Irradiation effects on phenolic content in Bulgarian honey bee products and correlation to the antioxidant activity

Bee pollen and bee bread are considered for a good source of nourishing and polyphenol substances which may act as powerful antioxidants. Some main phenolic compounds of studied non-irradiated and irradiated samples were identified and compared by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The effects of irradiation treatment of bee pollen and bee bread on their phenolic content were studied. For this purpose, the samples were ?-irradiated with 2, 5, 10 and 20 kGy. The results show that the ionizing radiation affect phenolic content of analyzed samples depends on the dose and the chemical composition of honey bee product. The identified phenolic substances and changes in their amount after irradiation were related to free radical scavenging activity (FRSA) of studied samples. FRSA of bee pollen and bee bread were determined by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Gamma treatment with 5 kGy has a positive effect on antioxidant potential at both honey bee products.