Bee Pollen Research

(Page 2)

Scientific Studies Support the Health Benefits of Bee Pollen

Bee Pollen Research Study - 3

One novel and three known hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives having antioxidant activities were isolated from a Brazilian bee pollen. They were identified as kaempferol 3-O-[2-O-p-coumaroyl]-α-L-arabinopyranoside, N1, N5, N10-tri-p-coumaroyl spermidine, N1, N5, N10, N14-tetra-p-coumaroyl spermine, and monocaffeoyl-tri-p-coumaroyl spermine, respectively. The structure of the kaempferol glycoside was established on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical investigations. Among the isolated compounds, monocaffeoyl-tri-p-coumaroyl spermine showed the strongest free radical-scavenging activity, which was almost identical to that of α-tocopherol. On the other hand, the antioxidant effect of tri-p-coumaroyl spermidine on autooxidation of linoleic acid was strongest and nearly equal to that of α-tocopherol.

Keywords: Bee pollen; Kaempferol 3-O-(2-O-p-coumaroyl)-α-L-arabinopyranoside; Spermine; Spermidine; Radical scavenging effect; Antioxidant activity

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/14786410601000047

Affiliations: 1: Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Shiga 526-0829, Japan 2: Department of Mathematical and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan 3: Natural Science Center for Basic Research and Development, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan 4: Yamada Apiculture Center, Inc., Okayama 708-0393, Japan

Evaluation of bioactive properties of pollen extracts as functional dietary food supplementPurchase the full-text article

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G. KroyerCorresponding Author Contact Information, E-mail The Corresponding Author and N. Hegedus

Institute of Food Chemistry and Technology, University of Technology Vienna, Getreidemarkt 9, A-1060 Vienna, Austria

Received 31 July 2000; accepted 14 May 2001. Available online 24 July 2001.

Abstract

Bee-collected pollen is an apicultural product which is composed of nutritionally valuable substances and contains considerable amounts polyphenol substances (8.2 mg/g) which may act as potent antioxidants. By preparing ethanol, methanol/water and water extracts of natural pollen the content of polyphenol compounds could be significantly increased (21.4–24.6 mg/g). Correspondingly, bee-collected pollen extracts show considerable antiradical activity (PI: 35% inhibition) which is significantly increased in the pollen extracts (PI: 39–53% inhibition). The highest degree of radical scavenging activity is found in the ethanol extract, which also has the highest concentration of polyphenol substances. For this reason, it can be assumed that there is a general correlation between the content of total polyphenols and the antioxidant and radical scavenging activity of the pollen preparations. Thus, the prepared extracts of bee-collected flower pollen may be regarded as effective natural and functional dietary food supplement due to their remarkable content of polyphenol substances and significant radical scavenging capacity with special regard to their nutritional–physiological implications and their health promoting effect.

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