Bee bread is processed pollen stored in honeycomb, which is at the top covered with honey and wax cap. Process of collecting and packing was monitored during Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) blooming time. Cells were sampled in different phases during processing into bee bread. Samples were analyzed according to pollen type content, antibacterial activity, phenolic compounds, gluconic and lactic acid, also glucose and fructose. Phenolic compounds did not correlate to antibacterial activity and was the highest at the bottom of the honeycomb cell. Lactic acid, as well as gluconic acid separately contribute to the antimicrobial activity, showed that both together act stronger then each one alone. The measured concentration of gluconic acid in bee bread was 90 - 370 x greater than the lactic acid concentration. In system of comb cell both sugars, fructose and glucose were indicators of honey contribution in stored bee pollen with strong correlation between them as we expected. Biological activity of the bee bread is a consequence of joint and also separated activities of microorganisms, especially lactic acid bacteria and gradual processing by bees, which can be observed through the profiles of the comb cells with the bee bread.
|