How do bees make royal jelly?

Introduction

Royal jelly is a unique, nutrient-rich secretion produced by worker bees, specifically to feed the queen bee and young larvae. This substance plays a crucial role in the development and sustenance of the queen bee, contributing to her longevity and fertility. Understanding how bees produce royal jelly involves examining the biological processes and environmental factors influencing its production.

Key Insights

Source of Royal Jelly Production:
- Royal jelly is secreted by the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of young worker bees, also known as nurse bees .
Composition and Nutritional Content:
- Royal jelly is composed mainly of proteins, sugars, amino acids, vitamins, mineral elements, and unique fatty acids, with trans-10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) being a significant component .
Production Process:
- Nurse bees synthesize royal jelly from bee pollen, propolis, and other substances, using their enzymes to produce and secrete it directly into the comb for the queen bee and larvae.
Feeding and Storage:
- Royal jelly is always fed directly to the queen or larvae as it is secreted and is not stored. It accumulates in queen cells during queen rearing, making harvesting feasible.
Influence of Bee Feeding on Royal Jelly Composition:
- Supplementary feeding of bees with honey or artificial sugar does not significantly alter the physico-chemical parameters of royal jelly, indicating that the composition remains consistent regardless of the feeding method.
High-Yield Production Methods:
- High-yielding production methods in China involve maintaining a high-yielding strain of honey bees, using specialized equipment, and optimizing various factors such as supplementary feeding and comb structure.

Conclusion

Royal jelly is a vital secretion produced by the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of nurse bees, synthesized from bee pollen and other substances. It is rich in proteins, sugars, amino acids, vitamins, and unique fatty acids like 10-HDA. The production process involves direct secretion into the comb for the queen and larvae, with no storage involved. Supplementary feeding does not significantly affect its composition, and high-yield production methods have been developed to optimize its harvest.

How do bees make royal jelly?

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

The chemical nature of royal jelly.

Royal jelly is a complex, milky substance secreted by nurse bees to provide essential nutrients for the queen bee, which is crucial for bee health and reproduction.

A study about composition and quality control of royal jelly.

Royal jelly is a natural substance produced by nurse bees to feed the queen bee and larvae, and can be used in various products, but its benefits have not been proven.

Determination of Trans-10-Hydroxy-2-Decenoic Acid in Royal Jelly by High Performance Liquid Chromatography after Different Bee Feeding

The content of 10-HDA in Bulgarian royal jelly ranges from 1.64 to 2.32%) and significantly increases after bee families are fed with baker's yeast.

An introduction to high-yielding royal jelly production methods in China

Zhejiang University's method for producing high-yielding royal jelly from a new strain of honey bees involves eight steps, including maintaining a high-yielding strain, using special equipment, prolonging production, and mastering manipulation skills.

Effect of supplementary honey and artificial sugar feeding of bees on the composition of royal jelly

Supplementary honey and artificial sugar feeding of bees do not significantly influence the composition of royal jelly.

Royal Jelly

Royal jelly, a honey bee secretion, is used to feed larvae and stimulate adult queen development, containing vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and has antibacterial and immunomodulatory properties.

New Insights into the Biological and Pharmaceutical Properties of Royal Jelly

Recent research advances on the bioactive compounds of royal jelly reveal potential health benefits for various diseases, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, and Alzheimer's disease.

Comprehensive royal jelly (RJ) proteomics using one- and two-dimensional proteomics platforms reveals novel RJ proteins and potential phospho/glycoproteins.

This study identified 42 novel proteins in royal jelly, revealing potential phospho/glycoprotein modifications and a similar protein profile across different time points.

A review on Royal Jelly proteins and peptides

Royal Jelly has anti-ageing, antibacterial, anti-fatigue, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, and anti-diabetic properties due to its bioactive components.

Royal Jelly: An ancient remedy with remarkable antibacterial properties.

Royal Jelly and its components show significant antimicrobial activity, particularly against Gram positive bacteria, making it a potential natural additive for various fields.

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