Potentialities of beebread as a food supplement and source of nutraceuticals: Botanical origin, nutritional composition and antioxidant activity

Abstract

Beebread is a honey bee product resulting from the storage and lactic fermentation of pollen within the hive. The potential use of beebread as a food supplement and nutraceutical greatly depends on its chemical richness, which varies upon the flora diversity of the region and the season of pollen collection by the bees. To evaluate the potential of this bee product as a food supplement and source of nutraceuticals, we analyzed beebread produced in the northeast region of Portugal, along with a commercial sample. The analysis focused on pollen composition, nutritional parameters (moisture, ash, fats, proteins and sugars), the presence of vitamin E, the phenolic content, and its antioxidant activity. Beebread proved to be a good source of nutrients, with high protein and carbohydrate content, where fructose and glucose were the main sugars resembling the honey sugar profile. Its nutritional value, together with the richness in phenolics and its high bioactivity, makes this product an excellent choice to be consumed as nutraceutical in food supplementation.