PHYSICOCHEMICAL, BIOCHEMICAL AND SENSORY CHARACTERIZATION OF BEE BREAD FROM BURSA (TÜRKİYE) REGION

Bee bread, also known as perga, is a product created through anaerobic lactic fermentation, meticulously crafted by bees. Worker bees mix collected pollen with nectar and their specialized enzymes, then pack and store this nutrient-dense substance in honeycomb cells. Bee bread is highly esteemed as a valuable food source due to its rich protein content, antioxidants, phenolic compounds, vitamins, and minerals. Its health benefits have been increasingly recognized in recent years. This study aims to investigate the physical and chemical properties, as well as the aroma constituents, of bee bread samples sourced from Bursa and its surrounding areas. The analysis includes measurements of moisture content (17.89%), ash (2.53%), crude fat (9.16%), and crude protein (19.06%). Additionally, total phenolic content was determined 9.91 mg gallic acid equivalent per gram (mg GA/g), total flavonoid content at 0.32 mg quercetin equivalent per gram (mg QE/g), CUPRAC activity at 12.97 mg Trolox equivalent per gram (mg Trolox/g), and TEAC activity at 0.55 mM Trolox per milliliter (mg Trolox/mL). Aromatic compounds were identified and their percentage ratios determined using Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) combined with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). These findings align with previous research in the field, although significant variations among parameters are noted due to factors such as geographic location, climate, vegetation, collection time, and sample collection methodology.