Abstract
Royal jelly (RJ) is a thick and milky secretion produced by the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of young worker bees (Apis mellifera L.) and is used to feed larvae. Due its high content of bioactive compounds, mainly consisting of peptides such as royalisin, jelleines, aspimin and royalactina; polyphenols, principally phenolic acids and flavonoids; and lipids such as 10-Hydroxy-2-Decenoic Acid (10-HDA), RJ exhibits lots of health-promoting properties, such as antibacterial, antioxidant anti-inflammatory, vasodilative, hypotensive, hipocholesterolemiant, hepatoprotective, and antitumor activity. Therefore, RJ has been used extensively for improving human health in the food and nutraceutical industry. This chapter will examine the current literature on the bioactive compound content and health benefits of Royal Jelly, with particular focus on its use in medicine.
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Viuda-Martos, M., Pérez-Alvarez, J.A., Fernández-López, J. (2017). Royal Jelly: Health Benefits and Uses in Medicine. In: Alvarez-Suarez, J. (eds) Bee Products - Chemical and Biological Properties. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59689-1_10
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