Nutritional and chemical properties of sorghum, rapeseed, and sunflower pollens

Abstract

The nutritional and chemical properties of three Chinese pollens, sorghum (Sorghum sp.), rapeseed (Brassica napus) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus), were studied. All three pollens were highly preferred, with sunflower pollen the highest, by young honey bees (Apis mellifera). Rapeseed pollen increased honey bee's longevity the greatest; however, sorghum and sunflower pollens also increased the longevity relative to the no-pollen group. All three pollens had high energy (about 5 kcal/g) and carbohydrate quantities (58%). The protein, fat, and fiber levels were 27%, 7%, and 9% in rapeseed pollen, 26%, 5%, and 13% in sorghum pollen, and 15%, 5%, and 10% in sunflower pollen. alpha-Tocopherol was high in sunflower pollen (61 μg/g), lower in rapeseed (33 μg/g) and sorghum pollen (15 μg/g). K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, and Mn were high in all three pollens. These data suggest that a pollen which is highly preferred by honey bees is not necessarily the most nutritious.