Quality Parameters Needed for Bee Products used in Apitherapy.

Apitherapy represents the utilization of bee products for preventing and curing a series of illnesses and also the promotion of a healthy life style through consumption of these products. Due to the fact that apitherapy is a part of medical science, bee products used for this purpose must have a certain quality, namely, they must possess a series of biologically active compounds that will help in the healing process. This study aims to show the "quality standards" for bee products used in apitherapy. Different samples of honey, propolis, bee-pollen, bee bread and royal jelly were analyzed for their physico-chemical parameters as well as for their active compounds, specific for each matrix. Standard methods were adapted in the lab for each matrix, using spectrophotometric and chromatographic determinations. Physico-chemical analyses of honey, bee-pollen, bee bread, propolis and royal jelly were in accordance with literature results. High amounts of flavonoids and phenolic acids were quantified in propolis tincture, bee pollen, bee bread, royal jelly and honey. Royal jelly samples were proved to be authentic and have a high amount of 10-hydroxydecenoid acid, a compound with high antioxidant and antibacterial activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]