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Today, May 20, we commemorate International Bee Day. Their importance for life on Earth is fundamental. If we stopped protecting and breeding them, it would have serious consequences not only for agriculture but also for industry.

The history of the connection between bees and humans goes back several millennia. People discovered the beneficial effects of honey a long time ago. They used it not only as food and flavouring, but also as medicine. However, today, thanks to modern methods, we can identify individual components and recognise their effect at the molecular or cellular level.

“One of the important bioactive components of honey is substances of bee origin. These are mainly the major royal jelly proteins (MRJPs) – apalbumins, which are also the main proteins of honey and are found in every real honey, regardless of its plant origin,” says apidologist Dr Katarína Bíliková from the Centre of Biosciences SAS.

It is well known that honey and royal jelly (larval nutrition of bees) are widely used in traditional medicine, apitherapy, cosmetics, and healthy nutrition for a wide range of therapeutic effects. The main bioactive components responsible for the medicinal effects of bee products are apalbumins.

In addition to being a rich source of nutrients, apalbumins have significant antibiotic, antiviral, immunomodulatory, growth-stimulating, proliferative and hormonal effects. They are an important factor in larval development, bee learning and memory, and the longevity of queen bees.

Bees are one of the few organisms that do not consume food as they find it. They take only the most valuable from nature – nectar as a source of energy and pollen as a source of protein. From these sources, they prepare their own products, namely honey and honeycomb pollen, called perga. Nectar is processed using secretions from the bees’ pharyngeal glands, which contain enzymes and bee proteins. The enzymatic breakdown of apalbumin produces short proteins (peptides) “jellins”, which are the main and constant factor of the antibacterial potential of honey. The content of apalbumin 1, therefore, indirectly determines the antimicrobial activity of honey.

Since apalbumins are an important component in the processing of nectar (or plant secretions) into honey, they are present in all honeys regardless of their floral source (including honeydew honeys). They are therefore an authentic bee parameter of honey authenticity. Given their wide range of therapeutic effects, the amount of these proteins in honey determines its quality. Dr Bíliková and her team have developed a method for detecting and quantifying these proteins (primarily apalbumin 1). They are collaborating on amending the European Directive on the quality and authenticity of honey, where their method will be used to verify honey authenticity.

In cooperation with the Slovak Beekeepers’ Association, they monitor the antimicrobial potential of the bee colony, an important factor in bees’ resistance to Paenibacillus larvae, the main cause of American foulbrood. Together, they are also seeking alternative ecological substitutes for the chemicals used to treat bee diseases.

Research by Dr Bíliková focuses on the characterisation of proteins and antimicrobial peptides present in royal jelly and the preparation of their recombinant equivalents. These could have broader applications in preventing bee colony losses from microbial pathogens, in human and veterinary medicine, and in nutrition.

Although honey is a healthy and tasty functional food, its pollen content can pose a problem for allergy sufferers. They must therefore approach honey with caution. There is a possibility of purchasing filtered honey, which is less common and more expensive. A more suitable alternative is honeydew honey, which does not contain pollen.

Prepared by: Zuzana Ševčíková Tomášková, Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics CB SAS