Researchers Identify 185 Organic Compounds in Royal Jelly

The super-tonic effects of royal jelly are identified chromatically, along with their physiological benefits as a bactericide, a source of free amino acids and storage requirements for fresh royal jelly...

Gas Chromatographic-Mass Spectrometric Investigation of Volatile and Extractable Compounds of Crude Royal Jelly

J ChromatogrB Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci, 2011 Dec 30

Using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by diethyl ether and methanol extraction, it was possible to isolate as many as 185 organic compounds out of 17 samples of crude royal jelly (RJ). Of the above compound number, 169 compounds were positively identified by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The volatile fraction of RJ consists of 25 different compounds where approximately 47% of the total ion current (TIC) of volatile compound chromatograms were composed of substances characterized by bactericidal (phenols) and repelling (octanoic acid and 2-heptanone) activities. Preliminary investigations have shown that RJ stored for 10 months at -18°C and 4°C keeps its composition of volatile compounds unchanged, however, at the same time at room temperature RJ phenol contents is decreased twice, whereas the fraction of aliphatic acids is increased 2.8 times due to the presence of both acetic and butyric acids.

The chromatogram of RJ ether extracts showed 85 different compounds, however about 88% of TIC consisted exclusively of 8 compounds, i.e. 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic, 10-hydroxydecanoic, 3,10-dihydroxydecanoic, 8-hydroxyoctanoic, 2-decene-1,10-dioc and (Z)-9-hydroxy-2-decenoic acids. Nine aliphatic acids, which were detected for the first time, are the homologues of hydroxy- and oxo-acids identified earlier in RJ. In the RJ methanol extracts 82 compounds were identified, mainly carbohydrates and their derivatives.

Approximately 87% of TIC consisted of fructose, glucose and sucrose. Special attention was paid to discrepancies between obtained and literature data concerning the presence of free amino acids in RJ. It was suggested that these inconsistencies can be explained by the differences in the methods of RJ collection and/or sample preparation.

Conclusion:

► Volatile compounds of fresh royal jelly. 

► Bactericidal and repelling activities. 

► Markers of inappropriate storage. 

► Extractable compounds of royal jelly. 

► Possible source of free amino acids.

Honey Recommended by Dr Weil

Though it's a good thing Dr. Weil recommends eating honey, it's about time! Apparently someone hasn't seen the latest research. There's no question it's better than refined sugar and artificial sweeteners simply due to its rich mineral content. Besides it's nutritional value, the therapeutic factors are even greater... 

Is Honey Healthier than Sugar?

Dr. Weil's Daily Tip, 2011, Dec

If you are trying to reduce your intake of refined sugar, honey is one alternative. Honey has some health benefits over sugar, as it:

• Is sweeter than refined sugar, so you can use less.

• Contains trace enzymes; minerals, including calcium, magnesium and potassium; amino acids; and vitamins, including a wide range of B vitamins such as riboflavin, pantothenic acid, niacin, thiamin and pyridoxine.

Raw honey may even help promote wound healing - research indicates it can be an excellent first aid measure when applied topically to burns, even very severe ones. (Don't treat a serious wound with the honey you get at the supermarket or health food store - you need a medicinal honey and someone with expertise to treat you.) 

But honey also has its drawbacks. Its sticky consistency contributes to cavity formation, and can be worse for the teeth than refined sugar. Honey also should never be given to infants under one year of age, as it may contain bacterial spores that can cause infant botulism, a rare but serious disease that affects the nervous system. While honey may not be much healthier than sugar, if you like it I recommend buying raw honey, which is tastier and has a better texture than heated and processed commercial honey.

Drying May Reduce Nutritional Properties of Bee Pollen

Whenever possible, opt for fresh bee pollen, as it's definitely better in taste, flavor and nutritional content than dried pellets. It's like horses who prefer grass than hay...

Influence of the commercial processing and floral origin on bioactive and nutritional properties of honeybee-collected pollen

Diana Domínguez-Valhondo, Diego Bohoyo Gil, María Teresa Hernández, David González-Gómez; International Journal of Food Science & Technology; 22 AUG 2011

Summary:

Pollen is characterised for having a low fat content, a relatively high content of dietary fibre and an important amount of minerals and essential amino acids. With regard to bioactive compounds, honeybee-collected pollen exhibits an important source of phytochemical compounds and antioxidant activity. 

The purpose of this research was to study how the nutritional properties and the stability of the bioactive compounds found in honeybee-collected pollen were affected by the commercial processing and its floral origin. To achieve this goal, pollen pellets of different floral origin were harvested directly from hives and immediately stored at −80 °C. Pollen pellets were dried by placing them into hot-air chambers (traditional drying methodology) or by means of freeze-drying. We found a slight influence of floral origin on the nutritional properties of pollen pellets (multifloral pollen had higher contents of fat, carbohydrates, proteins and mineral elements than monofloral-type pollen), whereas the abundance of bioactive compounds was correlated with the origin factor as well as the methodology employed to dry the fresh pollen pellets, especially carotenoid pigments such as lutein (5.73 ± 1.80, 4.93 ± 1.16 and 0.81 ± 0.16 μg of lutein per g of pollen for fresh, lyophilised and hot-air-dried multifloral pollen).