Effect of some bee bread quality on protein content and antioxidant system of honeybee workers

Abstract

Protein content and antioxidants in both bee bread and honeybee workers were analyzed investigating the relationships between those two parameters. Results indicated significant differences between both protein and antioxidant content [total antioxidant content (TAX), glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels] of bee bread types. Generally, workers fed sugar syrup only (control) had significantly lower protein content, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and GSH in comparison to bees fed bee bread at all studied ages. On the other hand, LPO levels in control worker bees were significantly higher than those of bees fed fennel, maize, cucumber, clover, and broad bean bee bread. Results also showed a positive relationship between protein content and antioxidants in bee bread and between protein content and the antioxidant system of honeybees, respectively. There was a negative correlation between protein content and antioxidants. In addition, the present study showed that both the protein quantity and quality of bee bread are important for honeybees. To our knowledge, this study is the first to report the relationship between antioxidant content in bee bread and antioxidant system of honeybees. The present study showed a causal link between antioxidant system and protein content in honeybees, and the contents of both antioxidants and protein in bee bread.

The Comparison of Honey Enriched with Laboratory Fermented Pollen vs. Natural Bee Bread in Terms of Nutritional and Antioxidant Properties, Protein In Vitro Bioaccessibility, and Its Genoprotective Effect in Yeast Cells

“…Proteins with masses of approximately 90, 80, 37, 34, and 26 kDa were previously identified in the water-soluble fraction of bee bread [38]. Bands corresponding to proteins with this mass range were also previously observed for bee bread samples of various botanical origins [39]. Proteins with lower molecular weights are probably proteins of plant origin, not present in rapeseed honey.…”

Chemical Composition and Bioactivity of Laboratory-Fermented Bee Pollen in Comparison with Natural Bee Bread

“…The higher intensity of the bands in the paths corresponding to the natural bee bread suggests a higher protein content in these samples. Literature data report similar protein profiles for both bee pollen and bee bread with a predominant fraction of proteins between 20 and 85 kDa [30,31]. These are most likely proteins of plant origin, typical of pollens of various plant species.…”

“…These are most likely proteins of plant origin, typical of pollens of various plant species. Another study has shown that regardless of the source of pollen, the protein composition of natural bee bread is conservative [31].…”

Bee Bread: A Promising Source of Bioactive Compounds with Antioxidant Properties—First Report on Some Antimicrobial Features

“…Still, even if the phenolic acids and flavonoids are the primary compounds to determine antioxidant activity, other biomolecules can influence this (stilbenoids, sesquiterpenes, carotenoids, proteins, etc.) [74][75][76][77][78][79]. The antioxidant activity of BBE (corresponding to the TEAC method) had values ranging from 0.02 ± 0.005 to 0.07 ± 0.020 mmol Trolox/g BB.…”