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Royal jelly, a honey bee secretion, plays a critical role in caste determination in honey bees because it serves as the source of nutrition for young larvae destined to become queens. It is also fed to adult queens. Royal jelly possesses numerous functional properties and thus has been used as a medication, health food, and cosmetic in many countries. In this paper, we first introduce a traditional method for producing royal jelly by artificial larvae grafting and a newly developed method that does not require grafting of larvae. We describe protocols for the storage and freeze-drying of royal jelly to preserve its biological properties. Routine methods for determination of two important quality criteria, water content and trans-10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid content, are outlined. On a dry basis, protein, carbohydrate, and fatty acids were found to be the 3 most abundant components of royal jelly. Methods for their isolation, identification, and quantification are described. Because royal jelly is susceptible to contamination with veterinary drugs and acaricides, we also describe methods for detection and quantification of some veterinary drugs and acaricides in royal jelly.Mé todos estándar para la investigació n de la jalea real de Apis mellifera La jalea real, una secreció n de abejas, desempeña un papel crítico en la determinació n de castas en la abeja melífera, ya que sirve como fuente de nutrició n para larvas jó venes destinadas a convertirse en reinas. También alimenta a las reinas adultas. La jalea real posee numerosas propiedades funcionales y por lo tanto se ha utilizado como un medicamento, alimento saludable y cosmético en muchos países. En este artículo, introducimos un método tradicional para producir jalea real mediante el injerto artificial de larvas y un método recientemente desarrollado que no requiere injerto de larvas. Describimos protocolos para el almacenamiento y la liofilizació n de la jalea real para preservar sus propiedades bioló gicas. Se describen métodos rutinarios para la determinació n de dos importantes criterios de calidad, el contenido de agua y el de ácido trans-10-hidroxi-2-decenoico. En una base seca, proteínas, carbohidratos y ácidos grasos fueron los tres componentes más abundantes de la jalea real. Se describen métodos para su aislamiento, identificació n y cuantificació n. Debido a que la jalea real es susceptible a la contaminació n con medicamentos veterinarios y acaricidas, también describimos métodos para la detecció n y cuantificació n de algunos medicamentos veterinarios y acaricidas en jalea real.

Honeybee (Apis mellifera) royal jelly (RJ) has a long history in human medicine because of its health-protecting properties. To develop a fundamental and comprehensive understanding of lipids in RJ, this article reviews the available literature on lipid compounds identified from RJ extracts and in vitro pharmacological effects of 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid in RJ and other closely related compounds, some of which are also identified as lipid compounds in RJ. Overall, the lipids in RJ are composed of mostly (aliphatic) fatty acids, almost all of which are present as free fatty acids and scarcely any as esters. Most fatty acids in RJ are medium-chain fatty acids, whether hydroxylated in terminal and/or internal positions, terminated with mono- or dicarboxylic acid groups, and saturated or monounsaturated at the 2-position. Besides these fatty acids, lipids in RJ contain sterols in minor amounts. Lipids in RJ are useful as preventive and supportive medicines with functionalities that include potential inhibitors of cancer growth, immune system modulators, alternative therapies for menopause, skin-aging protectors, neurogenesis inducers, and more. Taken together, the evidence suggests that health-protecting properties of RJ can be, in part, ascribed to actions of lipids in RJ.

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