ASSESSMENT OF ALLERGENIC PROTEIN CONTENT IN BEE POLLEN

Bee pollen is a honey bee product obtained from floral pollen mixed with nectar and bee salivary secretions and is increasingly consumed as a dietary supplement because of its nutritional and nutraceutical value. However, the presence of allergenic proteins represents a potential safety concern, particularly for individuals sensitized to airborne pollen. This study aims to analyse the protein profile of bee pollen through an extraction and quantification process in six commercial multifloral bee pollen sample: five collected from the Emilia-Romagna region and one reference sample from Abruzzo. Attention will be paid to the identification of profilin and cyclophilin that are broadly considered as panallergens. Compared with the Abruzzo reference sample, several Emilia-Romagna samples displayed higher normalized levels of cyclophilin and/or profilin, although the interpretation should be considered preliminary because of the limited number of samples and possible variation in extraction/loading efficiency. These results suggest that the allergenic protein profile of commercial bee pollen may vary according to botanical and/or geographical origin, supporting the need for broader studies including botanical characterization, replicated sampling, and standardized analytical procedures.