Abstract This work aimed to investigate the physicochemical and functional composition of bee pollen produced in different municipalities in the state of Rio Grande do Norte/Brazil (RN) and commercial samples produced in other places. To perform these experiments, samples of dehydrated bee pollen were crushed and subjected to physicochemical evaluation, instrumental color, fatty acid profile, evaluation of the presence of bioactive compounds [Total Phenolic Compounds (TPC), carotenoids] and antioxidant activity (reduction of DPPH radical). The pH of the pollen samples varied from 4.55 to 5.08, the protein from 19.01% to 29.71%, and the ash from 2.44% to 4.27%. All pollen samples showed a yellowish-red hue (a* and b* positive), and the pollen produced in Touros/RN/BR stood out with a lighter color (L* = 32.91). The pollen produced in Touros/RN/BR showed a higher (p < 0.05) percentage of saturated fatty acids (41.60%), whereas the pollen collected in Taipu/RN/BR had a higher percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids (7.44%). Pollen samples showed a low concentration of Total Carotenoid Content (TCC) (0.81 to 22.82 µg/g), as well as a high content of TPC (1.79 to 2.28 mg GAE/g) and antioxidant activity (1.40 to 5.70 µmol TE/g) when compared with the consulted literature. According to the obtained results, we could infer that pollen samples from different locations showed variations in physicochemical composition, coloration, fatty acid profile, TPC and antioxidant activity which reflects the geographic diversity inherent to the production sites. NorteBrazil Norte Brazil RN (RN places experiments profile TPC, , (TPC) carotenoids reduction radical. radical . radical) 455 4 55 4.5 508 5 08 5.08 1901 19 01 19.01 2971 29 71 29.71% 244 2 44 2.44 427 27 4.27% yellowishred yellowish red a* (a b positive, positive positive) TourosRNBR Touros BR L* L (L 32.91. 3291 32.91 32 91 32.91) p 0.05 005 0 05 41.60%, 4160 41.60% 41 60 (41.60%) TaipuRNBR Taipu 7.44%. 744 7.44% 7 (7.44%) TCC (TCC 0.81 081 81 (0.8 2282 22 82 22.8 µg/g, µgg µg/g µg g µg/g) 1.79 179 1 79 (1.7 228 28 2.2 GAE/g GAEg GAE 1.40 140 40 (1.4 570 70 5.7 TE/g TEg TE literature results coloration sites (TPC 45 4. 50 5.0 190 19.0 297 29.71 24 2.4 42 4.27 329 32.9 3 9 0.0 00 416 41.60 6 (41.60% 74 7.44 (7.44% 0.8 8 (0. 22. 1.7 17 (1. 2. 1.4 14 57 5. 19. 29.7 4.2 32. 0. 41.6 (41.60 7.4 (7.44 (0 1. (1 29. 41. (41.6 7. (7.4 ( (41. (7. (41 (7 (4