Fatty acid profiles of 20 species of monofloral bee pollen from China

Fatty acids are important nutrients contained in bee pollen and vary greatly depending on the floral species. In this study, 20 species of monofloral bee pollen from China were collected to analyze fatty acid composition. Fatty acids were identified and quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with selected ion monitor (GC-MS/SIM) and compared with reference standards of 37 fatty acid methyl esters. Our results reveal that in virtually all bee pollen samples, a broad variety of fatty acids ranging from 11 to 20 types were identified. Palmitic acid, stearic acid, -linolenic acid, linoleic acid, eicosenoic acid and erucic acid occurred in all bee pollen samples. In addition, the presence of nervonic acid in bee pollen is a novel finding, with an average level of 0.21mg/g.