Bee bread as a functional product: Chemical composition and bioactive properties

Bee bread is a mixture of pollen pellets, honey and lactic acid bacteria, and the basis of food in the hive. In the present study, a Moroccan bee bread has been analyzed concerning the palynological analysis, nutritional value and chemical composition (free sugars, organic acids, mineral composition, fatty acid, tocopherols and polyphenols); in vitro antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity screened against pathogenic bacteria and fungi were also evaluated. The studied bee bread was a good source of protein (19.96 +/- 0.08 g/100 g), total free sugars (18 +/- 1 g/100 g), macroelements and microelements content, revealed high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (64.7 +/- 0.4%), tocopherols (10.9 +/- 0.9 mg/100 g) and natural antioxidants, such as flavonol glycoside derivatives, being isorhamnetin-O-hexosyl-O-rutinoside the major phenolic compound present. The bee bread showed antioxidant activity and effectiveness against all the bacteria and fungi tested. This work contributes to the chemical and bioactive knowledge of this unexplored natural product.