Active components and biological functions of royal jelly

Abstract

• Royal jelly contains proteins, peptides, lipids, phenols, flavonoids and other bioactive substances. • Royal jelly and its active ingredients improve cancer, obesity, Alzheimer's disease and other diseases. • As a functional food, royal jelly shows great potential in promoting human health. Royal jelly (RJ) is a kind of bee product widely used in cosmetics, medicine and other fields. Not only can RJ regulate the physiological function of bee population, but also play a specific biological role in many diseases. This paper overviews the main active ingredients in the functional food RJ, including major royal jelly protein, fatty acids, phenols, flavonoids, etc, and summarizes the active role of RJ in the maintenance of human health, such as the regulation of immunity, lifespan, memory, digestive system, blood glucose, obesity, antibacterial and anti-cancer effect, among which the regulation of memory can be used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. These findings will benefit for comprehensive understanding and use of RJ, hence making it more effective in maintaining health.