Bee pollen

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Honeybee with pollen baskets Apis mellifera - Melilotus albus - Keila.jpg
Honeybee with pollen baskets
A pollen trap Grille a Pollen et abeilles 05.JPG
A pollen trap
Fresh bee pollen Bee Pollen IMG 8873.jpg
Fresh bee pollen
Frozen bee pollen, a human food supplement Corbiculette congelate.JPG
Frozen bee pollen, a human food supplement
Bee bread: the bee pollen stored in the combs Pollen in Wabe 31b.jpg
Bee bread: the bee pollen stored in the combs

Bee pollen, also known as bee bread and ambrosia, [1] is a ball or pellet of field-gathered flower pollen packed by worker honeybees, and used as the primary food source for the hive. It consists of simple sugars, protein, minerals and vitamins, fatty acids, and a small percentage of other components. Bee pollen is stored in brood cells, mixed with saliva, and sealed with a drop of honey. [2] Bee pollen is harvested as food for humans and marketed as having various, but yet unproven, health benefits. [3]

Contents

Details

Vertical dissection of cells from a comb, showing the packing of different types of pollen over time Bee pollen cell vertically stacked.jpg
Vertical dissection of cells from a comb, showing the packing of different types of pollen over time

In honeybees (Apis species) pollen is stored in the chambers of the hives. It differs from field-gathered pollen as honeybee secretions induce a fermentation process, where biochemical transformations break down the walls of flower pollen grains and render the nutrients more readily available. [4]

Forager bees that gather pollen do not eat it themselves, since they stop producing the proteolytic enzymes necessary to digest it when they transition to foraging. The foragers unload the pollen they gather directly into open cells located at the interface between the brood and stored honey, creating a typical band of what is called bee bread – the substance which is the main food source for honeybee larvae and workers.

Foraging bees bring pollen back to the hive, where they pass it off to other worker bees, who pack the pollen into cells with their heads. During collection and possibly packing, the pollen is mixed with nectar and bee salivary secretions, signalling the start of the lactic fermentation process. [5] Bee pollen is the primary source of protein for the hive. [6]

Bees other than Apis typically form pollen into balls; these are primarily ground-nesting bees or twig-nesting bees, most of which are solitary, such as leafcutter bees. [7] With the leafcutter bee, as in most such bees, when the pollen ball is complete, the female lays an egg on top of the pollen ball, and seals the brood cell. The egg hatches and the larva consumes the pollen directly; the pollen is not stored separately from the brood. [8] This method of pollen usage can also be seen in the wood-nesting bee species Xylocopa sulcatipes [9] and Xylocopa sonorina .

Composition

Like honey and propolis, other well-known honeybee products that are gathered rather than secreted (i.e., in contrast to royal jelly and beeswax), the exact chemical composition depends on the plants from which the worker bees gather the pollen, and can vary from hour to hour, day to day, week to week, colony to colony, even in the same apiary, with no two samples of bee pollen being exactly identical. Accordingly, chemical and nutritional analyses of bee pollen apply only to the specific samples being tested and cannot be extrapolated to samples gathered in other places or other times.

Although there is no specific chemical composition, the average composition is said to be 40–60% simple sugars (fructose and glucose), 20–60% proteins, 3% minerals and vitamins, 1–32% fatty acids, and 5% diverse other components. [10] [11] Bee bread is a niche for yeasts and bacteria, including lactic acid bacteria, Bifidobacterium , Bacillus spp., and others. [12] [13] [14] A study of bee pollen samples showed that they may contain 188 kinds of fungi and 29 kinds of bacteria. [15] Despite this microbial diversity, stored pollen is a preservation environment similar to honey, and contains consistently low microbial biomass. [16]

Use as a health supplement

Bee pollen has been touted by herbalists as a treatment for a variety of medical conditions. Bee bread is rich in micronutrients, minerals, and phenolic compounds. [17]

Potential risks of consuming bee pollen include contamination by fungal mycotoxins, pesticides, or toxic metals. [3] Bee pollen is safe for short term use, but for those with pollen allergies, allergic reactions may occur (shortness of breath, hives, swelling, and anaphylaxis). [18] Bee pollen is not safe for pregnant women and should not be used during breastfeeding. [18] The Food and Drug Administration has warned against the use of some bee pollen products because they are adulterated with unapproved drugs including sibutramine and phenolphthalein. [19] [20]

Alternative diets for honeybees

There are several artificial pollen diets available for honeybees that incorporate a variety of ingredients like soy, corn gluten, yeast, egg, or milk protein, but they often fail to provide the essential macronutrients (such as lipids and proteins), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and antioxidants needed by honeybees to thrive. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bee</span> Clade of insects

Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea. They are currently considered a clade, called Anthophila. There are over 20,000 known species of bees in seven recognized biological families. Some species – including honey bees, bumblebees, and stingless bees – live socially in colonies while most species (>90%) – including mason bees, carpenter bees, leafcutter bees, and sweat bees – are solitary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honey bee</span> Colonial flying insect of genus Apis

A honey bee is a eusocial flying insect within the genus Apis of the bee clade, all native to mainland Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current cosmopolitan distribution of honey bees, introducing multiple subspecies into South America, North America, and Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worker bee</span> Caste of honey bee

A worker bee is any female bee that lacks the reproductive capacity of the colony's queen bee and carries out the majority of tasks needed for the functioning of the hive. While worker bees are present in all eusocial bee species, the term is rarely used for bees other than honey bees, particularly the European honey bee. Worker bees of this variety are responsible for approximately 80% of the world's crop pollination services.

<i>Varroa jacobsoni</i> Species of mite

Varroa jacobsoni is a species of mite that parasitises Apis cerana. The more damaging Varroa destructor was previously included under the name V. jacobsoni, but the two species can be separated on the basis of the DNA sequence of the cytochrome oxidase I gene in the mitochondrial DNA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small hive beetle</span> Species of beetle

Aethina tumida,commonly known as small hive beetle (SHB), is a beekeeping pest. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa, but has spread to many other regions, including North America, Australia, and the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American foulbrood</span> Bee disease

American foulbrood, caused by the spore-forming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae, is a highly infectious honey bee brood disease. It is the most widespread and destructive of the honey bee brood diseases. It is globally distributed and burning of infected colonies is often considered as the only effective measure to prevent spreading of the disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stingless bee</span> Bee tribe, reduced stingers, strong bites

Stingless bees (SB), sometimes called stingless honey bees or simply meliponines, are a large group of bees (from about 462 to 552 described species), comprising the tribe Meliponini (or subtribe Meliponina according to other authors). They belong in the family Apidae (subfamily Apinae), and are closely related to common honey bees (HB, tribe Apini), orchid bees (tribe Euglossini), and bumblebees (tribe Bombini). These four bee tribes belong to the corbiculate bees monophyletic group. Meliponines have stingers, but they are highly reduced and cannot be used for defense, though these bees exhibit other defensive behaviors and mechanisms. Meliponines are not the only type of bee incapable of stinging: all male bees and many female bees of several other families, such as Andrenidae and Megachilidae (tribe Dioxyini), also cannot sting.

Vulture bees, also known as carrion bees, are a small group of three closely related South American stingless bee species in the genus Trigona which feed on rotting meat. Some vulture bees produce a substance similar to royal jelly which is not derived from nectar, but rather from protein-rich secretions of the bees' hypopharyngeal glands. These secretions are likely derived from the bees' diet, which consists of carrion eaten outside the nest, and resulted in the belief that they produce what is known as “meat honey”. This unusual behavior was only discovered in 1982, nearly two centuries after the bees were first classified.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East African lowland honey bee</span> Subspecies of honey bee native to Africa

The East African lowland honey bee is a subspecies of the western honey bee. It is native to central, southern and eastern Africa, though at the southern extreme it is replaced by the Cape honey bee. This subspecies has been determined to constitute one part of the ancestry of the Africanized bees spreading through North and South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western honey bee</span> European honey bee

The western honey bee or European honey bee is the most common of the 7–12 species of honey bees worldwide. The genus name Apis is Latin for "bee", and mellifera is the Latin for "honey-bearing" or "honey carrying", referring to the species' production of honey.

<i>Apis cerana</i> Species of insect

Apis cerana, the eastern honey bee, Asiatic honey bee or Asian honey bee, is a species of honey bee native to South, Southeast and East Asia. This species is the sister species of Apis koschevnikovi and both are in the same subgenus as the western (European) honey bee, Apis mellifera. A. cerana is known to live sympatrically along with Apis koschevnikovi within the same geographic location. Apis cerana colonies are known for building nests consisting of multiple combs in cavities containing a small entrance, presumably for defense against invasion by individuals of another nest. The diet of this honey bee species consists mostly of pollen and nectar, or honey. Moreover, Apis cerana is known for its highly social behavior, reflective of its classification as a type of honey bee.

<i>Trigona spinipes</i> Species of bee

Trigona spinipes is a species of stingless bee. It occurs in Brazil, where it is called arapuá, aripuá, irapuá, japurá or abelha-cachorro ("dog-bee"). The species name means "spiny feet" in Latin. Trigona spinipes builds its nest on trees, out of mud, resin, wax, and assorted debris, including dung. Therefore, its honey is not fit for consumption, even though it is reputed to be of good quality by itself, and is used in folk medicine. Colonies may have from 5,000 to over 100,000 workers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bumblebee communication</span>

Bumblebees, like the honeybee collect nectar and pollen from flowers and store them for food. Many individuals must be recruited to forage for food to provide for the hive. Some bee species have highly developed ways of communicating with each other about the location and quality of food resources ranging from physical to chemical displays.

<i>Tetragonisca angustula</i> Species of bee

Tetragonisca angustula is a small eusocial stingless bee found in México, Central and South America. It is known by a variety of names in different regions. A subspecies, Tetragonisca angustula fiebrigi, occupies different areas in South America and has a slightly different coloration.

<i>Plebeia remota</i> Species of bee

Plebeia remota is a species of stingless bee that is in the family Apidae and tribe Meliponini. Bees of the species are normally found in a few states in southern Brazil and their nests can be found in tree cavities. Depending on the region, P. remota may have a different morphology and exhibit different behaviors. The bee's diet consists of nectar and pollen that are collected intensely from a few sources. Researchers have conducted a multitude of studies analyzing the changes that occur in the colony during reproductive diapause and what happens during the provisioning and oviposition process or POP.

<i>Melipona beecheii</i> Species of bee

Melipona beecheii is a species of eusocial stingless bee. It is native to Central America from the Yucatán Peninsula in the north to Costa Rica in the south. M. beecheii was cultivated in the Yucatán Peninsula starting in the pre-Columbian era by the ancient Maya civilization. The Mayan name for M. beecheii is xunan kab, which translates roughly to "regal lady bee". M. beecheii serves as the subject of various Mayan religious ceremonies.

<i>Melipona scutellaris</i> Species of bee

Melipona scutellaris is a eusocial stingless bee species of the order Hymenoptera and the genus Melipona. It is considered to be the reared Melipona species with the largest distribution in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, with records from Rio Grande do Norte down to Bahia. Its common name, Uruçu, comes from the Tupi "eiru su", which in this indigenous language means "big bee". Their honey is highly desirable and the materials they create for nests have been proven to be a promising source of antibiofilm agents and to present selectivity against human cancer cell lines at low concentrations compared to normal cells.

<i>Trigona fuscipennis</i> Species of bee

Trigona fuscipennis is a stingless bee species that originates in Mexico but is also found in Central and South America. They are an advanced eusocial group of bees and play a key role as pollinators in wet rainforests. The species has many common names, including mapaitero, sanharó, abelha-brava, xnuk, k'uris-kab, enreda, corta-cabelo, currunchos, zagaño, and enredapelos.

References

  1. ↑ Oxford Canadian Dictionary
  2. ↑ Gilliam, Martha (1979). "Microbiology of pollen and bee bread: the yeasts". Apidologie. 10: 45–53. doi: 10.1051/apido:19790106 .
  3. 1 2 Denisow, Bożena; Denisow-Pietrzyk, Marta (2016-10-01). "Biological and therapeutic properties of bee pollen: a review". Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 96 (13): 4303–4309. Bibcode:2016JSFA...96.4303D. doi:10.1002/jsfa.7729. ISSN   1097-0010. PMID   27013064.
  4. ↑ Mutsaers, Marieke; van Blitterswijk, Henk; van‘t Leven, Leen; Kerkvliet, Jaap; van de Waerdt, Jan (2005). Bee products properties, processing and marketing (PDF). Wageningen: Agromisa Foundation. pp. 34–35. ISBN   978-90-8573-028-6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-04-04. Retrieved 2018-04-03.
  5. ↑ Bogdanov, Stefan (2017) [2011]. "Chapter 2:Pollen: Nutrition, Functional Properties, Health". The Pollen Book. Vol. 2. Bee Product Science. pp. 1–31. Archived from the original on 2019-07-19. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  6. ↑ Sammataro, Diana; Avitabile, Alphonse (1998). The Beekeeper's Handbook. Cornell University Press. p. 60. ISBN   978-0-8014-8503-9. Archived from the original on 2020-06-25. Retrieved 2018-04-03.
  7. ↑ "Examination of "pollen Balls" in the nests of the Alfalfa Leafcutting Bee, Megachile rotundata". United States Department of Agriculture . Agricultural Research Service. Archived from the original on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  8. ↑ Thorp, Robbin W. (5 March 2013). "Vernal pool flowers and their specialist bee pollinators". California Vernal Pools. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  9. ↑ Gerling, Dan; Hurd, Paul David; Hefetz, Abraham (1983). Comparative behavioral biology of two Middle East species of carpenter bees (Xylocopa Latreille)(Hymenoptera: Apoidea). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology. Smithsonian Institution Press.
  10. ↑ Mohammad, Salma Malihah; Mahmud-Ab-Rashid, Nor-Khaizura; Zawawi, Norhasnida (2020). "Botanical Origin and Nutritional Values of Bee Bread of Stingless Bee (Heterotrigona itama) from Malaysia". Journal of Food Quality. 2020: 1–12. doi: 10.1155/2020/2845757 .
  11. ↑ Staff writer (September 2011). "What Is Bee Bread?". Keeping-Honey-Bees.com. Archived from the original on 2016-07-11. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
  12. ↑ Mohammad, Salma Malihah; Mahmud-Ab-Rashid, Nor-Khaizura; Zawawi, Norhasnida (2020-08-25). "Probiotic properties of bacteria isolated from bee bread of stingless bee Heterotrigona itama" (PDF). Journal of Apicultural Research. 60: 172–187. doi:10.1080/00218839.2020.1801152. ISSN   0021-8839. S2CID   225208290.
  13. ↑ Gilliam, Martha (1979). "Microbiology of Pollen and Bee Bread: The Genus Bacillus". Apidologie. 10 (3): 269–274. doi: 10.1051/apido:19790304 . ISSN   0044-8435.
  14. ↑ Gilliam, Martha (1979). "Microbiology of Pollen and Bee Bread: The Yeasts". Apidologie. 10 (1): 43–53. doi: 10.1051/apido:19790106 . ISSN   0044-8435.
  15. ↑ Black, Jacquelyn G. (2004). Microbiology . John Wiley and Sons. ISBN   978-0-471-42084-2.
  16. ↑ Anderson, Kirk E.; Carroll, Mark J.; Sheehan, Tim; Lanan, Michele C.; Mott, Brendon M.; Maes, Patrick; Corby-Harris, Vanessa (5 November 2014). "Hive-stored pollen of honey bees: many lines of evidence are consistent with pollen preservation, not nutrient conversion". Molecular Ecology. 23 (23): 5904–5917. Bibcode:2014MolEc..23.5904A. doi:10.1111/mec.12966. PMC   4285803 . PMID   25319366.
  17. ↑ Mohammad, Salma Malihah; Mahmud-Ab-Rashid, Nor-Khaizura; Zawawi, Norhasnida (2021-10-12). "Stingless Bee-Collected Pollen (Bee Bread): Chemical and Microbiology Properties and Health Benefits". Molecules. 26 (4): 957. doi: 10.3390/molecules26040957 . PMC   7917892 . PMID   33670262.
  18. 1 2 "Bee Pollen Benefits and Side Effects". WebMD. Archived from the original on April 16, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2014. after years of research, scientists still cannot confirm that bee pollen has any health benefits", "medical research has not shown that bee pollen is effective for any of these health concerns
  19. ↑ "Public Notification: "Zi Xiu Tang Bee Pollen Capsules" Contains Hidden Drug Ingredient". Food and Drug Administration. October 24, 2012. Archived from the original on April 16, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  20. ↑ "FDA warns consumers not to use Zi Xiu Tang Bee Pollen capsules". Food and Drug Administration. April 7, 2014. Archived from the original on January 28, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  21. ↑ Jiang, Georgia (2021), Microalgae is the Bee's Knees, USDA Agricultural Research Service , retrieved 16 August 2021
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