Çanakkale bee pollen: diversity, chemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial properties

Abstract

Çanakkale, Turkey, which straddles the continents of Europe and Asia, is a settlement centre with natural beauty divided by the Dardanelles Strait. This study determined the diversity, chemical composition, total antioxidant activity and antibacterial activity of fresh bee pollen obtained from 11 stations in Çanakkale in April–May 2017. The Louveaux (1978) method was modified and used to determine the botanical origin of pollen samples. It was determined that the most prevalent families in the pollen samples were Brassicaceae (23.1%), Cistaceae (22.5%), Rosaceae (11.06%), Papaveraceae (5.36%), Oleaceae (7.52%) and Fabaceae (7.31%). A maximum of 47 and a minimum of 31 components were detected in the chemical composition of bee pollen extracts (BPE) by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), and it was determined that the main components varied depending on the location. Regarding the total antioxidant capacity of BPE, 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) reduction was 100% for all locations except Yenice. Also, the antibacterial activity of BPE against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 could not be determined. These findings showed high bee pollen diversity, chemical composition, and antioxidant capacity in the Çanakkale region. The bee pollen from this area is a natural product that can be used as a food supplement.