The association between the hypopharyngeal glands and the molecular mechanism which honey bees secrete royal jelly

Abstract

Royal jelly (RJ), a substance secreted by the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of nurse worker bees, is widely used in medical products, dietary supplements, health foods, and cosmetics, owing to its potential health benefits. An understanding of secretory glands, such as the hypopharyngeal glands (HGs), and their interactions are necessary for RJ secretion. The RJ production cycle should be expanded for more effective production, which requires additional experience and training. However, the association between RJ secretion and HGs levels remains unclear. To close this gap, we conducted this review to investigate the most recent advancements in HGs and RJ secretion in Apis mellifera. These include techniques for enhancing RJ production, the morphology of HGs, RJ biological and effectiveness in the treatment of diseases, a comparison of the secretion of RJ signaling pathways in honey bees, associated genes, the proteins of HGs, and elements that could affect the secretion of HGs and the mechanism of RJ secretion. In order to help bee products strategy, our review may be valuable for a better understanding of the association between HGs and RJ secretion.