27 Juli, 2008

Bee Products as Antioxidants

Bee Products as Antioxidants
12/02/2002


Since ancient times, humans have relied on products from the beehive for nutrition and sustenance. Beyond just honey, people have enjoyed "superfoods" such as pollen (dense with phytonutrients collected to feed bees) and propolis (tree resins combined with bee secretions forming the "immune system" of the hive) for health-boosting effects.

The beneficial properties of bee products, however, have been largely anecdotal with a lack of scientific studies elucidating the mode of action and specifying which nutritional compounds may be responsible for their health properties. More recently, researchers have analyzed bee products with more sophisticated techniques to go beyond basic nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals) and into specific compounds.

One such laboratory test is the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) test. This is the standard by which scientists measure antioxidant activity in foods and supplements. Antioxidants protect the body's cells from damage caused by free radicals; for example, peroxidation of cholesterol is linked to some cardiovascular problems. The newest ORAC assay procedure has been fully automated, permitting higher efficiency of the assay with increase in sample throughput.1


Many whole foods contain high levels of antioxidants. Past studies have reviewed the ORAC capacity of various whole foods--including honey. In fact, honey has been found to have high ORAC values, with darker colored honeys showing the highest values.2 However, most research has focused on berries, such as blueberries and raspberries. One such study reviewed five types of caneberries and found that black raspberries had the highest ORAC values at 77.2 ORAC units (umole of Trolox equivalents (TE)/gram of fresh fruit).3 Such berries have since been recognized as the foods containing the most antioxidant activity of any whole foods.




However, recent testing conducted by Brunswick Laboratories (Oct. 16, 2002) found a certain type of pollen to have higher values. The lab compared the ORAC levels of High Desert® Bee Pollen from C.C. Pollen Co. to ORAC levels of other whole foods. The lab found an ORAC value of 247 umole TE/g for High Desert Bee Pollen; the closest ORAC value in its testing was for black raspberry at 164 umole TE/g, followed by pomegranate at 105 umole TE/g. The findings indicate that quality bee pollen may be at the top of the list of foods exhibiting antioxidant activity.

Other laboratory tests are designed to ascertain levels of polyphenols in foods. Polyphenols include bioflavonoids, organic acids and phenolic acids, and most of the antioxidant activity in foods is attributed to its polyphenol content. Polyphenol testing by Brunswick Labs (Aug. 22, 2002) compared phenolic content of High Desert Bee Pollen to fruits such as blackberries, peaches and apples. The bee pollen posted a total polyphenol content of 15.05 mg/g; the next highest measurement was 5.575 mg/g for cranberries.

Such testing underscores past studies that have evaluated the ability of bee pollen to act as a functional food. One study conducted at the University of Technology, in Vienna, Italy, reviewed polyphenol content in bee pollen, as well as possible extraction techniques to maximize polyphenol content in finished extracts.4 The researchers noted that natural bee-collected flower pollen contains "remarkable" amounts of polyphenol compounds and suggested that further investigations be performed to "evaluate the role and contribution [of pollen and pollen extracts] in regard to their antioxidative and radical scavenging activity."
Pollen is not the only superfood from the hive--ongoing research is exploring the antioxidant capacity of propolis, with publication expected in the near future. These scientific studies give credence to inherent knowledge of the power of whole food nutrition. Superfoods such as pollen and propolis do not offer isolated nutrients, but a complex of compounds including essential fatty acids, amino acids, enzymes and more, offering synergy for maximum nutritional value.

References
1. Huang D et al. "High-throughput assay of oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) using a multichannel liquid handling system coupled with a microplate fluorescence reader in 96-well format." J Agric Food Chem, 50:4437-4444, 2002.
2. Gheldof N and Engeseth N. "Antioxidant capacity of honeys from various floral sources based on the determination of oxygen radical absorbance capacity and inhibition of in vitro lipoprotein oxidation in human serum samples." J Agric Food Chem, 50:3050-5, 2002.
3. Wada L and Ou B. "Antioxidant activity and phenolic content of Oregon caneberries." J Agric Food Chem, 50, 12:3495-500, 2002.
4. Kroyer G and Hegedus N. "Evaluation of bioactive properties of pollen extracts as functional dietary food supplement." Innov Food Sci Emerging Tech, 2:171-4, 2001.
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