Analysis of antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of bee bread

Abstract

Bee bread is a product of the hive obtained from pollen collected by bees, to which they add honey, enzymes and is stored in the combs. Increasing evidence suggests bee bread’s potential therapeutic benefits, including antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer properties [1]. Most of the bee bread properties are influenced by phenolic compounds such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, which is considered to be the main reason for its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties [2]. The aim of this research was to determine the effect of different extraction process of bee bread on its antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activity. Eight samples of bee bread were collected from different locations of Lithuania and prepared using different solvents (methanol and water) and using enzyme assisted extraction method. The antimicrobial activity of bee bread extracts was evaluated by agar well diffusion assay against three different types of bacteria and two different types of molds. Total phenolic compound content was evaluated by spectrophotometric Folin-Ciocalteu test, total flavonoid content by colorimetric AlCl3 assay and antiradical activity using the spectrophotometric DPPH bleaching assay [3]. The antifungal activity against mould species, namely Aspergillus niger and Monilinia fructicola, and antibacterial activity against Staphyloccocus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were also evaluated. Study showed, that both antioxidant and antimicrobial activity were depended on sample geographic origin, what may be strongly related with botanical origin of bee bread.