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Quality Evaluation of Bee Products—Volume II
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Quality Evaluation of Bee Products—Volume II

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Quality and Safety".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 August 2024 | Viewed by 4717

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Liming Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Apiculture Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Bei**g 100093, China
Interests: food nutrition; food composition analysis; gut microbiota; functional foods; food allergy; food authentication
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Qiangqiang Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Apiculture Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Bei**g 100093, China
Interests: food quality evaluation; food nutrition and function; food metabolomics and lipidomics; gut microbiota; food allergy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue follows on from the extraordinary success of Volume I (https://mdpi.longhoe.net/journal/foods/special_issues/beeproduct_quality). We would like to express our gratitude to everyone involved and to the support of numerous high-profile scientists. “Quality Evaluation of Bee Products” continues to play a pivotal role today, and for this reason we believe it is now time to launch Volume II.

Bee products, such as honey, bee pollen, bee bread, royal jelly, propolis, and bee-related insect foods, are widely consumed as natural/functional foods or supplements, owing to their nutritional/bioactive characteristics, which are beneficial to human health; however, the bee products currently on the market vary in quality, leading to serious concerns among consumers. Various factors influence the quality of bee products, such as the standardization of bee breeding and product producing, environmental and climatic conditions, artificial blending, and residues of hazardous substances. In order to improve the quality of bee products and promote the healthy development of the bee product industry, it is vital to strengthen the quality evaluation system of bee products based on their physicochemical and biological characteristics, such as the distribution of different nutrients, the residue detection of hazardous substances, the characterization of botanical or geographical markers, the identification of genomic characteristics, and the determination of biological/functional activities. We sincerely invite submissions to this topic on “Quality Evaluation of Bee Products”.

The topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Distribution of different nutrients in bee products;
  • Residue detection of hazardous substances in bee products;
  • Characterization of botanical or geographical markers in bee products;
  • Identification of genomic characteristics in bee products;
  • Evaluation of biological/functional activities of bee products;
  • Application of omics technology to the composition analysis of bee products.

Prof. Dr. Liming Wu
Dr. Qiangqiang Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at mdpi.longhoe.net by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bee products
  • quality evaluation
  • distribution of nutrients
  • residues of hazardous substances
  • botanical or geographical markers
  • genomic characteristics
  • biological/functional activities

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 188 KiB  
Editorial
Bee Products: The Challenges in Quality Control
by Qiangqiang Li and Liming Wu
Foods 2023, 12(19), 3699; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12193699 - 9 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 950
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a significant surge in demand for unprocessed natural foods due to the growing awareness of consumer health [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Evaluation of Bee Products—Volume II)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

25 pages, 4455 KiB  
Article
Assessing Mineral Content and Heavy Metal Exposure in Abruzzo Honey and Bee Pollen from Different Anthropic Areas
by Federica Flamminii, Ada Consalvo, Angelo Cichelli and Alessandro Chiaudani
Foods 2024, 13(12), 1930; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13121930 - 19 Jun 2024
Viewed by 525
Abstract
Honey and bee pollen offer potential health benefits due to their nutrient and bioactive molecules, but they may also harbor contaminants such as heavy metals. This study aimed to assess the content of different metals, including Mg, Al, K, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, [...] Read more.
Honey and bee pollen offer potential health benefits due to their nutrient and bioactive molecules, but they may also harbor contaminants such as heavy metals. This study aimed to assess the content of different metals, including Mg, Al, K, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Cu, As, Rb, Sr, Cd, Cs, Tl, Pb and U, in honey and bee pollen collected from different Abruzzo region (Italy) areas (A1, A2, A3, A4), characterized by different anthropic influences described by Corine Land Cover maps. Differences were observed in the mineral and heavy metal content associated with the influence of biotic and abiotic factors. Honeys were found to be safe in regard to non-carcinogenic risk in all the consumer categories (THQm < 1). A particular carcinogenic risk concern was identified for toddlers associated with Cr (LCTR > 1 × 10−4) in A1, A2 and A3 apiaries. Pb and Ni represent potential non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks in children and adults due to bee pollen consumption, showing high values of THQm and LCTR. The results suggest the advantages of utilizing bee products to screen mineral and heavy metal content, providing valuable insights into environmental quality and potential health risks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Evaluation of Bee Products—Volume II)
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12 pages, 4636 KiB  
Communication
(−)-Gallocatechin Gallate: A Novel Chemical Marker to Distinguish Triadica cochinchinensis Honey
by Huizhi Jiang, Zhen Li, Shiqing Zhong and Zhijiang Zeng
Foods 2024, 13(12), 1879; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13121879 - 14 Jun 2024
Viewed by 520
Abstract
Triadica cochinchinensis honey (TCH) is collected from the nectar of the medicinal plant T. cochinchinensis and is considered the most important honey variety in southern China. TCH has significant potential medicinal properties and commercial value. However, reliable markers for application in the authentication [...] Read more.
Triadica cochinchinensis honey (TCH) is collected from the nectar of the medicinal plant T. cochinchinensis and is considered the most important honey variety in southern China. TCH has significant potential medicinal properties and commercial value. However, reliable markers for application in the authentication of TCH have not yet been established. Herein, a comprehensive characterization of the botanical origin and composition of TCH was conducted by determining the palynological characteristics and basic physicochemical parameters. Liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to investigate the flavonoid profile composition of TCH, T. cochinchinensis nectar (TCN) and 11 other common varieties of Chinese commercial honey. (−)-Gallocatechin gallate (GCG) was identified as a reliable flavonoid marker for TCH, which was uniquely shared with TCN but absent in the other 11 honey types. Furthermore, the authentication method was validated, and an accurate quantification of GCG in TCH and TCN was conducted. Overall, GCG can be applied as a characteristic marker to identify the botanical origin of TCH. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Evaluation of Bee Products—Volume II)
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Graphical abstract

14 pages, 5972 KiB  
Article
Flavor Chemical Research on Different Bee Pollen Varieties Using Fast E-Nose and E-Tongue Technology
by Chenshuo Liu, Enning Zhou, Yuying Zhu, Qiangqiang Li and Liming Wu
Foods 2024, 13(7), 1022; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13071022 - 27 Mar 2024
Viewed by 921
Abstract
Bee pollen, derived from various plant sources, is renowned for its nutritional and bioactive properties, aroma, and taste. This study examined the bee pollen with the highest yield in China obtained from four plant species, namely Brassica campestris (Bc), Nelumbo nucifera (Nn), Camellia [...] Read more.
Bee pollen, derived from various plant sources, is renowned for its nutritional and bioactive properties, aroma, and taste. This study examined the bee pollen with the highest yield in China obtained from four plant species, namely Brassica campestris (Bc), Nelumbo nucifera (Nn), Camellia japonica (Cj), and Fagopyrum esculentum (Fe), using fast e-nose and e-tongue technology to analyze their flavor chemistry. Results showed substantial differences in scent profiles among the varieties, with distinct odor compounds identified for each, including n-butanol, decanal, and ethanol, in Bc, Nn, and Cj, respectively. The primary odorants in Fe consist of E-2-hexen-1-ol and (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol. Additionally, e-tongue analysis revealed seven distinct tastes in bee pollen samples: AHS, PKS, CTS, NMS, CPS, ANS, and SCS, with variations in intensity across each taste. The study also found correlations between taste components and specific odor compounds, providing insights for enhancing product quality control in bee pollen processing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Evaluation of Bee Products—Volume II)
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10 pages, 2487 KiB  
Article
Chemical and Functional Characterization of Propolis Collected from Different Areas of South Italy
by Giulia Grassi, Giambattista Capasso, Emilio Gambacorta and Anna Maria Perna
Foods 2023, 12(18), 3481; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12183481 - 19 Sep 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1257
Abstract
This study investigated the chemical and functional characterization of propolis collected in southern Italy, in particular in Basilicata, a region rich in ecological and vegetative biodiversity. Sixteen samples of propolis, collected within a radius of 40 km from each other in the Basilicata [...] Read more.
This study investigated the chemical and functional characterization of propolis collected in southern Italy, in particular in Basilicata, a region rich in ecological and vegetative biodiversity. Sixteen samples of propolis, collected within a radius of 40 km from each other in the Basilicata region, showed significant differences between the chemical and functional parameters investigated: color index (L*, a*, b*; p < 0.05) and variation in chemical composition and antioxidant activities by ABTS and FRAP assays. In general, Lucanian propolis had a low content of waxes (p < 0.05) and a high content of resin (p < 0.05) and balsams (p < 0.05). The content of the total phenolic compounds and flavonoids was highly variable, as was the biological capacity. In conclusion, Lucanian propolis showed remarkable variability, highlighting significant diversification according to the geographical position and the diversity of the flora surrounding the apiary that the bees use as a source of resin. This study, therefore, contributes to the enhancement of the quality of propolis, laying the foundations for the production and marketing of propolis not only in the food industry but also in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Evaluation of Bee Products—Volume II)
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