Jelly Production Research Articles

<b><i>Varroa destructor</i> mite in Africanized honeybee colonies <i>Apis mellifera</i> L. under royal jelly or honey production

This study evaluated the level of invasion of Varroa mite into worker brood cells, the infestation rate on adult worker honeybees, total and effective reproduction rates of the mite in Africanized honeybee colonies under royal jelly or honey production. Invasion and infestation rates were not statistically different between honeybee colonies producing honey or royal jelly and the averages for these parameters were 5.79 and 8.54%, respectively. Colonies producing honey presented a higher (p < 0.05) total and effective reproduction of Varroa than colonies producing royal jelly. There was a negative correlation between levels of invasion and infestation with minimum external temperature, relative humidity and rainfall. The variables month and season influenced the development of the mite, but rates were low and within the range normally found in Brazil for Africanized honeybee colonies, which confirm the greater resistance of these honeybees to Varroa destructor than European honeybees.

Zinc nutrition increases the antioxidant defenses of honey bees

AbstractIs the typical zinc (Zn) content of honey and pollen sufficient to meet the nutritional requirements of honey bees? To answer this question, and find the optimal dietary Zn levels for honey bees, we investigated the effects of varying dietary Zn levels on both captive worker bees and free‐flying honey bees, Apis mellifera ligustica Spinola (Hymenoptera: Apidae). We fed captive workers and free‐flying honey bees with 50% (wt/wt) sucrose solutions with Zn levels of either 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, or 75 mg kg−1 diet and measured their Cu/Zn‐SOD activity, the mean survival time of captive bees, the Cu/Zn‐SOD activity of larvae, and the Zn concentration of royal jelly. Captive workers provided with 30 mg kg−1 dietary Zn had higher Cu/Zn‐SOD activity and mean survival time than the control. Dietary Zn levels from 60 to 75 mg kg−1 significantly increased the Zn content of royal jelly provided by colonies and the Cu/Zn‐SOD activity of larvae. Honey or pollen with a Zn content of &lt;30 mg kg−1 was insufficient to satisfy the maintenance nutritional requirements of bees that were not raising larvae. It therefore seems advisable to supply supplementary Zn to non‐brooding colonies when the Zn content of honey or pollen is &lt;30 mg kg−1. Honey or pollen with a Zn content of 60 mg kg−1 was sufficient to satisfy the nutritional requirements for royal jelly production and to improve the health of larvae. It may therefore also be advisable to provide supplementary Zn to colonies with larvae when the Zn content of honey or pollen is &lt;60 mg kg−1.

Growth of Listeria Monocytogenes in Traditional Austrian Meat Jelly Products

Individual components of a traditional meat jelly (cooked meat chunks, gelatin and preboiled vegetable) with differences in pH and aw can constitute a niche for the multiplication of Listeria. Listeria monocytogenes counts remained stable in jelly over 21 days at 2 and 8°C, whereas in meat and vegetables, a >1 log10 unit increase was observed after 7 days at 2°C (or >5 log10 at 8°C). In the composed product, Listeria numbers remained stable at 2°C (21 days), but increased more than 1 log10 during 7 days at 8°C. Improving safety of jellied meat by lowering pH is discussed.

A New Method of Royal Jelly Harvesting Without Grafting Larvae

Royal jelly (RJ) is an important bee product and one of the major income sources for beekeepers. For a long time, harvesting royal jelly has largely relied on manually grafting larvae by using grafting needles to remove young (∼1 day old) larvae from a colony to a cell cup. Then, frames of cell cups with the removed brood are placed in productive colonies in a timely manner. Grafting larvae is the first and most difficult step in the process of harvesting RJ. Moreover, the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. It needs not only effort, but is also restricted by the availability of larvae and the eyesight of the technician. Low efficiency strongly limits the development of royal jelly production. To improve the hardest step in harvesting RJ, we have invented a new method of harvesting royal jelly without grafting larvae. Our results show that the method is feasible and improves the production of royal jelly.

Fast analysis of polyphenols in royal jelly products using automated TurboFlow™-liquid chromatography-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry.

This study describes the development of a novel, simple and fast analytical method for the detection and quantification of polyphenols in royal jelly products, using an in-house database containing more than 50 compounds. The extraction method consisted of sample dilution, followed by a fast on-line system composed of turbulent flow chromatography (TurboFlow™) coupled to liquid chromatography (LC)-Exactive-Orbitrap analyzer. The total run time was 18min, including automated extraction, analytical chromatography and re-equilibration. The method was validated obtaining limits of quantification (LOQ) ranging from 10 to 150μg/kg. The linearity range was up to 2000μg/L and determination coefficients (R2) were higher than 0.994. Adequate recoveries were obtained at three concentration levels (500, 1000 and 2000μg/kg). This method was applied to the analysis of nine samples and the concentration of polyphenols ranged from 14 (apigenin) to 18,936μg/kg (ferulic acid).

Royal jelly-like protein localization reveals differences in hypopharyngeal glands buildup and conserved expression pattern in brains of bumblebees and honeybees

ABSTRACTRoyal jelly proteins (MRJPs) of the honeybee bear several open questions. One of them is their expression in tissues other than the hypopharyngeal glands (HGs), the site of royal jelly production. The sole MRJP-like gene of the bumblebee, Bombus terrestris (BtRJPL), represents a pre-diversification stage of the MRJP gene evolution in bees. Here we investigate the expression of BtRJPL in the HGs and the brain of bumblebees. Comparison of the HGs of bumblebees and honeybees revealed striking differences in their morphology with respect to sex- and caste-specific appearance, number of cells per acinus, and filamentous actin (F-actin) rings. At the cellular level, we found a temporary F-actin-covered meshwork in the secretory cells, which suggests a role for actin in the biogenesis of the end apparatus in HGs. Using immunohistochemical localization, we show that BtRJPL is expressed in the bumblebee brain, predominantly in the Kenyon cells of the mushroom bodies, the site of sensory integration in insects, and in the optic lobes. Our data suggest that a dual gland-brain function preceded the multiplication of MRJPs in the honeybee lineage. In the course of the honeybee evolution, HGs dramatically changed their morphology in order to serve a food-producing function.

Evaluation of the Jelly Processing Potential of Raspberries Adapted in Brazil

Generally raspberry products as jams, jellies, and preserves are made with red raspberry, however, yellow raspberry and especially black raspberry are also fruits adapted in Brazil, presenting even better productivity and quality. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the processing potential of other varieties of raspberry, but the red, in the preparation of jellies through mixture design and response surface methodology (RSM). These techniques were used to optimize the following 3 variables: yellow (Golden Bliss cultivar, Rubus idaeus), black (Rubus niveus), and red raspberries (Batum cultivar, Rubus idaeus) to formulate a mixed raspberry fruit jelly through sensory evaluations. It was found that jelly formulated with a mix of colored raspberries grown in subtropical regions is a viable and alternative way to use yellow and black raspberries. The mixed raspberry jelly must have 0% to 30% yellow raspberries, 25% to 50% black raspberries, and 30% to 75% red raspberries. Within this region, the optimum formulation has ideal characteristics that are often not observed in formulations with 100% black or yellow raspberries. The black and yellow raspberries are little explored in fresh consumption and in the development of products such as jams and jellies. From these work, using mixture design and response surface methodology, has been verified that the production of a mixed raspberry jelly seems feasible and is an interesting alternative to use the yellow and black raspberries. The results serve as a guide to the production of jams and jellies from these types of raspberries.

MRJP microsatellite markers in Africanized Apis mellifera colonies selected on the basis of royal jelly production.

It is important to select the best honeybees that produce royal jelly to identify important molecular markers, such as major royal jelly proteins (MRJPs), and hence contribute to the development of new breeding strategies to improve the production of this substance. Therefore, this study focused on evaluating the genetic variability of mrjp3, mrjp5, and mrjp8 and associated allele maintenance during the process of selective reproduction in Africanized Apis mellifera individuals, which were chosen based on royal jelly production. The three loci analyzed were polymorphic, and produced a total of 16 alleles, with 4 new alleles, which were identified at mrjp5. The effective number of alleles at mrjp3 was 3.81. The observed average heterozygosity was 0.4905, indicating a high degree of genetic variability at these loci. The elevated FIS values for mrjp3, mrjp5, and mrjp8 (0.4188, 0.1077, and 0.2847, respectively) indicate an excess of homozygotes. The selection of Africanized A. mellifera queens for royal jelly production has maintained the mrjp3 C, D, and E alleles; although, the C allele occurred at a low frequency. The heterozygosity and FIS values show that the genetic variability of the queens is decreasing at the analyzed loci, generating an excess of homozygotes. However, the large numbers of drones that fertilize the queens make it difficult to develop homozygotes at mrjp3. Mating through instrumental insemination using the drones of known genotypes is required to increase the efficiency of Africanized A. mellifera-breeding programs, and to improve the quality and efficiency of commercial royal jelly apiaries.

The effect of pollen supplements on the determination of the geographical origin of royal jelly

SummaryRoyal jelly has a high nutritional and pharmaceutical value and its demand is continually increasing in today's world market. The determination of the geographical origin of royal jelly is very important both for the producers and the consumers. At present, melissopalynological analysis is the main tool for the determination of the geographical origin of royal jelly. In this study, we microscopically examined royal jelly produced by honey bee colonies fed with different pollen supplements. The results showed that the pollen grains from the supplemental foods can be found in significant quantities in royal jelly, and their abundance might vary according to the size of the pollen grain. Therefore, the use of pollen supplements during royal jelly production can affect the accuracy of the melissopalynological results.

Aqueous Stability of Astilbin: Effects of pH, Temperature, and Solvent

The influence of temperature, pH value, and solvent on the degradation behavior of astilbin was studied by HPLC. Results showed that the degradation of astilbin was pH and temperature dependent, and the isomerization of astilbin to its three stereoisomers was found. The degradation process followed the first-order kinetics model, and the degradation rate k values increased, whereas half-life (t1/2) values declined with the rise of pH and temperature. The stability of astilbin was related to its B-ring substitution. Engeletin with a 4'-hydroxy-substituted B-ring was more stable than astilbin with a 3',4'-dihydroxy-substituted B-ring. The stability of astilbin differed depending on the solvent and followed the order 50% ethanol > ethanol > methanol > 50% methanol > water. In cultural media, astilbin was less stable than in water, which may be related to the presence of metal ions. The stability results of astilbin were confirmed in the extraction of dihydroflavonols from Rhizoma Smilacis Glabrae and may have a guiding function in turtle jelly production.

Isolation and characterization of proteins and lipids from honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) queen larvae and royal jelly

Honeybee queen larvae (QL), the byproduct of royal jelly (RJ) production, have not been fully utilized as a food resource. Proteins in QL were characterized by gel electrophoresis and identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of fatty acid and sterol composition in QL and RJ were performed. The molecular weight of proteins in QL was generally lower than those in RJ. QL were dominated by major royal jelly protein 1 (MRJP1) and MRJP2 as well as their degradation proteins. High amounts of triacylglycerols (797.5mg/g lipid) and phospholipids (89.8mg/g lipid) were presented in QL, whereas the main fatty acids in RJ were composed of free middle carbon chain fatty acids (>91%). Twelve sterols were identified and clerosterol, ∆7-sitosterol and cycloartenol were reported for the first time in QL. Noteworthy, little difference was observed in the sterol profiles of QL and RJ. Sterols were found to be integrated with MRJP1 oligomer in QL and RJ. This study provides new insight into the nutritional values of QL. The results suggest overall that proteins and lipids of QL compare favorably with those of RJ and could be potential used in food industry.

Quality of royal jelly produced by Africanized honeybees fed a supplemented diet

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of artificial supplements prepared with soybean protein isolate, brewer's yeast, mixture of soybean protein isolate with brewer's yeast, linseed oil, palm oil, and a mixture of linseed oil with palm oil on the physicochemical and microbiological composition of royal jelly produced by Africanized honey bee colonies. Considering these results, providing supplements for Africanized honeybee colonies subjected to royal jelly production can help and strengthen the technological development of the Brazilian beekeeping industry increasing its consumption in the national market. This research presents values of royal jelly a little different from those established by the Brazilian legislation. This fact shows that is important to discuss or change the official method for royal jelly analysis. The characterization of physicochemical and microbiological parameters is important in order to standardize fresh, frozen, and lyophilized royal jelly produced by Africanized honeybees.

Alternative sources of supplements in Africanized honeybees submitted to royal jelly production

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of supplements with isolated soy protein, brewer’s yeast, a mixture of isolated soy protein with brewer’s yeast, linseed oil, palm oil and mixture of linseed oil with palm oil in the royal jelly production of Africanized honey bee colonies. Total royal jelly produced was superior (P &lt; 0.05) in colonies that were fed with isolated soy protein and brewer’s yeast (11.68g/colony), followed by linseed oil and palm oil (11.30g/colony) and palm oil (9.61g/colony), and the latter higher than controls I (6.35g/colony), and II (6.95g/colony). Thus, mixed supplements are viable to optimize this beekeeping activity in commercial scale.

Development of a simple analytical method using capillary electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry for product identification and simultaneous determination of free amino acids in dietary supplements containing royal jelly

A simple capillary electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry (CE-MS/MS) method was developed for the analysis of free amino acids in commercial royal jelly (RJ) products containing various kinds of matrices. This method required no concentration step for sample preparation, and all 16 amino acids were determined without derivatization. The CE separation was achieved in an uncoated fused-silica capillary using a 1M formic acid solution (pH 1.8) as the electrolyte, followed by MS/MS detection after mixing with a sheath liquid comprising 50% (v/v) methanol. The limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.61 to 10.5μg (dry weight)/g for each amino acid. The recoveries for tablets, liquid drinks, and raw materials ranged from 88.3 to 108.6%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were within 10%. The method was applied to 17 commercial RJ products, and the results were compared to those for honey. The relative proportions of free amino acids were specific for each RJ product, and the method was found to be useful in distinguishing not only among the different RJ products but also between RJ and honey.

The Newest Experience with Effervescent Tablets Containing Royal Jelly as Functional Food on Packing, Dosage and Synergistic Action in Prevention, Prophylaxis and Healing

The subtlety of the rulling and preservation of the royal jelly from the beehive has contributed in the last 100 years many research teams and leading scientists around the world to work on the same topic in this area. The scientific-skilled and managing team of the Golden Bee (Zlatna pchela) has been working during the last 15-year period on research and dose of royal jelly. The technological development has also enabled the team to produce with success products in which the royal jelly should be packed, and preserved, bioactive stable and correctly dosed at the same time. This innovation has enabled an application of the royal jelly to all age population categories including children, pregnant women, diabetics, sports men and the other, no matter what their sex is. The action of the royal jelly products as functional food has proved that they have saved the treasure of the all minerals, vitamins (from B1 to B12) pantothenic acid, simple sugars, 23 amino acids and unsaturated fats, as well as above 105 biostimulators and 85 native antibiotics. The adopted on this way royal jelly was taken in through the mouth keeping its power of detoxification, nutrition and regeneration of the human cells. The usage of this shape of the royal jelly during the last 15-year period has proved the effect of the royal jelly on the human organism in prevention, prophylaxis and treatment. During this period laboratory and clinical investigations were conducted on 500-1000 patients from each medicinal area, what was the subject of an elaboration, whereas prevention was undertaken of above 100 000 users originating from many European countries including Serbia, Macedonia, France, Czech Republic, Kosovo and other countries.

Combination of sugar analysis and stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry to detect the use of artificial sugars in royal jelly production

The effects of feeding bees artificial sugars and/or proteins on the sugar compositions and (13)C isotopic measurements of royal jellies (RJs) were evaluated. The sugars fed to the bees were two C4 sugars (cane sugar and maize hydrolysate), two C3 sugars (sugar beet, cereal starch hydrolysate), and honey. The proteins fed to them were pollen, soybean, and yeast powder proteins. To evaluate the influence of the sugar and/or protein feeding over time, samples were collected during six consecutive harvests. (13)C isotopic ratio measurements of natural RJs gave values of around -25 ‰, which were also seen for RJs obtained when the bees were fed honey or C3 sugars. However, the RJs obtained when the bees were fed cane sugar or corn hydrolysate (regardless of whether they were also fed proteins) gave values of up to -17 ‰. Sugar content analysis revealed that the composition of maltose, maltotriose, sucrose, and erlose varied significantly over time in accordance with the composition of the syrup fed to the bees. When corn and cereal starch hydrolysates were fed to the bees, the maltose and maltotriose contents of the RJs increased up to 5.0 and 1.3 %, respectively, compared to the levels seen in authentic samples (i.e., samples obtained when the bees were fed natural food: honey and pollen) that were inferior to 0.2% and not detected, respectively. The sucrose and erlose contents of natural RJs were around 0.2 %, whereas those in RJs obtained when the bees were fed cane or beet sugar were as much as 4.0 and 1.3 %, respectively. The combination of sugar analysis and (13)C isotopic ratio measurements represents a very efficient analytical methodology for detecting (from early harvests onward) the use of C4 and C3 artificial sugars in the production of RJ.

Pectin: A Versatile Biopolymer with Numerous Health Benefits and Medical Uses

Pectin, a biopolymer is complex plant polysaccharide present in primary cell wall, is a form of soluble fiber. Pectin have important role in plant growth, morphology, development, cell adhesion and plant defense and also works as a emulsifier, gelling and stabilizing agent in diverse food and specialty products and also reveals defense mechanisms against plant pathogens and wounding. Scientific research has revealed a number of health benefits and multiple biomedical uses of pectin. Pectin is a macromolecule which is composed by a number of distinct polysaccharides such as homogalacturonans (HG), rhamnogalacturonans (RG), xylogalacturonans (XGs), arabinans and arabinogalactans. Pectin has gelling ability, which makes it a useful additive in the production of jams and jellies.

Genetic characterization of three breeds of high royal jelly producing honeybee (Apis mellifera ligustica) in China

There are three most famous breeds of high royal jelly producing honeybee (Apis mellifera ligustica) in China. After numerous rounds of selection for royal jelly production, the royal jelly production of the three breeds is much higher than the unselected. It is important to maintain genetic diversity of breeds in selective breeding and stock management. The genetic diversity and genetic differentiation of three breeds were surveyed using 18 microsatellite markers. Using Polymorphism Information Content (PIC), mean heterozygosity (H), number of effective alleles, genetic distances, gene flow (Nm) and F-statistics, we evaluated the genetic diversity and genetic differentiation. The result showed that the number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 (AP156 and A028) to 25 (AP053). All of the three breeds showed high levels of heterozygosity. Significant genetic differentiation was found among the three breeds and the average genetic differentiation coefficient of the three breeds was 0.037. Key words: High royal jelly producing honeybee, Apis mellifera ligustica, genetic diversity, genetic differentiation, microsatellite marker.

Viabilidade financeira da produção de geleia real com abelhas africanizadas suplementadas com diferentes nutrientes

This study was carried out to evaluate the financial viability of five supplements made with different sources of oil and protein, to be given to Africanized honeybees for royal jelly production. The study verified whether the investments with colony supplementation give financial returns to beekeepers, increasing profits for the diversification of bee products. In order to evaluate the five supplements, two experimental assays were performed. In each, 20 colonies were distributed randomly in four treatments, with 15 replications per colony. In assay I, the treatments were: linseed oil plus palm oil supplement, linseed oil, palm oil, and control without supplementation. In assay II, isolated soy protein plus brewer’s yeast, isolated soy protein, brewer’s yeast, and control without supplementation were evaluated. The following production financial indicators were determined: net operating income, total cost, profit and benefit-cost ratio. Supplements made with mixtures of linseed oil plus palm oil and isolated soy protein plus beer yeast showed ratios between the obtained profit and the calculated values for indirect production costs of 2.58 and 2.50, respectively, differing from the control (p < 0.05), which indicates it is economically viable to supplement Africanized honey bees in royal jelly production when compared to other treatments and control without supplementation.

Observation and quantification of self-associated adenosine extracted from royal jelly products purchased in USA by HPLC

The concentration of adenosine in pure royal jelly creams and dietary supplements purchased in the United States was determined by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Preliminary studies revealed the existence of several forms of adenosine via self-association and base-pairing in solutions. Therefore, proper optimisation of pH and compositions of extraction solvents and mobile phases was critical for successful separation and quantification. In this work, adenosine in samples was extracted by sonication in a mixture consisting of 5% ethanol and 95% deionized water and separated using a Zorbax Eclipse XDB-C18 column (150×4.6mm) and a mobile phase of 93% deionized water and 7% acetonitrile at 25°C. The flow rate of a mobile phase was set to 1.0ml/min and the UV detection was performed at 260nm. The average recovery rate of adenosine was 92.8–99.2% with the relative standard deviation (RSD) of 0.1–1.3% over concentrations ranging from 5 to 160μg/ml. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were found to be ∼0.01 and ∼0.05μg/ml, respectively. Quantification was carried out using calibration curves constructed by both internal standard (ISTD) and external standard (ESTD) methods. Our results show that the concentration of adenosine lies between ∼27 and 50μg/g for pure royal jelly creams and between ∼2 and ∼173μg/g for royal jelly supplements.