Method Development of the Analytical and Biochemical Characterization of the Antioxidant Content of Honeybee Pollen

Honeybee pollen has been shown to be a useful dietary supplement due to its rich source of carbohydrates, fiber, protein, amino acids, and antioxidants. The antioxidative properties of honeybee pollen have been shown to have beneficial effects in the treatment and prevention of various diseases. Since the composition of honeybee pollen varies drastically between samples due to differing geographical and botanical conditions, the list of known compounds is not yet standardized. Additionally, since there is little data characterizing different pollen types, the methods of characterization are also not yet standardized. The protein content of the sample was defined using a Bradford protein assay. To investigate the potential use of this pollen sample as an antioxidative dietary supplement, the overall reducing activity of the sample was quantified using the antioxidant capacity assays FRAP, Folin & Ciocalteu, and DPPH. The overall content of the pollen sample was characterized using gas chromatography – mass spectrometry. Additionally, the effects of different solvents on analyte extraction was investigated using gas chromatography