Bee bread from Anatolia: its chemical composition, phenolic and aromatic profiles, and antioxidant properties

This study investigated the botanical origin, chemical composition, phenolic and volatile aromatic profiles, and antioxidant activities of 11 bee bread samples from different regions of Anatolia, Turkey. The bee bread samples contained high amounts of proteins (19.61 g/100 g) and lipids (6.43 g/100 g). The bee breads were determined to have a rich mineral content. The antioxidant potential of the bee breads was predicted using total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total condensed tannin (TCT) content, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The TPC of the bee breads ranged between 2.041 ± 0.170 and 3.224 ± 0.006 mg GAE/g, while the TFC ranged from 0.323 ± 0.004 to 1.903 ± 0.017 mg QE/g. The FRAP assay showed antioxidant activity ranging from 17.778 ± 0.207 to 49.752 ± 0.856 µmol FeSO4.7H2O/g, and the DPPH values were between 1.054 ± 0.009 and 4.366 ± 0.014 SC50 mg/mL. Using 25 standards, RP-HPLC-PDA quantified the composition of the phenolic compounds, attributed to their antioxidant activity. The highest concentrations were detected for t-cinnamic acid, rutin, and p-coumaric acid. One hundred nineteen volatile aromatic compounds were determined in the bee breads by solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). The obtained values suggest that bee breads could serve as a potential source of nutrients and bioactive compounds for value-added food supplements and functional foods.