Evaluation of Antioxidant and Anticancer Activity of Mono- and Polyfloral Moroccan Bee Pollen by Characterizing Phenolic and Volatile Compounds

Abstract

Bee pollen is frequently characterized as a natural source of bioactive components, such as phenolic compounds, which are responsible for its pharmaceutical potential and nutritional properties. In this study, we evaluated the bioactive compound contents of mono- and polyfloral bee pollen samples using spectroscopic and chromatographic methods and established links with their antioxidant and antitumor activity. The findings demonstrated that the botanical origin of bee pollen has a remarkable impact on its phenolic (3–17 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (0.5–3.2 mg QE/g) contents. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis revealed the presence of 35 phenolic and 13 phenylamide compounds in bee pollen, while gas chromatography–mass spectrometry showed its richness in volatiles, such as hydrocarbons, fatty acids, alcohols, ketones, etc. The concentration of bioactive compounds in each sample resulted in a substantial distinction in their antioxidant activity, DPPH (EC50: 0.3–0.7 mg/mL), ABTS (0.8–1.3 mM Trolox/mg), and reducing power (0.03–0.05 mg GAE/g), with the most bioactive pollens being the monofloral samples from Olea europaea and Ononis spinosa. Complementarily, some samples revealed a moderate effect on cervical carcinoma (GI50: 495 μg/mL) and breast adenocarcinoma (GI50: 734 μg/mL) cell lines. This may be associated with compounds such as quercetin-O-diglucoside and kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside, which are present in pollens from Olea europaea and Coriandrum, respectively. Overall, the results highlighted the potentiality of bee pollen to serve health-promoting formulations in the future.