Abstract
Bee-pollen is recognized by its nutritional and bioactive value, related to protein, lipids, vitamins or polyphenols. However, reports indicate it is insufficiently digested once enters to the human digestive system, so compounds are not completely assimilated into the body. This is due to an outer layer highly resistant to degradation, known as exine. Because of this, bee-pollen can be considered as a raw product and it would require of processing in order to enhance bioavailability. In Colombia bee-pollen is a promising product, especially to be used to supply the protein needs in part of the population who cannot even cover their daily nutritional requirements or simply have a limited consumption of animal origin foodstuff. A physical treatment by employing temperature and pressure was first made in order to evaluate the effect on the exine. Subsequently, two independent treatments were carried out, one in which a fermentation by using commercial lactic acid bacteria was induced, and the other, by using protease enzymes to obtain a hydrolyzed product. Performed physical-chemical analyses were in vitro digestibility, total phenolics and antioxidant activity (ABTS and FRAP). Results showed that high temperature-pressure processing degraded the exine of bee-pollen, and then inner compounds were more available. Higher percentages for antioxidant activity (43 % for ABTS and 22 % for FRAP), total phenolics (11 %) and digestibility (55 %) were found after this procedure, in relation to raw bee-pollen. In addition, even higher values for fermentation were found in comparison to physical-treated bee-pollen, in particular digestibility (8%) and total phenolics (11 %); nevertheless, better results for hydrolyzated bee-pollen for both parameters (10 % and 33 %) were found. Transformed bee-pollen, specifically after thermal and enzymatic treatments, may be considered as a complete food due to its enhanced availability of nutritional and bioactive compounds with special regard to their already known nutritional-physiological implications.
