NUTRACEUTICAL PROFILING OF SIX BEE POLLEN SAMPLES

Bee pollen results from the agglutination of pollen grains by Apis mellifera, with the addition of nectar, honey and salivary enzymes. It is widely recognized as a functional food due to its rich content of macronutrients and secondary metabolites, particularly polyphenols, flavonoids and essential vitamins. These bioactive constituents have been associated with strong anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-aging properties that offer therapeutic potential in preventing chronic and metabolic diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutraceutical constituents of six multifloral bee pollen samples sourced from the Emilia-Romagna and Abruzzo regions. Following a methanolic extraction, three spectrophotometric assays were performed to quantify Total Phenolic Content (TPC) via the Folin-Ciocalteu method, Total Flavonoid Content (TFC) via the Aluminum chloride colorimetric assay, and Antioxidant Activity (AOA) using the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay. Quantitative analysis revealed significant intra-regional variability, with mean TPC values ranging from 545.91 to 682.08 mg GAE/100g, and TFC values ranging from 137.42 to 202.31 mg QE/100g, demonstrating quantitatively lower phenolic and flavonoid accumulation compared with datasets from neighboring Mediterranean regions. However, the FRAP evaluation revealed a robust antioxidant capacity ranging from 52.11 to 122.70 µmol Fe²⁺/g, suggesting a significant presence of non-phenolic antioxidants. A max-normalized Composite Nutraceutical Score identified samples S6 and S2 as the richest phytochemical matrices; however, advanced structural profiling is required to overcome the intrinsic limitations of standard spectrophotometry and to fully elucidate their therapeutic value.