CHEMICAL AND BIOACTIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF POT-POLLEN PRODUCED BY MELIPONA AND SCAPTOTRIGONA STINGLESS BEES FROM PARIA GRANDE, AMAZONAS STATE, VENEZUELA

Patricia Vit; Santiago Bertha; Pedro R.M Silvia; Javier Ruíz; Favian Maza; Peña- Vera María; Pérez- Pérez Elizabeth

doi:10.9755/ejfa.2015-05-245

Authors

Patricia Vit Food Science Departament, Faculty of Pharmacy and Bioanalysis, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida 5101, Venezuela
Santiago Bertha Food Science Departament, Faculty of Pharmacy and Bioanalysis, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida 5101, Venezuela
Pedro R.M Silvia 4Biology Department, Faculty of Philosophy, Science and Letters, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
Javier Ruíz Food Science Departament, Faculty of Pharmacy and Bioanalysis, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida 5101, Venezuela
Favian Maza Currently, Prometeo Researcher, Faculty of Agricultural and Livestock Sciences, Universidad Técnica de Machala, Machala, El Oro, Ecuador,
Peña- Vera María 5Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Bioanalysis, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida 5101, Venezuela
Pérez- Pérez Elizabeth 5Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Bioanalysis, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida 5101, Venezuela

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.9755/ejfa.2015-05-245

Keywords:

antioxidant activity, flavonoids, Meliponini, proximal analysis, pot pollen, polyphenols

Abstract

The chemical composition and bioactivity indicators (antioxidant activity, flavonoids, polyphenols) of bee pollen produced by two Meliponini bee genera (Melipona and Scaptotrigona) in Paria Grande, Amazonas state, Venezuela, were compared. Proximal analyses were performed in triplícate following standard methods. Moisture, ash, and crude fat were done by volumetric methods, proteins by the microKjeldahl method (digestion with sulfuric acid and catalysts, distillation of ammonia by steam with sodium hydroxide and sodium thiosulphate, collection in boric acid and titration with hydrochloric acid), and carbohydrates by difference. Bioactivity was measured with spectrophotometry: The antioxidant activity by the ABTS method, flavonoids with a modified aluminum chloride method, and polyphenols with Folin-Ciocalteu. The following compositional and bioactivity variations were observed for the contents of moisture (43.49- 48.54) g/100g pollen, ash (1.94-2.33) g/100g pollen, fat (3.19-6.72) g/100g pollen, proteíns (16.80-18.32) g/100g pollen, carbohydrates (27.62-31.03) g /100g pollen, antioxidant activity (373.5 – 493.6) TEAC/100g pollen, flavonoids (1,110.7 – 3,905.6) QE/100 g pollen, and polyphenols (1,576.9 – 1,644.9) GAE/100 g pollen. This study will benefit further nutrional proposals on this proteinaceous food of bee origin, and supports Venezuelan meliponiculture in the Amazone.