiological processes that are directly linked to nutritional imbalances. This scoping review analyzed scientific works published in the last four years, focusing on the clearest inferences and perspectives to translate cumulated experimental and preclinical evidence into clinically relevant insights. The promising uses of bee pollen for malnutrition, digestive health, metabolic disorders, and other bioactivities which could be helpful to readjust homeostasis (as it is also true in the case of anti-inflammatory or anti-oxidant needs), as well as the benefits on cardiovascular diseases, were identified. The current knowledge gaps were identified, along with the practical challenges that hinder the establishment and fructification of these uses. A complete data collection made with a major range of botanical species allows more robust clinical information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachid Kacemi
- Observatory of Drug-Herb Interactions, Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Heath Sciences Campus, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Maria G Campos
- Observatory of Drug-Herb Interactions, Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Heath Sciences Campus, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Coimbra Chemistry Centre (CQC, FCT Unit 313), Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-516 Coimbra, Portugal
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Bee Pollen and Bread as a Super-Food: A Comparative Review of Their Metabolome Composition and Quality Assessment in the Context of Best Recovery Conditions. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28020715. [PMID: 36677772 PMCID: PMC9862147 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28020715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, functional foods have been a subject of great interest in dietetics owing not only to their nutritional value but rather their myriad of health benefits. Moreover, an increase in consumers' demands for such valuable foods warrants the development in not only production but rather tools of quality and nutrient assessment. Bee products, viz., pollen (BP) and bread, are normally harvested from the flowering plants with the aid of bees. BP is further subjected to a fermentation process in bee hives to produce the more valuable and bioavailable BB. Owing to their nutritional and medicinal properties, bee products are considered as an important food supplements rich in macro-, micro-, and phytonutrients. Bee products are rich in carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins, fatty acids, and minerals in addition to a myriad of phytonutrients such as phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, volatiles, and carotenoids. Moreover, unsaturated fatty acids (USFAs) of improved lipid profile such as linoleic, linolenic, and oleic were identified in BP and BB. This work aims to present a holistic overview of BP and BB in the context of their composition and analysis, and to highlight optimized extraction techniques to maximize their value and future applications in nutraceuticals.
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Rapid and Accurate Approach for Honeybee Pollen Analysis Using ED-XRF and FTIR Spectroscopy. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26196024. [PMID: 34641568 PMCID: PMC8512728 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26196024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Since honeybee pollen is considered a “perfectly complete food” and is characterized by many beneficial properties (anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-bacterial, etc.), it has begun to be used for therapeutic purposes. Consequently, there is a high need to develop methods for controlling its composition. A thorough bee pollen analysis can be very informative regarding its safety for consumption, the variability of its composition, its biogeographical origin, or harvest date. Therefore, in this study, two reliable and non-destructive spectroscopy methods, i.e., ED-XRF and ATR–FTIR, are proposed as a fast approach to characterize bee pollen. The collected samples were derived from apiaries located in west-central Poland. Additionally, some commercially available samples were analyzed. The applied methodology was optimized and combined with sophisticated chemometric tools. Data derived from IR analyses were also subjected to two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy. The developed ED-XRF method allowed the reliable quantification of eight macro- and micro-nutrients, while organic components were characterized by IR spectroscopy. Principal component analysis, cluster analysis, and obtained synchronous and asynchronous maps allowed the study of component changes occurring dependently on the date and location of harvest. The proposed approach proved to be an excellent tool to monitor the variability of the inorganic and organic content of bee pollen.
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