Bee Products

The nature .and diversity of presentations at the conference on: "Bee Products: Prop erties, Applications and Apitherapy" held at Tel-Aviv on May 26--30, 1996, emphasize the increasing interest of physicians, practitioners, scientists, herbalists, dieticians, cosmeti cians, microbiologists, and beekeepers in different facets of bee products. This volume consists of a selection of 31 contributions presented at the conference and which provide information on the present status of our knowledge in this area. In spite of their diversity, they reflect the mainstream of the conference, namely: "Imported" Prod ucts (honey, pollen and propolis), Exocrine Secretions of Workers (venom, royal jelly). Toxicity and Contaminants, Quality Control, Marketing, Apitherapy, Cosmetics, etc. Since antiquity, honey as well as other bee products were used as food, as a cure for ailments of humans and animals, and as cosmetics. We hope that this volume will contribute to interdisciplinary studies on chemical composition, pharmacological effects, nutrition, and other aspects of bee products. Critical and unbiased experimental research may unravel the yet unknown composition and mode of action of bee products and elucidate many unanswered questions. The noteworthy features of this conference were the participants from all parts of the world and of different cultural backgrounds, who shared their keen interest and curios ity regarding honey bees and their products. We thank all of them for their personal con tribution to the success of this conference.

This book presents an updated discussion of the chemical composition and biological properties of the main bee products. Specific attention is focused on the beneficial biological activities of bee products in human health. Honey, royal jelly, propolis, bee pollen and bee venom are used as nutriment and in traditional medicine. Their composition is rather variable and depends on the floral source and external factors, such as seasonal, environmental conditions and processing. Bee products are rich in several essential nutrients and non essential nutrients, as sugars, minerals, proteins, free amino acids, vitamins, enzymes and polyphenols, that seem to be closely related to their biological functions. The effects of these products in nutrition, aging and age-related diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and pathogen infections are discussed.

Bee Products and Their Applications in the Food and Pharmaceutical Industries focuses on the health benefits of selected bee products by looking more closely at their pharmacological potentials and therapeutic applications in coping with various diseases. The book explores some of these products, such as royal jelly, propolis and bee venom, which is highly attractive to the food supplement sector due to the biological actions that are proved by scientific studies. Bee products also attract the cosmetics industry by utilizing those products in various applications such as hair products, toothpaste, sunscreen creams, lip balsams, or facial moisturizing creams. Each chapter focuses on a particular health benefit, providing more compact and detailed information about each activity for a specific interest. The mainframe of the book is based on the medicinal and pharmacological functions of bee products, with the therapeutic applications for each bee product supporting the mechanism of action of their biological functions. Explores bee products such as honey, royal jelly, propolis, bee venom, bee pollen, bee bread, and beeswax health benefits Includes the potential of bee products as a food supplement and cosmetic product Covers the medicinal and pharmacological functions of bee products

Honey bees are social insects; they live together in large, well-organized family groups comprising three castes: queen (fertile female), workers (sterile females) and drones (males). During honey flow season, there is a considerable increase in the foraging activity of the workers and in the rate of egg laying by the queen. Sex determination in honey bees involves a multi-allelic locus, such that homozygotes develop as males and heterozygotes as females, whereas diet quality influences the caste determination in honey bees. Like all living organisms, honey bees can be infested with diseases and pests. Some of these are more deleterious to bee colonies than others, but it is important for the beekeeper to be able to recognize conditions that might be disease or pest-related and respond accordingly so as to improve the quality of honey and honey bee by-products. The best-known primary products of beekeeping are honey and wax, but pollen, propolis, royal jelly, venom, queens, bees and their larvae are also marketable primary bee products. The purpose of this book is to make available information on bee biology and beekeeping as well as to provide comprehensive information on manufacturing, processing and marketing of value-added bee products. This book has been designed as a useful tool for the many diverse professionals who characterize and market honey bee products, including beekeepers, non-beekeepers, small entrepreneurs, extension officers and those involved in small business development. This edited book will be the first of its kind to contain comprehensive information on both bees and bee products. Key Features: Contains comprehensive information on beekeeping. Discusses the recent advances in beekeeping. Sheds light on bee colony integration and organization. Contains brief information on honey bee products.

A comprehensive manual on all aspects of beekeeping, including bee physiology and biology, getting started, nectar and pollen plants, supplementary feeding, honey extraction and production, bee health and marketing. Includes illustrations and colour photographs.

Here is the latest buzz on some of Mother Nature's most perfect remedies! Bee products are nutritional and medicinal powerhouses having antiseptic, antimicrobial, and immune-boosting properties. They are used as effective, natural remedies for hundreds of conditions, from arteriosclerosis to hair loss. You'll learn all about these amazing gifts from the apiary in this fully revised guide to purchasing, storing, and using bee pollen, propolis, honey, and royal jelly. In addition to providing the latest medical research on the health benefits of bee products, this updated edition provides a wealth of suggestions and recipes for using bee products for health and healing. The excellent tips on using bee products to prevent common infections are essential for every household, especially now that many bacteria are showing increased resistance to antibiotics.

The purpose of this bulletin is to introduce beekeepers, people considering keeping bees and those interested in processing and marketing to the large diversity of products that can be derived from beekeeping for income generation. Each product category, includinng cosmetics, derived from basic bee products such as honey, pollen, wax, propolis, royal jelly, venom, adult and larval honeybees, is presented in this publication, providing history, description, product quality, marketing aspects and a few selected recipes. A detailed bibliography, a list of suppliers of equipment, conversion of weights and Codex Alimentarius Standards for Honey are given in the annexes.