Standard methods for Apis mellifera royal jelly research

Royal jelly, a honey bee secretion, plays a critical role in caste determination in honey bees because it serves as the source of nutrition for young larvae destined to become queens. It is also fed to adult queens. Royal jelly possesses numerous functional properties and thus has been used as a medication, health food, and cosmetic in many countries. In this paper, we first introduce a traditional method for producing royal jelly by artificial larvae grafting and a newly developed method that does not require grafting of larvae. We describe protocols for the storage and freeze-drying of royal jelly to preserve its biological properties. Routine methods for determination of two important quality criteria, water content and trans-10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid content, are outlined. On a dry basis, protein, carbohydrate, and fatty acids were found to be the 3 most abundant components of royal jelly. Methods for their isolation, identification, and quantification are described. Because royal jelly is susceptible to contamination with veterinary drugs and acaricides, we also describe methods for detection and quantification of some veterinary drugs and acaricides in royal jelly.