Royal jelly
The chemical composition of royal jelly has not been fully determined, as 97% of its components have been analyzed, but 3% remains unknown. Royal jelly contains vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes. In particular, it contains 67% water, 12.5% protein and amino acids, 11% simple sugars (monosaccharides) and 5% fatty acids. It also contains many trace elements, enzymes, antibacterial and antibiotic elements and traces of vitamin C. It also contains a proportion of active substances, such as acetylcholine, which is present in an amount of more than 1 mg/g and which has vasodilator properties, useful in the treatment of circulatory disorders. Traces of testosterone have been found but their quantity is negligible compared to the daily production of testosterone in a man.
Vitamins
Royal jelly contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, B12 and C. Pantothenic acid (B5) plays a major role in the metabolism of growing larvae.
Minerals
The following minerals have been detected in royal jelly: sodium, potassium, iron, calcium, zinc, chromium, manganese and nickel.
Amino acids
29 amino acids have been identified, the most important being aspartic and glutamic acid. All the essential amino acids for humans are present in royal jelly and in fact in sufficient proportions.
Fatty acids
Royal Jelly contains 10-hydroxy-decenoic acid, which has antibacterial and fungicidal properties. It also contains hydroxy-fatty acids and dicarboxylic acids.
Sugars
The sugars in royal jelly are mainly 90% fructose and glucose, in a proportion similar to that of honey.
There is a wide range in the detailed values of its various components of Royal Jelly, this is due to various factors such as: the species-breed of bees, the collection area and the different flora encountered, the age of the larva from which it is collected, its storage conditions, as well as and the method used to determine its components. However, these differences are insignificant, so its composition can be considered relatively consistent.
Pollen
Pollen contains lipids, sugars, proteins, vitamins, carotenoids, amino acids, polyphenols such as flavonoids and carbohydrates. Some of these ingredients are said to attribute to the healing properties of pollen. A recent study that evaluated the chemical composition and biological activities of Greek pollen showed that its main constituents of pollen are sugars, fatty acids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, fatty acid esters and palmitic acid.
Honey
Natural source of energy that contains nutrients, vitamins & trace elements.