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Chemical Characterization and Bioactivity of Tetragonisca angustula Pot-Pollen from Mérida, Venezuela

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Pot-Pollen in Stingless Bee Melittology

Abstract

Norms for commercial and nutritional standards of pollen collected by stingless bees and used in human nutrition are currently lacking. Six samples of Tetragonisca angustula fresh pot-pollen from two locations in Mérida were characterized for macronutrients (moisture, ash, protein, fat, carbohydrates). The flavonoid, polyphenol, and protein contents were studied in ethanolic extracts of pot-pollen, as well as the antioxidant activity measured by three methods. Percentages of 23.34–24.69 g water, 2.06–2.13 g ash, 22.43–22.97 g protein, 4.42–4.58 g fat, and 45.98–46.68 g carbohydrates characterized 100 g of pot-pollen from Tetragonisca angustula. Polyphenol concentrations of 1.053.1–2.627.4 mg gallic acid equivalents, flavonoid contents of 104.6–676.4 mg quercetin equivalents, and protein concentrations of 118.9–811.4 mg per 100 g pot-pollen occurred in ethanolic extracts. The antioxidant activity of the ethanolic extract varied in each method. The hydroxyl radical inhibition percentage was 30.0–60.1% inhibition, the antioxidant activity was 0.74–1.12 mM uric acid equivalent, and the total antioxidant activity was 401.8–500.4 μmoles Trolox equivalents each per 100 g pot-pollen. Positive correlations between antioxidant activity and total polyphenol content (0.802–0.921) were found. This nutritional, biochemical, and bioactive assessment of Tetragonisca angustula pot-pollen can help to establish their norms and methodological examination.

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Acknowledgments

Project FA-592-16-08-B and CVI-FA-04-97 from Consejo de Desarrollo Científico, Humanístico, Tecnológico y de las Artes at Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela. The Secretariat of the Universidad de Los Andes and Schullo Products from Ecuador supported the participation in the Congress APICENS, Okinawa, Japan, in 2016 with some of the results in this chapter. To comments of reviewers and Dr. DW Roubik for valued English editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Apitherapy and Bioactivity, Food Science Department, Faculty of Pharmacy and Bioanalysis, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, 5101, Venezuela

    Patricia Vit & Bertha Santiago

  2. Cancer Research Group, Discipline of Biomedical Science, Cumberland Campus C42, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW, 1825, Australia

    Patricia Vit

  3. Laboratory of Biotechnological and Molecular Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy and Bioanalysis, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, 5101, Venezuela

    María Peña-Vera & Elizabeth Pérez-Pérez

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  1. Patricia Vit
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  2. Bertha Santiago
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  3. María Peña-Vera
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  4. Elizabeth Pérez-Pérez
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Correspondence to Patricia Vit .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Food Science Department, Faculty of Pharmacy and Bioanalysis, Universidad de Los Andes, Merida, Venezuela

    Patricia Vit

  2. Biology Department, School of Philosophy, Sciences and Literature, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil

    Silvia R.M. Pedro

  3. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama

    David W. Roubik

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Vit, P., Santiago, B., Peña-Vera, M., Pérez-Pérez, E. (2018). Chemical Characterization and Bioactivity of Tetragonisca angustula Pot-Pollen from Mérida, Venezuela. In: Vit, P., Pedro, S., Roubik, D. (eds) Pot-Pollen in Stingless Bee Melittology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61839-5_24

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