Bee bread is a bee product obtained as a result of fermentation of pollen stored by honey bees in the cells of the honeycomb. Palynological analysis, chemical composition, antioxidant activity of bee bread and its cytotoxic effect against human lung carcinoma (A549), human prostate cancer (DU 145) and human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cell lines were investigated in this study. 25 plant taxa were identified with palynological analysis. Fatty acids, cyclic, aromatic, phenolic, terpenoid, diterpen and metallic complex structures were seen in GC-MS results. FTIR consequence were compatible with GC-MS results and the structure types of FTIR results were seen in the dominant compounds of GC-MS results. Radical scavenging activity (RSA) of bee bread showed inhibition variability between 20.15 ± 0.68% and 93.18 ± 0.44% depending on the concentration. In addition, the EC50 value was measured as 80.08 ± 0.10 mg/mL. Bee bread exhibited moderately cytotoxic effect at all concentrations (15.625 - 2000 µg/mL) against A549, DU 145, and SH-SY5Y cell lines. Bee bread can be used in medical fields because of it’s antioxidant and anticancer properties.
The aim of this study is to characterize and increase the total soluble (water soluble + alcohol soluble) phenolic (SPCT) and flavonoid content (SFCT) and total soluble free radical scavenging based antioxidant capacity (SAC T ) of major sun-dried fruits such as raisins, figs, prunes and apricots. Due to their high insoluble dietary fiber content, the bound antioxidant capacity formed 61 to 67% of the overall antioxidant capacity (water soluble + alcohol soluble + bound) of sun-dried fruits. The SPCT, SFCT and SACT of sun-dried fruits changed between 1675 and 3860 µg catechin/g (d.w.), 161 and 495 µg catechin/g (d.w.) and 13 and 28.5 µmol Trolox/kg (d.w.), respectively. The incorporation of green tea polyphenols into sun-dried raisins, figs and apricots by controlled rehydration conducted in green tea extracts increased their SPCT, SFCT and SACT 1.5 to 1.8 fold, 1.3 to 1.6 fold, and 1.5 to 2.6 fold, respectively. The method applied caused limited increases in SPCT (1.1 fold) and SFCT (1.2 fold) of prunes, but it increased SACT of these fruits 1.6 fold. This study showed the possibility of using sun-dried fruits not only as source of dietary fiber, but also for delivery of phenolic compounds. The methods used in this study for delivery of green tea phenolic compounds to selected organic sundried fruits could be an alternative method to increase intake of these invaluable antioxidant compounds and increase functionality of sun-dried fruits which are already accepted as good source of dietary fiber.
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