Chemical Composition and Bioactivity of Laboratory-Fermented Bee Pollen in Comparison with Natural Bee Bread

oleh: Michał Miłek, Mateusz Mołoń, Monika Kula-Maximenko, Ewelina Sidor, Grzegorz Zaguła, Małgorzata Dżugan

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2023-06-01

Deskripsi

Bee bread is a valuable product obtained from the hive on a relatively small scale, while bee pollen is more easily available. Therefore, an effective laboratory method of converting pollen into a bee bread substitute is desired. The aim of the research was to verify the influence of selected factors (temperature, ultrasound) on the quality of obtained product using <i>Lactobacillus rhamnosus</i> inoculum. The composition of the fermented pollen was analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES), Raman spectroscopy, and SDS-PAGE and compared to natural bee bread and the original pollen. In vitro biological activity was assessed as antioxidant activity using a yeast model (BY4741 and <i>sod1∆</i> strains). Fermentation of pollen occurred spontaneously and after inoculation, as demonstrated by lower pH and higher lactic acid content. Raman spectroscopy and ICP-OES confirmed changes in composition compared to the initial pollen. Compared to bee bread, the fermented pollen showed a higher content of polyphenols and comparable antioxidant activity; moreover, it accelerated yeast growth rate. In addition, a protective effect was observed for Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase 1 (<i>sod1∆</i> yeast mutant exposed to hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress). The higher fermentation temperature (25 °C) produces a more bee-bread-like product, while the use of ultrasound and starter culture seems to have no positive effect.