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Royal Jelly Information

Royal jelly is a honey bee secretion that is used in the nutrition of larvae, as well as adult queens.[1] It is secreted from the glands in the hypopharynx of worker bees, and fed to all larvae in the colony.[2]

When worker bees decide to make a new queen, either because the old one is weakening, or was killed, they choose several small larvae and feed them with copious amounts of royal jelly in specially constructed queen cells. This type of feeding triggers the development of queen morphology, including the fully developed ovaries needed to lay eggs. [3]

Contents

Cultivation

Royal jelly is secreted from the glands in the heads of worker bees, and is fed to all bee larvae, whether they are destined to become drones (males), workers (sterile females) or queens (fertile females). After three days, the drone and worker larvae are no longer fed royal jelly, but queen larvae continue to be fed this special substance throughout their development. It is harvested by stimulating colonies with movable frame hives to produce queen bees. Royal jelly is collected from each individual queen cell (honeycomb) when the queen larvae are about four days old. It is collected from queen cells because these are the only cells in which large amounts are deposited; when royal jelly is fed to worker larvae, it is fed directly to them, and they consume it as it is produced, while the cells of queen larvae are "stocked" with royal jelly much faster than the larvae can consume it. Therefore, only in queen cells is the harvest of royal jelly practical. A well-managed hive during a season of 5–6 months can produce approximately 500 g of royal jelly. Since the product is perishable, producers must have immediate access to proper cold storage (e.g., a household refrigerator or freezer) in which the royal jelly is stored until it is sold or conveyed to a collection centre. Sometimes honey or beeswax are added to the royal jelly, which is thought to aid its preservation.

Composition

Royal jelly is collected and sold as a dietary supplement, claiming various health benefits because of components like B-complex vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). The overall composition of royal jelly is 67% water, 12.5% crude protein (including small amounts of many different amino acids), and 11% simple sugars (monosaccharides), also including a relatively high amount (5%) of fatty acids. It also contains many trace minerals, some enzymes, antibacterial and antibiotic components, and trace amounts of vitamin C.[2] The fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K, are completely absent from royal jelly.[4]

Epigenetic effects

The honey bee queens and workers represent one of the most striking examples of environmentally controlled phenotypic polymorphism. In spite of their identical, clonal nature at the DNA level they are strongly differentiated across a wide range of characteristics including anatomical and physiological differences, the longevity of the queen and reproductive capacity [5]. Queens constitute the sexual caste and have large active ovaries, whereas workers have only rudimental inactive ovaries and are functionally sterile. The queen/worker developmental divide is controlled epigenetically by differential feeding with royal jelly. A female larva destined to become a queen is fed large quantities of royal jelly that triggers a cascade of molecular events resulting in queen development [6]. It has been shown that this phenomenon is mediated by an epigenetic modification of DNA known as CpG methylation[7]. Silencing the expression of an enzyme that methylates DNA in newly hatched larvae led to a royal jelly-like effect on the larval developmental trajectory; the majority of individuals with reduced DNA methylation levels emerged as queens with fully developed ovaries. This finding suggests that DNA methylation in honey bees allows the expression of epigenetic information to be differentially altered by nutritional input.

Uses

Royal jelly has been reported as a possible immunomodulatory agent in Graves' disease.[8] It has also been reported to stimulate the growth of glial cells[9] and neural stem cells in the brain.[10] To date, there is preliminary evidence that it may have some cholesterol-lowering, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, and antibiotic effects, though the last three of these effects are unlikely to be realized if ingested (due to the destruction of the substances involved through digestion, or neutralization via changes in pH).[11] Research also suggests that the 10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) found in royal jelly may inhibit the vascularization of tumors.[12] Royal Jelly is said to improve fertility in both men and women, in men by increasing the quality of their sperm, and in women by increasing the quality of their eggs. [13]

There are also some preliminary experiments (on cells and lab animals) in which royal jelly may have some benefit regarding certain other diseases, though there is no solid evidence for those claims, and further experimentation and validation would be needed to prove any useful benefit.

Royal jelly can also be found in some beauty products.

Royal jelly may cause allergic reactions in humans ranging from hives, asthma, to even fatal anaphylaxis.[14][15][16][17][18][19] The incidence of allergic side effect in people that consume royal jelly is unknown. However, it has been suggested that the risk of having an allergy to royal jelly is higher in people who already have known allergies.[14]

In patients with bronchial asthma royal jelly should not be taken during the attack. In the literature we found data that suggests that there are reported cases of fatal outcome when, in the course of the attack, royal jelly has been taken.[20]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Jung-Hoffmann L: Die Determination von Königin und Arbeiterin der Honigbiene. Z Bienenforsch 1966, 8:296-322.
  2. ^ a b Graham, J. (ed.) (1992) The Hive and the Honey Bee (Revised Edition). Dadant & Sons.
  3. ^ Maleszka, R, Epigenetic integration of environmental and genomic signals in honey bees: the critical interplay of nutritional, brain and reproductive networks. Epigenetics. 2008, 3, 188-192.
  4. ^ "Value-added products from beekeeping. Chapter 6.". http://www.fao.org/docrep/w0076e/w0076e16.htm.
  5. ^ Winston, M, The Biology of the Honey Bee, 1987, Harvard University Press
  6. ^ Maleszka, R, Epigenetic integration of environmental and genomic signals in honey bees: the critical interplay of nutritional, brain and reproductive networks. Epigenetics. 2008, 3, 188-192.
  7. ^ Kucharski R, Maleszka, J, Foret, S, Maleszka, R, Nutritional Control of Reproductive Status in Honeybees via DNA Methylation. Science. 2008 Mar 28;319(5871):1827-3
  8. ^ Erem C, Deger O, Ovali E, Barlak Y. The effects of royal jelly on autoimmunity in Graves' disease. Endocrine. 2006 Oct;30(2):175-83.
  9. ^ Hashimoto M, Kanda M, Ikeno K, Hayashi Y, Nakamura T, Ogawa Y, Fukumitsu H, Nomoto H, Furukawa S. (2005) Oral administration of royal jelly facilitates mRNA expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and neurofilament H in the hippocampus of the adult mouse brain. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2005 Apr;69(4):800-5.
  10. ^ Hattori N, Nomoto H, Fukumitsu H, Mishima S, Furukawa S. Royal jelly and its unique fatty acid, 10-hydroxy-trans-2-decenoic acid, promote neurogenesis by neural stem/progenitor cells in vitro. Biomed Res. 2007 Oct;28(5):261-6.
  11. ^ PDR Health, Royal Jelly. available online
  12. ^ Izuta, Hiroshi; Yuichi Chikaraishi, Masamitsu Shimazawa, Satoshi Mishima and Hideaki Hara (October 22, 2007). "10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic Acid, a Major Fatty Acid from Royal Jelly, Inhibits VEGF-induced Angiogenesis in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells" (in English). Oxford Journals. http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/nem152. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  13. ^ The Infertility Cure by Randine Lewis.
  14. ^ a b Leung R, Ho A, Chan J, Choy D, Lai CK. Royal jelly consumption and hypersensitivity in the community. Clin Exp Allergy. 1997 Mar;27(3):333-6. PMID: 9088660.
  15. ^ Takahama H, Shimazu T. Food-induced anaphylaxis caused by ingestion of royal jelly. J Dermatol. 2006 Jun;33(6):424-6.
  16. ^ Lombardi C, Senna GE, Gatti B, Feligioni M, Riva G, Bonadonna P, Dama AR, Canonica GW, Passalacqua G. Allergic reactions to honey and royal jelly and their relationship with sensitization to compositae. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). 1998 Nov-Dec;26(6):288-90.
  17. ^ Thien FC, Leung R, Baldo BA, Weiner JA, Plomley R, Czarny D. Asthma and anaphylaxis induced by royal jelly. Clin Exp Allergy. 1996 Feb;26(2):216-22.
  18. ^ Leung R, Thien FC, Baldo B, Czarny D. Royal jelly-induced asthma and anaphylaxis: clinical characteristics and immunologic correlations. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1995 Dec;96(6 Pt 1):1004-7.
  19. ^ Bullock RJ, Rohan A, Straatmans JA. Fatal royal jelly-induced asthma. Med J Aust. 1994 Jan 3;160(1):44.
  20. ^ "Warning". http://www.mmm.ba/royal-jelly.html.

References

Dietary supplements
Types Amino acids • Bodybuilding supplement • Energy drink • Energy bar • Fatty acids • Herbal Supplements • Minerals • Prebiotics • Probiotics (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium) • Vitamins
Vitamins and "minerals" (chemical elements) Retinol (Vitamin A) • B vitamins: Thiamine (B1) • Riboflavin (B2) • Niacin (B3) • Pantothenic acid (B5) • Pyridoxine (B6) • Biotin (B7) • Folic acid (B9) • Cyanocobalamin (B12) • Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) • Ergocalciferol and Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D) • Tocopherol (Vitamin E) • Naphthoquinone (Vitamin K) • Calcium • Choline • Chlorine • Chromium • Cobalt • Copper • Fluorine • Iodine • Iron • Magnesium • Manganese • Molybdenum • Phosphorus • Potassium • Selenium • Sodium • Sulfur • Zinc
Other common ingredients AAKG • Carnitine • Chondroitin sulfate • Cod liver oil • Copper gluconate • Creatine/Creatine supplements • Dietary fiber • Echinacea • Elemental calcium • Ephedra • Fish oil • Folic acid • Ginseng • Glucosamine • Glutamine • Grape seed extract • Iron supplements • Japanese Honeysuckle • Krill oil • Lingzhi • Linseed oil • Lipoic acid • Milk thistle • Melatonin • Red yeast rice • Royal jelly • Saw palmetto • Spirulina • St John's wort • Taurine • Wheatgrass • Wolfberry • Yohimbine • Zinc gluconate
Related articles Codex Alimentarius • Enzyte • Metabolife • Hadacol • Nutraceutical • Multivitamin • Nutrition

Categories: Bee products | Dietary supplements | Beekeeping

 

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'Royal Jelly' Definition

Noun

royal jelly (uncountable)
  1. A substance secreted by bees to aid in the development of immature or young bees, called royal jelly because it is supplied in extra measure to those young that will become queen bees.
See also Category: English nouns
from: Wiktionary: royal jelly,
Tue Mar 15 20:19:39 2011
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