A seasonal analysis of honey bee-collected pollen from Matelica (Marche, Italy): Palynological origin, Phenolic content and Antioxidant Properties.

Honey-bee pollen contains high level of proteins, lipids , carbohydrates and vitamins and possesses antioxidant properties which are known to be effective in fighting against free radicals; therefore, honey-bee collected pollen has high potential for both nutritional and medical applications. However, the composition of bee pollen has not been yet fully characterized and it may changes according to the palynological, geographical origin and collection season. This study aims to assess the palynological origin, total phenolic contents (TPC) and antioxidant properties of multi-floral honey bee pollen from a rural location in the area of Matelica ( Italy). The project involves the analysis of multi-floral pollen samples on a seasonal basis (April-September 2016) using the following in vitro assays: a) the total phenolic contents (TPC); b) 1, l-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) Scavenging and Hydroxyl Radical Scavenging Assay (HRSA) assays. Preliminary results show that using gallic acid as the standard compound, TPC values are 11.32 mg GAE/gr extract and 13.52 mg GAE/gr for April and May pollen samples, respectively. The DPPH and HRSA scavenging activities for April samples are 63.46% and 55.47%, respectively. In May, the DPPH and HRSA scavenging activities are 68.11% and 60.72%, respectively. Seventeen plant families were found in the pollen mixtures: with Fabaceae, Rosaceae, Salicaceae, Brassicaceae and Asteraceae being the most abundant (from 20% up to 33%).This study provides the first fingerprint of the seasonal pollen properties in the area.