The Composition of Fatty Acids in Bee Pollen, Royal Jelly, Buckthorn Oil and Their Mixtures with Pollen Preserved for Storage

Abstract

Honey produced by A. mellifera contains minor components present in the nectar collected from plants. Various studies of honey components and all other bee products can be informative in assessing their quality. The aim of the present study was to determine the content and composition of fatty acids (FAs) in sea buckthorn oil (SBO), royal jelly (RJ) and bee pollen (BP) and the changes in FAs content in these products during storage. The diversity of FAs and the effect of storage time on FAs content was also evaluated for the prepared-for-preservation mixtures, which included the following samples: pollen mixed with honey at a ratio of 1:2 (w/w); sample BPH, a well; BPH + 1% (w/w) SBO; and BPH + 1% (w/w) SBO + 2% (w/w) RJ. Fresh bee-collected pollen and RJ were stored at −20 °C, whereas the conserved samples were stored at +4 °C in hermetically sealed jars. The data revealed that RJ demonstrated the highest diversity of fatty acids compared to BP and BP prepared for storage with honey along with SBO and RJ. Palmitic and stearic acids were found in the highest amounts out of the eight saturated fatty acids identified in the studied SBO and RJ. The amount of these fatty acids in RJ compared to SBO was 1.27 and 6.14 times higher, respectively. In total, twenty-two unsaturated fatty acids (USFA) were identified in RJ and fourteen were found in SBO. The SBO used in this study was found to be high in linoleic acid, resulting in an increased n-6 fatty acids ratio in the prepared samples. Essential fatty acids eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) were found in RJ, as well as in BP and BP mixed with honey. These FAs were not identified in the samples prepared with SBO even in the sample supplemented with RJ. The highest decrease in docosadienoic fatty acid was found in the BPH sample compared to BP, while arachidonic acid mostly decreased in BPH + 1% SBO compared to the BPH + 1% (w/w) SBO + 2% (w/w) RJ samples stored at +4 °C. Bee-collected pollen had the greatest influence on the number of FAs in its mixture with honey.