Fatty Acid and Proximate Composition of Bee Bread

• Published in: Food technology and biotechnology Vol. 54; no. 4; pp. 497 - 504
• Main Authors: Kaplan, Muammer, Karaoglu, Öznur, Eroglu, Nazife, Silici, Sibel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Croatia Sveuciliste u Zagrebu, Prehramheno-Biotehnoloski Fakultet 01.10.2016; University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology
• Subjects: Analytical chemistry; bee bread; Bees; Bread; Carbohydrates; Diet; Enzymes; fatty acid composition; Fatty acids; Methods; Moisture content; monofloral pollen; Nutrition research; pollen analysis; Proteins; proximate composition; Scientific Notes; Studies; bee bread; monofloral pollen; proximate composition; pollen analysis; fatty acid composition
• ISSN: 1330-9862; 1334-2606
• DOI: 10.17113/ftb.54.04.16.4635

Palynological spectrum, proximate and fatty acid (FA) composition of eight bee bread samples of different botanical origins were examined and significant variations were observed. The samples were all identified as monofloral, namely (94.4%), spp. (85.6%), (66.2%), spp. (61.4%) and (45.4%). Each had moisture content between 11.4 and 15.9%, ash between 1.9 and 2.54%, fat between 5.9 and 11.5%, and protein between 14.8 and 24.3%. A total of 37 FAs were determined with most abundant being (9Z,12Z,15Z)-octadeca-9,12,15-trienoic, (9Z,12Z)- -octadeca-9,12-dienoic, hexadecanoic, (Z)-octadec-9-enoic, (Z)-icos-11-enoic and octadecanoic acids. Among all, cotton bee bread contained the highest level of ω-3 FAs, 41.3%. Unsaturated to saturated FA ratio ranged between 1.38 and 2.39, indicating that the bee bread can be a good source of unsaturated FAs.