The physicochemical composition of pure royal jelly as well as of some adulterated samples was analyzed by determining moisture, ash, lipids, nitrogen/proteins, carbohydrates, starch and 10- HDA (10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid). The solubility in alkaline medium was used to detect the main frauds for adulterating royal jelly which comprise addition of yogurt, water, egg white, sweet condensed milk mixed with propolis, unripe banana and corn starch slurry.

A geléia real (GR) é utilizada como produto revitalizante com sabor ácido e adstringente. Para evitar rejeição a este sabor, existem misturas de mel com GR. Existe legislação específica para o mel e para a GR separadamente, mas não para a mistura. Os objetivos do trabalho são: verificar se os métodos usados para o controle de qualidade do mel puro podem ser utilizados no controle do mel com GR e verificar a presença de GR pela determinação do 10-HDA. As análises incluíram: umidade, açúcares redutores, sacarose aparente, cinzas, hydroxymethylfurfural, sólidos insolúveis, atividade diastásica, acidez e 10-HDA. As amostras foram preparadas com 0-100% de GR no mel. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que dos métodos citados na legislação do mel somente o de cinzas foi adequado para todas as amostras. A análise de acidez (titulação direta) foi adequada de 0-30%GR; açúcares redutores 0-20%GR; umidade (método refratométrico) 0-10%GR e sugere-se o método de secagem por IV para as demais amostras. Os métodos para as análises da atividade diastásica, HMF, sacarose aparente e sólidos insolúveis foram inadequados para as amostras com GR. A presença de GR nas amostras foi comprovada pela análise do 10-HDA.

Royal jelly (RJ) is used as a revitalizing tonic. In order to avoid rejection to its acid taste, it is added to honey. There are regulations for honey and for royal jelly separately but not for the mixture. The objective of this work is, therefore, to verify if the same methods used for pure honey quality control can be used for honey mixed with royal jelly and also the presence of RJ through 10-HDA determination. The methods used were: moisture, reducing sugars, apparent sucrose, ash, hydroxymethylfurfural, insoluble solids, diastase activity, acidity and 10-HDA. Samples were prepared by adding 0-100% of RJ in honey. The results showed that the ash method was the only suitable one to all the samples. The acidity analysis (direct titration) was suitable to 0-30%RJ samples; the reducing sugar analysis was suitable to 0-20% RJ samples. Concerning moisture analysis the refractometric method is suitable to 0-10% RJ and the Infra Red method is suggested to be used for samples with more than 10% RJ. The methods for diastase activity, HMF, apparent sucrose and insoluble solids were inadequate for all samples with RJ. The presence of RJ in the samples was confirmed by the 10-HDA analyses.

Foi analisado o conteúdo de 10-HDA em amostras de geléia real (GR) do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, utilizando-se o método de cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência baseado no trabalho de BLOODWORTH et al. [2]. As condições cromatográficas foram: sistema isocrático, coluna C18-H de fase-reversa, injetor automático, detector de arranjos de foto-diodo ajustado a 225nm, fase móvel composta de metanol/água (45:55) com pH = 2,5 ajustado com ácido fosfórico, a-naftol como padrão interno e tempo de corrida de 30min. Pela análise estatística dos resultados, os teores de 10-HDA das amostras analisadas apresentaram duas faixas principais: de 1,8% e de 3% (p/p), o que seria útil para classificar a GR. Este é o primeiro trabalho que contém dados sobre o teor de 10-HDA em amostras de GR brasileira.

The 10-HDA content in Brazilian samples (São Paulo State) of royal jelly (RJ) was analyzed using an HPLC method based on the work by BLOODWORTH et al. [2]. The chromatographic conditions were: isocratic system, reversed phase C18-H column, auto sampler, diode array UV-VIS detector adjusted to 225nm, mobile phase composed by methanol/water (45:55) at pH= 2.5 adjusted with phosphoric acid; a-naphtol was used as internal standard, and the running time was 30min. By statistical analysis of the results, the 10-HDA contents of the samples analyzed seem to have two ranges: 1.8% and 3% (w/w), that would be useful to qualify the RJ. This is the first data regarding 10-HDA content of Brazilian RJ.

The aim of this paper was to compare methods of moisture determination to choose the best one for the determination of this parameter in royal jelly samples. Royal jelly is sensitive to high temperatures becoming dark and loosing volatiles in high temperatures. The methods were: vacuum oven at 60 ºC, 70 ºC, conventional oven at 105 ºC, Karl Fisher, dissecator with sulfuric acid and dryness with infrared light at 105 ºC. Based on the results, the best method was the dissecator with sulfuric acid for moisture determination in royal jelly.