Quality Properties of Acorn Bee Pollen Extracts

Acorn bee pollen is a highly nutritious natural food, but information regarding its quality properties is currently lacking. Therefore, in this study, acorn bee pollens were collected from five regions of South Korea, and then acorn bee pollen extracts (ABPe) were prepared, and their quality properties, as well as their components, were analyzed. For the analysis related to the ABPe's antioxidant activity, the 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical, and nitrite scavenging activities of JNe (sample from Jeonnam) were at 72.7%, 66.8%, and 60.0%, respectively, which were significantly higher than their respective averages of 69.7%, 56.7%, and 55.3% for the other four samples. Moreover, the inhibition activities of JNe on tyrosinase, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase were 72.5%, 92.6%, and 72.4%, respectively, which were significantly higher than their respective averages of 62.7%, 70.9%, and 61.5% for the other four samples. When considering the ABPe components, the total flavonoid content of JNe was 8.4 mg QE/g, which is higher than the average of 4.6 mg QE/g for the other four samples, and exhibited the highest correlation with the quality properties of acorn bee pollen. Furthermore, among the quercetin glycosides in JNe, rutin revealed a higher correlation with the quality properties than the other flavonoids. Therefore, total flavonoid and rutin content are closely associated with the antioxidant activity and enzyme inhibition of the ABPe. In conclusion, these results are expected to be used for evaluating the quality properties of acorn bee pollen as a healthy functional food ingredient or a natural food additive.