Nutritional and Physical Characterization of Bee Bread of Honeybee ( <i>Apis mellifera</i> ) and Artificial Food as Diet for Bees

Bee bread (BB) is the main food of young bees, produced by worker bees using pollen, honey and digestive salivary enzymes, it is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, water, minerals, and vitamins, among other nutrients. Sunflower, royal poinciana, bougainvillea and mesquite flowers are among the most used sources for BB production by bees; however, beekeepers do not reserve BB for feeding the hive in times of scarcity, both due to ignorance and economic factors; instead, artificial food (AF) based on commercial sugar and water is used, which directly affects the lifetime of the bees. This study evaluated the structural and nutritional characteristics of bee bread obtained from hives of honeybee (Apis mellifera) in the state of Sonora, Mexico. Insoluble and soluble fiber, pH, minerals, and additional nutritional profiles were determined, including its antioxidant capacity. BB and AF revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in proximate composition and other determinations. BB had lower moisture content, higher nutritional concentration and higher antioxidant capacity than AF. Overall, the BB obtained from native flowers demonstrated superior nutritional and physical qualities when compared to AF, as well as the presence of minerals and a potential natural antioxidant capacity. The small amount of bee bread available for analysis is a limitation for future studies, so it is recommended to look for methods that require small sample quantities.