The Changes in the Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin and Pantothenic Acid Content in the Food of Female Honeybees during Growth with a Note on the Vitamin K Activity of Royal Jelly and Beebread1

Abstract

The term “royal jelly” refers to the product formed and secreted by the pharyngeal glands of the nurse bees for the nourishment of the queen larvae. Larvae which are to become the sexually underdeveloped female worker bees receive during the first two to three days of their development the “larval food” similar to that given the queen larvae. Afterwards they are believed to be supplied with the “larval food” which is poorer in nitrogenous materials and lacks a factor or factors necessary for the production of queens. Recent investigations (Haydak, 1943) showed, however, that the food of older worker larvae does not differ appreciably in its protein content from the food of older queen larvae, but is considerably lower in the fat and mineral contents. The major purpose of this study was to determine whether there are any differences in the concentration of certain of the B vitamins in the food supplied to the queen and worker larvae during the period of their growth.