Harvest Season Significantly Influences the Fatty Acid Composition of Bee Pollen

Abstract

Seasonal variations in the fatty acid (FA) compositions of pollen loads collected from the Al-Ahsa Oasis in eastern Saudi Arabia throughout one year were determined to identify the optimal season for harvesting bee pollen rich in essential fatty acids (EFAs) and unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs). The highest values (%) of lipids, linolenic acid (C18:3), stearic acid (C18:0), linoleic acid (C18:2), arachidic acid (C20:0), the sum of the C18:0, C18:1, C18:2, and C18:3 concentrations, and EFAs were obtained from bee pollen harvested during autumn. The maximum values (%) of oleic acid (C18:1), palmitic acid (C16:0), UFAs, and the UFA/saturated fatty acid (SFA) ratio were found in bee pollen harvested during summer. The highest concentrations (%) of behenic acid (C22:0), lignoceric acid (C24:0), and SFAs were found in bee pollen harvested during winter. Bee pollen harvested during spring ranked second in its oleic, palmitic, linolenic, stearic, arachidic, behenic, and lignoceric acid concentrations and for EFAs, UFAs, and the UFA/SFA ratio. The lowest SFA concentration was found in bee pollen harvested during summer. Oleic, palmitic, and linolenic acids were the most predominant FAs found in bee pollen. It was concluded that the FA composition of bee pollen varied among the harvest seasons due to the influence of the dominant botanical origins. We recommend harvesting pollen loads during spring and summer to feed honeybee colonies during periods of scarcity and for use as a healthy, nutritious food for humans.

Analyzing the Antioxidant Activity and Fatty Acid Composition of Monofloral Mullein (Verbascum sp.) Pollen Oil obtained via Various Extraction Techniques

“…MUFA content was found to be higher than SFA content in all seasons. Similar to this result, MUFA content was higher than SFA in MBP oil samples except for the UAE-H. [49] Studies have reported that oleic and palmitic acids are the predominant fatty acids in the bodies of larval and adult honeybees, and feeding bee pollen rich in these fatty acids has a critical effect on honeybee development. [44] Therefore, it was thought that MBP could be recommended for honeybee colony nutrition with its significant content of palmitic and oleic acids, especially palmitic acid.…”

Characterization of Romanian Bee Pollen—An Important Nutritional Source

“…From the data presented, in the samples analyzed in our study, the most abundant essential amino acids were histidine (values of 0.29–2.30 µg/mg), lysine (0.14–0.74 µg/mg) and phenylalanine (0.12–0.43 µg/mg). Histidine was found to predominate in the bee pollen collected during autumn, while high levels of lysine and phenylalanine were determined in bee pollen collected during winter [ 50 ]. The distribution of these essential amino acids in the analyzed bee pollen was therefore in accordance with the period when the samples were collected.…”

“…When studying the fatty acids profile of bee pollen, the ratio between UFA and SFA is of great importance. It was considered that a value of the UFA/SFA ratio higher than 1 is characteristic of bee pollen with considerable nutritional value, while a value below 1 indicates degradation of unsaturated fatty acids due to storage and dehydration process [ 50 ]. For the 24 bee pollen samples analyzed in our study, the UFA/SFA ratio varied between 1.86 and 5.78 and was comparable with the values of 2.2–6.7 reported for the bee pollen from India [ 27 ] and the 1.9–2.2 UFA/SFA ratio calculated for commercial bee pollen from Colombia, Italy and Spain [ 22 ].…”

Translational Research on Bee Pollen as a Source of Nutrients: A Scoping Review from Bench to Real World

“…Other fatty acids such as oleic acid and myristic acid have also been reported as the main lipidic components [ 43 ]. The storage conditions [ 66 ], manipulation and processing of BP may alter its lipidic profile. Drying with different techniques, for example, which is the most common operation in pollen use by humans, was shown to reduce its lipid content and alter the structure of its fatty acids, with freeze-drying having the least impact [ 59 ].…”

“…Furthermore, harvesting season was also reported to significantly influence lipid profile. An analysis of pollen loads harvested around one year in the same geographic location showed that, not only did the percentage of different fatty acids in the total lipids vary according to the period of collection, but also that the ratio of unsaturated to total fatty acids was variable during the year with a maximum registered in the summer period [ 66 ].…”