Multi-Regional Characterization of Moroccan Bee Pollen: Nutritional, Bioactive, and Functional Properties

Bee Pollen is a natural beehive product consisting of a complex mixture of floral pollen, nectar, honey, and bee salivary enzymes. It has gained increasing attention as a valuable functional food. The aim of this study was to characterize eight Bee Pollen samples collected from different Moroccan regions in terms of physicochemical parameters, nutritional composition, mineral profile, phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, individual phenolic compounds and in vitro antidiabetic potential. The samples exhibited acceptable physicochemical parameters, with acceptable energy values ranging from 156.85 to 205.41 kcal/100 g. Potassium and calcium were the predominant minerals with values of 741.82-2116.99 mg/kg and 676.53-2197.15 mg/kg respectively. The total phenolic content ranged between 4.19 and 17.39 mg GAE/g while the total flavonoid content ranged between 0.94 and 3.18 mg QE/g. Bee Pollen extracts exhibited strong antioxidant activity, with DPPH IC₅₀ values of 28-64 μg/mL, ABTS IC₅₀ values of 0.12-0.28 mg/mL, and FRAP values of 87.33-146.92 μmol Fe²⁺/g, along with notable α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities (IC₅₀ = 263.40-953.66 and 145.50-670.26 μg/mL, respectively). HPLC analysis revealed the presence of several bioactive phenolic compounds. Our results can indicate Moroccan Bee Pollen as a nutrient and phenolic rich natural product with promising antioxidant and antidiabetic potential for functional food applications.