Antioxidant Properties of Bee Products Derived from Medicinal Plants as Beekeeping Sources

Alessandra Durazzo, Massimo Lucarini, Manuela Plutino, Giuseppe Pignatti, Ioannis K. Karabagias, Erika Martinelli, Eliana B. Souto, Antonello Santini and Luigi Lucini
Additional contact information
Alessandra Durazzo: CREA-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy
Massimo Lucarini: CREA-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy
Manuela Plutino: CREA-Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, 52100 Arezzo, Italy
Giuseppe Pignatti: CREA-Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, 00166 Roma, Italy
Ioannis K. Karabagias: Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
Erika Martinelli: Department for Sustainable Food Process, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense, 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
Eliana B. Souto: CEB—Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Antonello Santini: Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy
Luigi Lucini: Department for Sustainable Food Process, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense, 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 11, 1-19

Abstract: Plant species are fundamental source of nectar in beekeeping since bees access nectar and pollen from flowers. Consequently, bee products are strongly linked to the bee foraging flora source, and, depending on this, they acquire defined features, including their health and medicinal properties. Medicinal plants contribute greatly to increase the beneficial properties of bee products, such as honey, pollen, royal jelly, and propolis. Bee products represent a potential source of natural antioxidants that can counteract the effects of oxidative stress underlying the pathogenesis of many diseases. The antioxidant properties of bee products have been widely studied and there is an abundance of information available in the literature. Notwithstanding, the uniqueness of the presented perspective is to provide an updated overview of the antioxidant properties of bee products derived from medicinal plants as beekeeping sources. This topic is divided and discussed in the text in different sections as follows: (i) beekeeping and the impacts of environmental factors; (ii) an overview of the role of medicinal plants for bee products; (iii) definition and categorization of the main medicinal bee plants and related bee products; (iv) the study approach of the antioxidant properties; (v) the conventional and innovative assays used for the measurement of the antioxidant activity; and (vi) the antioxidant properties of bee products from medicinal plants.

Keywords: antioxidant properties; bee products; honey; propolis; plant sources; medicinal plants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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