What Are the Proteolytic Enzymes of Honey and What They do Tell Us? A Fingerprint Analysis by 2-D zymography of Unifloral Honeys

摘要

Honey is a sweet and healthy food produced by honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) from\udflower nectars. Using bidimensional zymography, we have detected the, until now\udunrevealed, proteolytic activities present in row honey samples. The resulting\udzymograms were specific for each type of the four unifloral honey under study, and\udenzymes were identified as serine proteases by the use of specific inhibitors. Further,\udusing bidimensional electrophoresis, we have shown that honey proteases are able to\uddegrade the major Royal Jelly proteins and in particular MRPJ-1, the protein that\udpromotes queen differentiation in honeybees. Our findings open new perspectives for\udthe better understanding of honeybee development, social behaviour and role in honey\udproduction. The now discovered honey proteases may influence honey properties and\udquality, and bidimensional zymograms might be useful to distinguish between different\udhoney types, establish their age and floral origin, and allow honey certification.