Antioxidative properties of bee pollen in selected plant species

Phenolic constituents (total phenols, phenylpropanoids, flavonols and anthocyanins) and antioxidant ability were determined in bee pollen of 12 plant species. Antioxidant ability was measured as total antioxidant activity, radical-scavenging activity and activity against free hydroxyl radical. Great variability of phenolic contents was observed in the pollen of investigated species. Total antioxidant activity differed considerably (0.8-86.4% inhibition of lipid peroxidation), however, in most of the examined pollens, it was high and corresponded with the phenylpropanoid level. Great differences in the radical-scavenging activity (8.6-91.5% of DPPH neutralization) and in the hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity (10.5-98% inhibition of deoxyribose degradation) were observed and were not correlated with the content of phenolic compounds. In most of the investigated plant species, antioxidative capacity of bee pollen was very high. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.