Impact of Fermentation Processes on the Bioactive Profile and Health-Promoting Properties of Bee Bread, Mead and Honey Vinegar

Abstract

Recently, an increasing interest is paid to bee products obtained as a result of the fermentation process. Some of them can be consumed directly (bee-collected pollen, honey, bee bread etc.), while others are the result of lactic and/or acid fermentation (honey vinegar and honey wine). Bee bread is the result of pollens’ lactic fermentation, whereas mead is obtained by honeys’ lactic fermentation. Moreover, as a result of honey acetic acid fermentation, honey vinegar is obtained. Sensory characteristics and aroma composition have been scarcely studied, which may depend on the starter culture and fermentation process. Along with the medicinal properties they are a vital resource for future researches as they are of particular importance in the food market. In this review, we discuss the aroma-active compounds, taste, and sensorial characteristics of fermented bee products along with the approaches that can be developed for the flavor improvement based on existing technologies. Furthermore, the beneficial effects on human health are also described, with special attention that should be attributed to finding the use of probiotics in these fermented products as health-promoting effects.

Water-Soluble Melanoidin Pigment as a New Antioxidant Component of Fermented Willowherb Leaves (Epilobium angustifolium)

“…All this indicates that the fermentation had a weak impact on the lipophilic compounds (except the chlorophylls, which probably degraded) but proteins disintegrated into amino acids, and water-soluble polysaccharides gave a mixture of mono- and disaccharides. This is understandable because aerobic fermentation releases various enzymes in plant cells, contributing to the degradation of macromolecular compounds to simple components [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ].…”

“…Recently, there has been increased scientific interest in fermented products from medical science, which has led to the creation of a large number of functional products with a certain biological activity [ 2 , 3 ]. The main advantage of functional products is a mild correction of a lack of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutraceuticals without fear of excessive consumption [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Widely used functional products are functional beverages, namely herbal teas, which have pleasant organoleptic properties and a positive biological effect [ 7 ].…”

From the hive to the table: Nutrition value, digestibility and bioavailability of the dietary phytochemicals present in the bee pollen and bee bread

“…and yeasts (Saccharomyces spp.) (Detry, Simon-Delso, Bruneau, & Daniel, 2020;Di Cagno, Filannino, Cantatore, & Gobbetti, 2019;Mȃrgȃoan, Cornea-Cipcigan, Topal, & Kösoglu, 2020;Tomás et al, 2017), (Fig. 1).…”

Volatilome and Bioaccessible Phenolics Profiles in Lab-Scale Fermented Bee Pollen

“…1-Hexanol has been reported to contribute to the sensation of herbaceous and grass. 1-Nonanol and 1-Propanol were correlated to fruity notes [ 51 ].…”

“…1-Hexanol has been reported to contribute to the sensation of herbaceous and grass. 1-Nonanol and 1-Propanol were correlated to fruity notes [51]. Esters are flavor-active compounds that generally result in desirable fruity and floral notes in fermented foods [37].…”