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Antioxidative properties of bee pollen in selected plant species

DOI:10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.09.047
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M. Leja
M. Leja
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Gabriela Wyzgolik at University of Agriculture in Krakow
Gabriela Wyzgolik
J. Klepacz-Baniak
J. Klepacz-Baniak
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Phenolic constituents (total phenols, phenylpropanoids, flavonols and anthocyanins) and antioxidant ability were determined in bee pollen of 12 plant species. Antioxidant ability was measured as total antioxidant activity, radical-scavenging activity and activity against free hydroxyl radical. Great variability of phenolic contents was observed in the pollen of investigated species. Total antioxidant activity differed considerably (0.8–86.4% inhibition of lipid peroxidation), however, in most of the examined pollens, it was high and corresponded with the phenylpropanoid level.Great differences in the radical-scavenging activity (8.6–91.5% of DPPH neutralization) and in the hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity (10.5–98% inhibition of deoxyribose degradation) were observed and were not correlated with the content of phenolic compounds.In most of the investigated plant species, antioxidative capacity of bee pollen was very high.
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Antioxidative properties of bee pollen in selected plant species
M. Leja
a,*
, A. Mareczek
a
,G.Wy
_
zgolik
a
, J. Klepacz-Baniak
b
, K. Czekon
´ska
b
a
Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Horticulture, Agricultural University, 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Krako
´w, Poland
b
Department of Pomology and Apiculture, Faculty of Horticulture, Agricultural University, 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Krako
´w, Poland
Received 28 March 2005; received in revised form 20 September 2005; accepted 20 September 2005
Abstract
Phenolic constituents (total phenols, phenylpropanoids, flavonols and anthocyanins) and antioxidant ability were determined in bee
pollen of 12 plant species. Antioxidant ability was measured as total antioxidant activity, radical-scavenging activity and activity against
free hydroxyl radical. Great variability of phenolic contents was observed in the pollen of investigated species. Total antioxidant activity
differed considerably (0.8–86.4% inhibition of lipid peroxidation), however, in most of the examined pollens, it was high and corre-
sponded with the phenylpropanoid level.
Great differences in the radical-scavenging activity (8.6–91.5% of DPPH neutralization) and in the hydroxyl radical-scavenging activ-
ity (10.5–98% inhibition of deoxyribose degradation) were observed and were not correlated with the content of phenolic compounds.
In most of the investigated plant species, antioxidative capacity of bee pollen was very high.
Ó2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Pollen; Antioxidant activity; Phenolics
1. Introduction
Recently, many investigations have been concerned with
antioxidant properties of different nutritional products.
Antioxidant ability has usually been attributed to the activ-
ity of antioxidant enzymes (mainly superoxide dismutase,
peroxidase, catalase) as well as to the content of low-molec-
ular antioxidants such as carotenoids, tocopherols, ascor-
bic acid, phenolic substances (Bartosz, 1997; Larson,
1988). The best source of antioxidative compounds are,
undoubtedly, fruits and vegetables, recommended as health
promoting components of the human diet. Their antioxida-
tive capacity, in many cases, results from phenolic com-
pounds (Larson, 1988). The high ability of phenolic
constituents to neutralize the active oxygen species is
strongly associated with their structure, such as the conju-
gated double bonds and the number of hydroxyl groups in
the aromatic ring, mostly attributed to flavonoids and cin-
namic acid derivatives (Foti, Piattelli, Baratta, & Ruberto,
1996; Natella, Nardini, Di Felice, & Saccini, 1999; Silva
et al., 2000). Interdependence between the level of different
phenolics and antioxidant ability of fruits, vegetables and
medical plants has been studied for many years (Pietta,
Simonetti, & Mauri, 1998; Robards, Prenzler, Tucker,
Swatsitang, & Glover, 1999; Velioglu, Mazza, Gao, &
Oomah, 1998; Vinson, Hao, Su, & Zubik, 1998). Less often
the honey bee products, particularly rich in flavonoids,
have been the subject of research (Nagai, Sakai, Inoue, &
Suzuki, 2001). Among them, special attention should be
paid to the floral pollen used for many years as a beneficial
dietary supplement (http://www.ccpollen.com/ORAC.
shtml).
The purpose of the present studies was to determine the
antioxidant activity of pollen loads of various origin in
comparison with the level of phenolic substances (total,
phenylpropanoids, flavonols and anthocyanins). The
0308-8146/$ - see front matter Ó2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.09.047
Abbreviations: DPPH, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl; RSA, radical-s-
cavenging activity; HRSA, hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity; TAA, t-
otal antioxidant activity.
*
Corresponding author. Tel.: +48 12 662 52 07; fax: +48 12 662 52 66.
E-mail address: mleja@bratek.ogr.ar.krakow.pl (M. Leja).
www.elsevier.com/locate/foodchem
Food Chemistry 100 (2007) 237–240
Food
Chemistry
antioxidative properties of pollen were measured as the
radical-scavenging activity, as the inhibition of lipid perox-
idation and as the antiradical activity against free hydroxyl
radical. The simultaneous application of these three meth-
ods allows a more detailed description of the antioxidative
system of pollen.
2. Material and methods
The pollen loads were collected in 2004, in the Krako
´w
area, from the beginning of May to the end of July by 20
honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera) settled in hives with
bottom-fitted pollen traps. The fresh bee pollen was stored
at 18 °C until analysed.
The colour of the pollen was estimated according to the
tables elaborated by Hodges (1984) and Kirk (1994). Addi-
tionally, pollen loads were identified by colour and micro-
scope observations of pollen grains (Warakomska, 1962)
and compared with the pollen grains from the previously
collected flowers. To describe the proper taxon, the special
key for pollen grains estimation was used (Faegri & Iver-
sen, 1978). The pollen loads of the 12 following plant spe-
cies were taken for analysis:
Aesculus hippocastanum,Chamerion angustifolium,
Lamium purpureum,Lupinus polyphyllus,Malus domestica,
Phacelia tanacetifolia,Pyrus communis,Robinia pseudoaca-
cia,Sinapis alba,Taraxacum officinale,Trifolium sp. and
Zea mays.
For the estimation of phenolic constituents, extracts in
80% methanol were prepared. Total phenols, phenylpropa-
noids, flavonols and anthocyanins were determined by the
spectrophotometric method given by Fukumoto and
Mazza (2000). Reaction mixture consisted of 0.25 cm
3
of
pollen extract with 0.25 cm
3
of 0.1% HCl in 96% ethanol
and 4.55 cm
3
of 2% HCl. The absorbance was measured
at 280 nm (chlorogenic acid as standard), 320 nm (caffeic
acid as standard) and 360 nm (quercetin as standard) for
total phenols, phenylpropanoids and flavonols, respec-
tively. Absorbance of anthocyanin content was read at
520 nm and expressed as cyanidin, according to its molar
extinction. Radical-scavenging activity (RSA) was deter-
mined using DPPH as the stable radical and was expressed
as the percentage of its neutralization after 30 min (Pekk-
arinen, Stoeckmann, Schwarz, Heinonen, & Hopia,
1999). The ethanolic solution of DPPH (0.1 mM) was used
as a point of reference for monitoring the decrease of its
absorbance at 516 nm after addition of pollen extract.
The control was prepared with 80% methanol instead of
pollen extract. Pollen concentration in the reaction mixture
was 0.083%. Total antioxidant activity (TAA) was deter-
mined by measurements of the inhibition of linoleic acid
(LA) peroxidation, as described by Toivonen and Sweeney
(1998). The products of peroxidation of exogenous LA, ini-
tiated by ferrous-EDTA, were measured spectrophotomet-
rically at 232 nm in the solution of pollen and control. A
control consisted of the above reaction mixture with 80%
methanol in place of the pollen extract. Pollen concentra-
tion in the reaction mixture was 0.167%. TAA was
expressed as percentage inhibition of LA peroxidation by
pollen extract in comparison to the oxidation level in the
control. Hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity (HRSA) of
pollen extract, based on the inhibition of the degradation
of deoxyribose caused by the attack of hydroxyl radicals,
was evaluated using the method described by Racchi
et al. (2002). The absorbance of the reaction mixture was
read in a spectrophotometer at 532 nm against a solution
prepared without ascorbic acid. The activity was expressed
as the percentage of reaction inhibition. Pollen concentra-
tion in the reaction mixture was 0.1%.
All analyses were done in four replications (four
extracts) and the results were statistically evaluated using
DuncanÕs test for significance P< 0.05.
3. Results
3.1. Antioxidant activity
Total antioxidant activity, expressed as the percentage
of inhibition of lipid peroxidation, differed considerably
in respect to the pollen species; however, most of them
(P. communis,M. domestica,T. officinale,A. hippocasta-
num,R. pseudoacacia,P. tanacetifolia and S. alba) exceeded
60% (60–90%). The medium ability of inhibition of lipid
peroxidation was associated with four species: C. angustifo-
lium,L. polyphyllus,L. purpureum and Trifolium sp. (27–
55%), while low ability was found in the Z. mays pollen
(7%) (Table 1).
Great discrepancies between radical-scavenging activity
in different pollen species were observed. According to
the results, presented in Table 1, the pollen species can be
divided into three groups: those of high ability of DPPH
neutralization (61–91.3%, L. polyphyllus,P. tanacetifolia,
Trifolium sp., S. alba,R. pseudoacacia and A. hippocasta-
num), those of medium RSA (23.5–29.6%, Z. mays,C.
angustifolium and P. communis), and those of low RSA
(8.6–16%, L. purpureum,T. officinale and M. domestica).
According to the results obtained, hydroxyl radical-
scavenging activity was above 60% (61–98%) in eight cases
(S. alba,Trifolium sp., C. angustifolium,P. tanacetifolia,Z.
mays,L. purpureum,M. domestica and P. communis), med-
ium (15.8–24.7%) in two species (R. pseudoacacia and L.
polyphyllus), and relatively low (10.5%) in the pollen of
A. hippocastanum (Table 1).
3.2. Phenolic constituents
Great variability of phenolic content was observed in
the investigated species of pollen (Table 1). The highest
and the lowest levels of total phenols were found in pollens
from P. communis and Z. mays, respectively. Similarly, the
highest content of phenylpropanoids was observed in P.
communis pollen, followed by P. tanacetifolia, while the
lowest level was determined in Z. mays. The participation
of phenylpropanoids in total phenolics seems to be similar
238 M. Leja et al. / Food Chemistry 100 (2007) 237–240
in most of the examined pollen samples (25% on average)
excepting S. alba (38.3%).
Flavonol content showed discrepancies in the examined
pollen samples and ranged between 170 (L. purpureum) and
1349 mg 100 g
1
(P. communis pollen). The participation of
flavonols in total phenolics differed considerably, depend-
ing on the pollen species, from 4.78% (L. purpureum)to
37.3% (C. angustifolium).
The content of anthocyanins was relatively low in com-
parison with the other phenolic compounds and ranged
between 92 (Trifolium sp. and Z. mays) and 327 mg 100 g
1
(P. tanacetifolia). The percentage of anthocyanins in total
phenols varied in the species from 3% (L. purpureum and
P. communis)to13%(Trifolium sp.).
Variability of total antioxidant activity in the investi-
gated species seems to correspond to their phenylpropa-
noid contents (Fig. 1), being manifested by the significant
positive correlation coefficient (R
2
= 0.6132).
4. Discussion
The honey bee products are considered to be abundant
sources of antioxidants. In honey, royal jelly and propolis
high antioxidant activity, expressed as the inhibition of
lipid peroxidation was found (Nagai et al., 2001). In prop-
olis water extracts high radical-scavenging activity, activity
against superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical-scavenging
activity were reported (Nagai, Inoue, Inoue, & Suzuki,
2003). Studies of Campos et al. (2000), and of Campos,
Webby, and Markham (2002), concerning antioxidant
properties of bee pollen as well as the recent reports
(http://www.ccpollen.com/ORAC.shtml), confirm a very
high antiradical activity of this product. Antioxidative abil-
ity of pollen seems to be due to phenolic compounds. In
floral pollen mostly flavonoids, their glycosides and deriv-
atives of cinnamic acid are present (Markham & Campos,
1996). Apart from common flavonoids (quercetin, kaempf-
erol, luteolin and their derivatives), specific flavonoid gly-
cosides, characteristic of some floral pollen, such as 7-a-
8-O-methylherbacetin-3-O-sophorosides (Markham &
Campos, 1996) or found in the Myrtaceae family aglycone
triacin (Campos et al., 2002) were determined.
High levels of phenolic constituents are often accompa-
nied by high antioxidative capacity of pollen; however,
according to reports of Campos, Webby, Markham, Mitc-
hall, and Cunha (2003), and Campos et al. (2000), no direct
correlation between flavonoids and radical-scavenging
activity was found. The gradual decrease of RSA in the
pollen stored for 4 years was not accompanied by a parallel
reduction of flavonoids (Campos et al., 2003) and some
pollens with high levels of phenolics did not present signif-
icant antiradical activity (Campos et al., 2000).
In the present investigations, great variability regarding
content of total phenols, phenylpropanoids, flavonols and
antioxidant capacity in 12 examined pollens was found.
In some of them (P. tanacetifolia and S. alba), a very high
antioxidant activity, expressed as radical-scavenging activ-
ity, inhibition of lipid peroxidation and hydroxyl radical-
scavenging activity, corresponded to high levels of total
phenols, phenylpropanoids and flavonols.
In pollen of R. pseudoacacia and A. hippocastanum, high
and medium levels, respectively, of phenolic compounds
(total, phenylpropanoids and flavonols) were manifested
by high TAA (84.4% and 82%) and high RSA (91% and
91.3%), while the HRSA was low (15.8% and 10.5%). In
Table 1
Antioxidative properties of selected bee pollens
Pollen species TAA (%) RSA (%) HRSA (%) Total phenols
(mg 100 g
1
)
Phenylpropanoids
(mg 100 g
1
)
Flavonols
(mg 100 g
1
)
Anthocyanins
(mg 100 g
1
)
Sinapis alba 86.4 g
a
90.0 h 61.0 d 3924 e 1503 e 914 e 236 ef
Phacelia tanacetifolia 85.9 g 66.3 e 73.5 ef 8025 i 2243 g 815 e 327 g
Robinia pseudoacacia 84.4 g 91.0 h 15.8 ab 6178 g 1875 f 1068 f 251 f
Aesculus hippocastanum 81.9 fg 91.3 h 10.5 a 3375 d 1159 d 624 cd 183 c
Taraxacum officinale 77.3 f 15.2 b 50.7 c 6307 g 1496 e 503 bc 233 ef
Malus domestica 76.5 f 16.0 b 92.7 g 7288 h 1825 f 1070 f 206 cd
Pyrus communis 66.4 e 29.6 d 98.0 g 8243 i 2307 g 1349 g 253 f
Trifolium sp. 55.1 d 82.2 g 65.1 de 1515 ab 432 ab 195 a 91.7 a
Lamium purpureum 51.1 d 8.6 a 76.1 f 3570 de 825 c 171 a 123 b
Lupinus polyphyllus 38.5 c 61.7 e 24.7 b 2836 c 741 c 595 cd 217 de
Chamerion angustifolium 27.2 b 23.7 c 67.5 def 1829b 506b 683d 147 b
Zea mays 6.8 a 23.5 c 75.8 f 1293a 308 a 378 b 92.4 a
a
Means followed by the same letters are not significantly different.
R2 = 0.6132
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
Phenylpropanoids mg.100g-1
TAA %
Fig. 1. Variability of total antioxidant activity.
M. Leja et al. / Food Chemistry 100 (2007) 237–240 239
the case of M. domestica and P. communis, high inhibition
of lipid peroxidation and very high hydroxyl radical-scav-
enging activity agreed with the high level of total phenols
and phenylpropanoids; however, radical-scavenging activ-
ity was low and medium, respectively (16.0% and 29.6%).
Special attention should be paid to L. purpureum pollen:
the relatively high (51%) TAA and high (76%) HRSA did
not reflect a poor (8.6%) RSA and low flavonol content.
The most distinct interdependence was found between
phenylpropanoids and total antioxidant activity, resulting
in a significant positive correlation coefficient
(R
2
= 0.6132). According to these results, phenylpropa-
noids might be treated as the main phenolic compounds
responsible for the protection against lipid peroxidation
in bee pollen tissue. Cinnamic acid derivatives are consid-
ered as efficient antioxidants due to the substitutions on
the aromatic ring and the structure of the side chain, and
better antioxidants than their benzoic acid counterparts
(Natella et al., 1999). Very strong antioxidative properties
of caffeic acid and its derivatives were described by Silva
et al. (2000). However, according to Foti et al. (1996),
the best protective action against linoleic acid peroxidation
was attributed to flavonoids, followed by coumarins and
cinnamic acids.
In general, the direct correlation between phenolic con-
stituents and antioxidant capacity of bee pollen was ques-
tionable in some examined samples. The above results are
partially in agreement with the Campos et al. (2003,
2000) reports. However, these authors determined only
RSA activity by the DPPH method. The simultaneous esti-
mation of RSA, TAA and HRSA allowed antioxidative
properties of pollen to be characterized more precisely.
Results showed that various constituents (phenolics, and
probably, other compounds) are engaged in neutralization
of different active oxygen species. The separation of the
individual phenolics and detection of the other antioxi-
dants will be necessary in further investigations of the pol-
len antiradical system.
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... Although several natural metabolites interfere in free radical scavenging activity, it appears that phenolic acids and flavonoids are responsible for most of the antioxidant properties [4,5,10,11]. However, the deviations in the antioxidant activity and polyphenolic content between pollens are remarkable, as a consequence of the particularities of the plant species source and different geographical areas [3,12]. ...
... The positive relationship between TFC and antioxidant activity of the bee pollen samples was referenced [10]. The abundance of specific species identified in the extract of pollen samples with high radical scavenging activity and TPC was related, such as Sinapis alba, Robinia pseudoacacia [12], Salix alba [37] or Mimosa [2]. In our study, the abundance of Castanea, Erica, Rubus, Campanula type and Genista type differentiated the bee pollen samples with higher radical scavenging activity, highly related to TPC and TFC ( Figure 4, Table 4). ...
... In our study, the abundance of Castanea, Erica, Rubus, Campanula type and Genista type differentiated the bee pollen samples with higher radical scavenging activity, highly related to TPC and TFC ( Figure 4, Table 4). Bee pollen of Taraxacum officinale from Romania [37] and Poland [12] despite high TPC showed low antioxidant capacity by DPPH assay. Several researchers have concluded that the antioxidant capacities are not clearly associated with its total phenolic content [12,30,37]. ...
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Bee pollen represents one of the most complete natural foods playing an important role in the diet for its health qualities and therapeutic properties. This work aimed to characterize a Tuscan bee pollen by evaluating its phytochemical profile and the in vitro and ex vivo antioxidant activities. The isolation and taxonomic and functional characterization of yeasts in the sample has been also conducted. Finally, the pollen anti-inflammatory potential has been assessed on a TNFα-inflamed human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (HT-29). Our results highlighted a good phytochemical composition in terms of polyphenols, flavonoids, flavonols, monomeric anthocyanins, and carotenoids. In addition, we detected good antioxidant activity and radical scavenging capacity by in vitro and ex vivo assays, as well as good antioxidant activity by isolated yeasts. Data showed no cytotoxic effects of bee pollen extracts, with average viability values >80% at each tested dose. Moreover, TNFα treatment did not affect HT-29 viability while upregulating IL-8, COX-2, and ICAM-1 gene expression, otherwise reduced by both doses of bee pollen. In conclusion, our sample represents an interesting functional food and a potential probiotic product, having high phytochemical compound levels and good antioxidant activities, as well as anti-inflammatory effects on the TNFα-inflamed HT-29 cell line.
... Bu sonuç polenin antioksidan kapasiteyi arttırdığını göstermektedir. Polenin bu etkisi yapısında bulunan fenolik maddelerden kaynaklanıyor olabilir [31]. ...
... Food plants were selected along a gradient of food quantity and quality relevant for bees [e.g. [43][44][45]. To confirm these properties and characterize nutritional quantity and quality for all plant species, we measured flower abundance (for each assessment day), nectar volume and sugar content, pollen amount and pollen phenolic compounds, glucosinolates and protein and lipid content (see electronic supplementary material for detailed description of the method). ...
Nutritional stress exacerbates impact of a novel insecticide on solitary bees' behaviour, reproduction and survival
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2022
Pesticide exposure and food stress are major threats to bees, but their potential synergistic impacts under field-realistic conditions remain poorly understood and are not considered in current pesticide risk assessments. We conducted a semi-field experiment to examine the single and interactive effects of the novel insecticide flupyradifurone (FPF) and nutritional stress on fitness proxies in the solitary bee Osmia bicornis. Individually marked bees were released into flight cages with monocultures of buckwheat, wild mustard or purple tansy, which were assigned to an insecticide treatment (FPF or control) in a crossed design. Nutritional stress, which was high in bees foraging on buckwheat, intermediate on wild mustard and low on purple tansy, modulated the impact of insecticide exposure. Within the first day after application of FPF, mortality of bees feeding on buckwheat was 29 times higher compared with control treatments, while mortality of FPF exposed and control bees was similar in the other two plant species. Moreover, we found negative synergistic impacts of FPF and nutritional stress on offspring production, flight activity, flight duration and flower visitation frequency. These results reveal that environmental policies and risk assessment schemes that ignore interactions among anthropogenic stressors will fail to adequately protect bees and the pollination services they provide.
... The bioactive compounds of bee bread contribute to the bioactive properties including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-inflammatory activities (Bakour et al., 2019;Mărgăoan et al., 2019). Bee pollen also exhibits antimicrobial (Fatrcová-Šramková et al., 2013), antioxidant (Kostić et al., 2019;Leja et al., 2007), and anti-carcinogenic (Wu & Lou, 2007) activities. The biological activity depends on various constituents such as phenolic acids, including hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, and flavonoids including flavones, flavonols, flavanones, and isoflavones (Rzepecka-Stojko et al., 2015). ...
Identification of Bacterial Diversity of Bee Collected Pollen and Bee Bread Microbiota by Metagenomic Analysis
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 2022
This study investigated the bacterial diversities of bee-collected pollen and bee bread of Apis mellifera in Turkey. The bacterial community structure of 14 bee pollen from Bingöl, Konya, and Hakkari and 11 bee bread samples from Bingöl were studied using 16 S rRNA amplicon sequencing and metagenomic analysis. The dominant bacterial phylum in pollen and bee bread samples was Firmicutes, followed by Proteobacteria. In pollen and bee bread samples, Bacillaceae, Clostridiaceae, Enterococcaceae, and Enterobacteriaceae were identified as dominant bacterial families. At the genus level, Bacillus, Clostridium sensu stricto, and Enterococcus were dominant bacteria in both pollen and bee bread samples. The most abundant species was Clostridium perfringens in both pollen and bee bread samples. Escherichia vulneris, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus casseliflavus, and Cronobacter malonaticus were identified with high reads in pollen samples. In bee bread samples, E. faecalis, Clostridium bifermentans, and Pantoea calida were abundant bacterial species. Alpha diversity showed that pol-3 sample had the highest diversity. Beta-diversity plots separated the pollen samples into four main groups and bee bread samples into three main groups. Our results indicated that the culture-independent metagenomic analysis will be a valuable tool for determining the microbial diversity of bee products produced in Bingöl-Turkey one of the important centers of apiculture
... Not only levels and constituents of pollen components are influenced by botanical origin 13,14 , they also depend on climatic conditions, geographical origin, and plant status 15. Alicic et al. 16 and Leja et al. 11 reported the action mechanism responsible for antioxidant and antibacterial potential of pollen grains that accompanying with the existence of flavonoids, phenolic acids, and pigments like as β-carotene. Lately, Bleha et al. 17 evidenced the antioxidant potential of Bee pollen extracts correlated with high content of polyphenols. ...
Genotoxic and Antitumor Activity of Pollen Grains against Prostate Cancer Cell Line: Pharmaceutical Science-Botany for Medicinal science
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2022
Since the use of engineered antioxidants and antitumor is under investigation, inferable from its likely poisonousness, scientists have deflected their thoughtfulness regarding the quest for characteristic sources to meet the human medication and diet requests. Therefore the study aimed to evaluate the antitumor and antioxidant activities of maize pollen grains against the Prostate Cancer Cell (Pc3) line. Maize pollen grains were collected by Bee through a pollen trap, and then subjected for flavonoids and alkaloids analysis by HPLC method. an in vitro assays, were used to test the antitumor properties, against Pc3 cells. Furthermore, its antioxidant potential was also evaluated by DPPH. The detected flavonoids were identified to be quercetin, luteolin kaempferol, rutin, apigenin and naringin and the alkaloids were quinolone, hydroxyindolenine and conofoline. The antitumor efficacy of pollen grains extract increased with concentration and reached to 94.92 % that similar to the toxicity % of adriamycin at 1000 µg/mL, however, the IC50 (339.81 µg) of pollen grains extract was highest than IC50 (58.07 µg) of adriamycin. At 500 µg/mL of pollen grains extract, morphological changes of Pc3 were recorded. These changes deformed more at 1000 µg/mL. DPPH scavenging activity was found to be 92.26 % at 1280 µg/mL of pollen grains extracted with IC50 425.4 µg/mL compared with IC50 (13.9 µg/mL) of the ascorbic acid. DNA fragmentation and quantitative RT-PCR examinations of Bax and Bcl-2 genes demonstrated that pollen grains extract induced cellular apoptosis of Pc3 cells. This study concluded that the maize pollen grains may applied as natural safe source for inhibit Pc3 Cells proliferation as well as applied as antioxidant.
... The composition of bee pollen affects its antioxidant properties, but numerous studies that look at the composition and properties of various bee pollen samples present a diversity of results (Kocot et al., 2018). Some studies confirmed the positive correlation between TPC and antioxidant capacity (Kalaycıoğlu et al., 2017;Freire et al., 2012), while others did not find this relationship (Leja et al., 2007). Preparation of pollen extracts and type of solvent seem to be important for the properties of pollen extracts (Kim et al., 2015). ...
Antioxidant and lipase inhibitory activities of Camellia pollen extracts: the effect of composition and extraction solvents
Article
  • Dec 2022
This work evaluated the potential of Camellia pollen extracts as an antioxidant and lipase activity inhibitor from the pollen composition and the extraction solvent. The lipase inhibitory activity, the scavenging radical’s ability (ABTS and DPPH), and the ferric-reducing ability of the seven extracts were examined. The fatty acid profile of the extracts with excellent antioxidant and lipase inhibitory activity was also determined by GC-MS. The ethyl acetate (IC50=2.07±0.20 mg/mL) and the acetone extracts (IC50=1.19±0.07 mg/mL) showed better lipase inhibitory activity. For the antioxidant activity, the methanol (IC50=2.55±0.34 mg/mL), ethanol (IC50=2.87±0.23 mg/mL), and the water (IC50=2.62±0.05 mg/mL) extracts had superior ABTS radical-scavenging ability. GreaterDPPH radical-scavenging ability was seen in the ethanol (IC50=2.92±0.04 mg/mL) and acetone extract (IC50=3.09±0.12 mg/mL). The ethyl acetate and petroleum ether extracts manifested better FRAP. The fatty acid composition of the methanol and ethyl acetate extracts belonged to the unsaturated fatty acids. This study indicated that the lipase inhibitory activity and the antioxidant activity found in Camellia pollen may exert dual benefits for preventing and treating obesity.
Gökkuşağı Alabalığı (Oncorhynchus mykiss)’ nda Oksitetrasiklinle İndüklenen Toksisiteye Karşı Polenin Koruyuculuğu
Article
  • Dec 2022
Bu çalışmada, gökkuşağı alabalığı (Oncorhynchus mykiss)’ nda oksitetrasikline karşı polenin koruyuculuğunun araştırılması amaçlandı. Balıklara 60 mg/kg balık dozunda oksitetrasiklin tek doz olarak enjekte edildi. Oksitetrasiklin enjekte edilen balıklara 30 ppm polen eş zamanlı olarak uygulandı. Deneme 96 saat sürdü ve bu sürenin sonunda balıklardan doku (karaciğer, böbrek ve solungaç) örnekleri alındı. Doku örneklerinde malondialdehit düzeyi, glutatyon peroksidaz, katalaz ve glutatyon-S-transferaz aktiviteleri ile redükte glutatyon düzeyleri analiz edildi. Oksitetrasiklin enjekte edilen grubun doku malondialdehit düzeylerinin kontrol grubuna göre istatistiksel olarak daha yüksek olduğu görüldü. Yalnız oksitetrasiklin uygulanan gruba kıyasla oksitetrasiklinle eş zamanlı polen uygulanan grubun doku malondialdehit düzeylerinin daha düşük olduğu tespit edildi. Kontrol grubuna göre oksitetrasiklin enjekte edilen grubun doku glutatyon peroksidaz, katalaz ve glutatyon-S-transferaz aktiviteleri ile redükte glutatyon düzeyinin istatistiksel olarak daha düşük olduğu görüldü. Oksitetrasiklinle eş zamanlı polen uygulanan grupta doku glutatyon peroksidaz, katalaz ve glutatyon-S-transferaz aktiviteleri ile redükte glutatyon düzeyinin yalnız oksitetrasiklin uygulanan gruba göre daha yüksek olduğu belirlendi.
Effect of Aqueous and Alcoholic Bee Pollen Extracts on Monoamine Oxidase Activity
Article
  • Aug 2022
Many researches have focused on the health and therapeutics properties and behaviour of phytochemical products, that including bee products. Bee pollen comprises on very large compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic acids and terpenoids, which have inhibiting effect on some enzymes. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) was an important metabolic enzyme. The aims of this study was to evaluation the effects of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of bee pollen on MAO and activities in human sera. The identification of extracts constituents was carried out by GC-Ms analysis technique. The results of the present study manifested the effectiveness of these two extracts which have an inhibitory effects on MAO. Different extracts and volumes have been used in this study which shows the inhibition percentage at maximum level equal to (79, 57) % in MAO and (57.33) % in ethanolic and aqueous extracts respectively. The recorded Km values in ethanolic extract were higher than Km in the aqueous extract, whereas the recorded Vmax values in aqueous extract were higher than Vmax in ethanolic extract. On the other hand, GC-Ms analysis of bee pollen extracts revealed the existence of 40 compounds.
Phenol Antioxidant Quantity and Quality in Foods: Vegetables
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 1998
Fruits and vegetables in the diet have been found in epidemiology studies to be protective against several chronic diseases. Epidemiological evidence suggests that flavonoid consumption in the diet is protective against heart disease. Phenols in 23 vegetables have been measured by extraction with and without acid hydrolysis to determine the percent of conjugated and free phenols. Phenols were measured colorimetrically using the Folin−Ciocalteu reagent with catechin as the standard. The extracts' antioxidant quality was assayed by the inhibition of lower density lipoprotein oxidation mediated by cupric ions. Vegetables had antioxidant quality comparable to that of pure flavonols and were superior to vitamin antioxidants. The phenol antioxidant index, measuring both the quantity and the quality of antioxidants present, was used to evaluate 23 vegetables. Isolated lower density lipoproteins from plasma spiked with two vegetable extracts were enriched with phenol antioxidants and showed decreased oxidizability. The average per capita consumption of vegetable phenols in the United States was estimated to be 218 mg/day of catechin equivalents. This is 3 times higher than the recommended intake of vitamin antioxidants. Keywords: Phenols; antioxidants; vegetables; lipoprotein oxidation
Phenolic compounds and their role in oxidative processes in fruits
Article
Phenolic compounds occur in all fruits as a diverse group of secondary metabolites. Hence, they are a component of the human diet although data for dietary intakes and metabolic fate are limited. Their role in oxidation processes, as either antioxidants or substrates in browning reactions, is examined. They are characterised by high chemical reactivity and this complicates their analysis.
Antioxidative activities of some commercially honeys, royal jelly, and propolis
Article
The antioxidative effects of some honeys, royal jelly, and propolis were evaluated using a lipid peroxidation model. Activities gradually decreased over time. Buckwheat honey, pure honey (Chinese milk vetch), and propolis were the most active among honeys. Excepting royal jelly and propolis, the activities of all honeys were drastically decreased by heat treatment. The superoxide-scavenging activities of each honey, royal jelly, and propolis decreased in the order: propolis>royal jelly>buckwheat honey>honey (Japanese bee)>mixed-breed honey>pure honey (acacia)>commercially available honey>pure honey (Chinese milk vetch).
7- And 8-O-methylherbacetin-3-O-sophorosides from bee pollens and some structure/activity observations
Article
A new flavonol glycoside, 7-O-methylherbacetin-3-O-sophoroside, has been characterized from Ranunculus sardous pollen, 8-O-methylherbacetin-3-O-sophoroside from Ulex europaeus pollen and 8-O-methylherbacetin8-O-glucoside from Raphanus raphanistrum pollen; all pollens were obtained from bee pollen. It is demonstrated that the unusual UV-visible absorption spectra of 7- and 8-O-methylherbacetin 3-O-glycosides can be used conveniently to distinguish these and their aglycones. The distribution of various flavonol glycosides in pollen is discussed in terms of its significance to the previously established role of flavonols in pollen germination. No evidence for taxa specificity of individual flavonol glycosides was found; however, a case is made for elevating the significance of flavonol glycosides, particularly the 2″-O-glucosides of flavonol-3-O-glycosides in stimulating pollen tube growth.
Antioxidant Activity of Selected Medicinal Plants
Article
  • Oct 1998
Commonly used medicinal plant extracts with standardized content of polyphenols were investigated for their total antioxidant activity (TAA). Green tea, oligomeric procyanidins (from grape seed and pine bark), bilberry, and ginkgo exhibited TAA in the range of 5.12−2.57 mM Trolox, thereby indicating a valuable antioxidant capacity. Witch hazel, propolis EPID, artichoke, and hawthorn afforded lower TAA (1.54−0.44 mM Trolox), whereas echinacea, ginseng, passionflower, sweet clover, and eleuthero were rather uneffective (TAA < 0.32 mM Trolox). Excipients normally used to prepare the extracts did not interfere with the assay, and a good correlation between the content of polyphenols and the TAA was assessed. The measured TAA was higher than those calculated from the content and antioxidant potential of specific components, as exemplified for green tea and ginkgo extracts. This may be attributed to the presence in these extracts of other substances with antioxidant capacity. On the other hand, some components (such as ginkgolides in ginkgo extract) insensitive to the TAA assay played an important antioxidant role in vivo. These results suggest that TAA determination is of interest for a comparative evaluation of in vitro antioxidant potential, but it needs to be combined with in vivo data for adequate assessment of the antioxidant capacity of medicinal plant extracts. Keywords: Medicinal plants; polyphenols; total antioxidant activity; total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter
Flavonoids, Coumarins, and Cinnamic Acids as Antioxidants in a Micellar System. Structure−Activity Relationship†
Article
  • Feb 1996
The antioxidant activity of selected representatives of flavonoids, coumarins, and cinnamic acids was examined by measuring their protective action toward linoleic acid peroxidation in micelles of sodium dodecyl sulfate in buffer solution, pH 7.4. Results are expressed as relative antioxidant efficiency (RAE), defined as the ratio of the antioxidant efficiency (AE) of the tested compound to that of α-tocopherol. The best RAE values were observed for flavonoids, followed by coumarins and cinnamic acids. From the results, within each class of compounds a structure−activity relationship can be deduced. Keywords: Antioxidant; flavonoids; coumarins; cinnamic acids and esters; relative antioxidant efficiency (RAE); lipid peroxyl radicals; α-tocopherol
Oxidative stress in plants
Article
  • Mar 1997
Oxidative stress, defined as a shift of the balance between prooxidative and antioxidative reactions in favor of the former seems to be a common denominator of the action of various agents on living organisms. This review briefly presents the sources of reactive oxygen species and means of antioxidative defense in plants, means of assessment of oxidative stress and exemplary data on the induction of oxidative stress by various environmental and biological factors such as hyperoxia, light, drought, high salinity, cold, metal ions, pollutants, xenobiotics, toxins, reoxygenation after anoxia, experimental manipulations, pathogen infection and aging of plant organs.