ABSTRACT
Bee propolis has been touted as a natural antimicrobial agent with the potential to replace antibiotics. Numerous reports and reviews have highlighted the functionalities and applications of the natural compound. Despite much clamor for the downstream application of propolis, there remain many grounds to cover, especially in the upstream production, and factors affecting the quality of the propolis. Moreover, geopropolis and cerumen, akin to propolis, hold promise for diverse human applications, yet their benefits and intricate manufacturing processes remain subjects of intensive research. Specialized cement bees are pivotal in gathering and transporting plant resins from suitable sources to their nests. Contrary to common belief, these resins are directly applied within the hive, smoothed out by cement bees, and blended with beeswax and trace components to create raw propolis. Beekeepers subsequently harvest and perform the extraction of the raw propolis to form the final propolis extract that is sold on the market. As a result of the production process, intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such as botanical origins, bee species, and the extraction process, have a direct impact on the quality of the final propolis extract. Towards the end of this paper, a section is dedicated to highlighting the antimicrobial potency of propolis extract.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cerumen is a mixture of beeswax and plant resin made by stingless bees. It has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and is often used in biological and therapeutic treatments. However, its adhesive characteristic makes cerumen challenging to process into powder. METHODS: This study investigated the physical characteristics and antioxidant activity of the encapsulated freeze-dried dewaxed cerumen of Tetragonula laevicpes. The combination of coating materials at concentrations of 20%, 30% and 40% and carrier ratios of maltodextrin to gum arabic of 9:1, 5:5 and 3:7 were used to encapsulate dewaxed cerumen when freeze-dried; the control was maltodextrin at a concentration of 31.25%. RESULTS: All carrier matrices showed high yields of >80% and similar powder characteristics of low moisture content, low water activity, high glass transition temperature and water dispersibility. Overall, antioxidant activities ranged from 69-80%, while the encapsulation efficiency of total phenolic content ranged from 46-68%. All carrier matrices show higher antioxidant activities than 31.25% maltodextrin, with the lowest antioxidant at 57%. CONCLUSIONS: The carrier ratio of 5:5 resulted in better physical properties and retained 68% of polyphenolic activity in powders.
ABSTRACT
This research reports the characterization of bee pollen of Apis andreniformis colonies on the basis of morphology, proximate composition, the amino acid, and nutritive patterns in relation with their honey. The pollen gains of the sampling colonies revealed variations in their structure, symmetry, and sculpture. The exile surfaces of the pollens showed psilate, scabrate, clavate, and echinate types of morphology. Total amino acid content of black dwarf honeybee collected pollen (150 mg/g) was found significantly higher than that of honey (15 mg/g) from the same colony. Threonine, phenylalanine, and leucine were among the highest essential amino acid types found in the analyzed pollen and honey samples. The proline content in both products was found the lowest comparing to other amino acid types. The moisture content of the honey samples were found to exceed the limit as prescribed by Codex Alimentarius Commission (<20%). The ash content of the analyzed samples was mostly within the limits (<0.6%) prescribed by international norms. The fat content of the pollens varied from 5.01 to 5.05%, and the honey showed zero fat content. The carbohydrate content in the honey samples was found to differ significantly from each other with a maximum content (73.16%), and the lowest carbohydrate content was 67.80%. The pollen and honey samples were found to have positive effect on in vitro digestibility of proteins.
ABSTRACT
This study examines the physicochemical properties of stingless bee honey from SE Asia (Thailand). Twenty-eight stingless bee honey samples, from 11 stingless bee species, were examined. Results reveal an average color (67 ± 19 mm Pfund), moisture (31 ± 5.4 g/100g), ash (0.531 ± 0.632 g/100g), electrical conductivity (1.1 ± 0.780 ms/cm), pH of (3.6 ± 0.198), total acidity (164 ± 162 meq/kg), diastase activity (1.5 ± 1.6 °Gothe) and hydroxymethylfurfural (8.7 ± 12 mg/kg). The carbohydrate profile is: total sugar (51 ± 21 g/100g), fructose (17 ± 9.7 g/100g), glucose (14 ± 8.6g/100g), maltose (41 ± 15 g/100g) and sucrose (1.2 ± 2.7 g/100g). These findings are not dissimilar to those reported for stingless bee honeys from the neo-tropics. When compared with the Apis mellifera standard, stingless bee honey is characterized as possessing higher moisture content, acidity, ash and HMF but a lower level of total sugars.
