Antioxidant Activity in Bee Products: A Review

Abstract

Bee products have been used since ancient times both for their nutritional value and for a broad spectrum of therapeutic purposes. They are deemed to be a potential source of natural antioxidants that can counteract the effects of oxidative stress underlying the pathogenesis of many diseases. In view of the growing interest in using bioactive substances from natural sources to promote health and reduce the risk of developing certain illnesses, this review aims to update the current state of knowledge on the antioxidant capacity of bee products such as honey, pollen, propolis, beeswax, royal jelly and bee venom, and on the analytical methods used. The complex, variable composition of these products and the multitude of analytical methods used to study their antioxidant activities are responsible for the wide range of results reported by a plethora of available studies. This suggests the need to establish standardized methods to more efficiently evaluate the intrinsic antioxidant characteristics of these products and make the data obtained more comparable.

Antioxidant Activity of Frozen and Freeze-Dried Drone Brood Homogenate Regarding the Stage of Larval Development

“…Drone brood homogenate, less commonly called drone milk, is a little-known bee product that is often disregarded in articles relating to beekeeping products [ 1 , 2 , 3 ] or marginalized with a brief mention [ 4 ]. This bee product is obtained from drone larvae collected from the bee family in the spring or early summer, according to the authors of [ 5 , 6 ].…”

“…Drone brood is often referred to as the male equivalent of royal jelly due to its very similar chemical composition. Royal jelly is a substance secreted by the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of worker honeybees [ 1 , 3 ]. On average, royal jelly contains about 60% water, 12% sugar, 12% protein, 6% lipids, and 5% organic acids, sex hormones, minerals, and vitamins (C, D, E, B), which makes it a valuable bioactive product [ 3 , 12 , 13 , 14 ].…”

“…Royal jelly is a substance secreted by the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of worker honeybees [ 1 , 3 ]. On average, royal jelly contains about 60% water, 12% sugar, 12% protein, 6% lipids, and 5% organic acids, sex hormones, minerals, and vitamins (C, D, E, B), which makes it a valuable bioactive product [ 3 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. The antioxidant potential of royal jelly is attributed to its polyphenols content, mainly flavonoids [ 4 , 9 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”

Preparation of Ophthalmic Microemulsions Containing Lithuanian Royal Jelly and Their Biopharmaceutical Evaluation

“…Our research results show that royal jelly can be used not only as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant substance [63,64], but also as a moisturizing component that protects corneal cells from water loss and has an antioxidant effect as well as does not cause an increase in intracellular ROS generation [65].…”

Organic Beekeeping Practices in Romania: Status and Perspectives towards a Sustainable Development

“…According to these records, honey is both a currency of commercial exchange and a commodity offered as a high-priced gift or as payment for certain levies [2]. There has been a strong connection between humans and bees since time immemorial, and this relationship relies heavily on the fact that 80% of the world's plants are pollinated by bees [3], and, also, on the highly-nutritional, therapeutical [4], and economic value of their products [5]. In the case of transition economies and developing countries, beekeeping becomes a key occupation for generating additional revenues and a better resilience for the rural inhabitants [6,7].…”