Biochemical Impacts of Bee Pollen: An Overview

Geographical areas ranging from sea level to high altitude have very different climatic characteristics. The resulting diverse flora and vegetation provide a very suitable environment for sustainable beekeeping. In many places, from high plateaus to meadows and pastures, from forests to vineyards and gardens bees produce not only honey but also many other bee products, particularly pollen. Bee pollen has been reported to have a positive effect on some important biochemical parameters and may be beneficial to health. Some of these have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, antifungal, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, and anti-atherosclerotic effects. Bee pollen achieves this effect due to containing the flavonoids, phenolic compounds, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. Protective effect of pollen on the liver is understood by the reduction of AST, and ALT enzyme activities. This decrease is observed more clearly during the toxic substance exposure. A reduction in the lipid profile, mainly in the level of triglycerides, was also reported. It is thought that bee pollen has a hypoglycaemic effect and this may be due to the fact that it promotes the proliferation of pancreatic beta cells and increases insulin secretion. Bee pollen can reduce the stress caused by exposure to toxic substances, due to its rich content of antioxidants, vitamins, and bioactive compounds. Thus, it may have positive effects on liver, and kidney functions, glucose, lipid, and mineral metabolism. To better understand the mechanism of action, determination of the content of different monofloral and polyfloral bee pollens and further studies in experimental animals are needed.