J Med Food, 2013 Jan 25
Honeybee (Apis mellifera) royal jelly (RJ) has a long
history in human medicine because of its health-protecting properties. To
develop a fundamental and comprehensive understanding of lipids in RJ, this
article reviews the available literature on lipid compounds identified from RJ
extracts and in vitro pharmacological effects of 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid in
RJ and other closely related compounds, some of which are also identified as
lipid compounds in RJ.
Overall, the lipids in RJ are composed of mostly (aliphatic)
fatty acids, almost all of which are present as free fatty acids and scarcely
any as esters. Most fatty acids in RJ are medium-chain fatty acids, whether
hydroxylated in terminal and/or internal positions, terminated with mono- or
dicarboxylic acid groups, and saturated or monounsaturated at the 2-position.
Besides these fatty acids, lipids in RJ contain sterols in minor amounts.
Lipids in RJ are useful as preventive and supportive medicines with
functionalities that include potential inhibitors of cancer growth, immune
system modulators, alternative therapies for menopause, skin-aging protectors,
neurogenesis inducers, and more.
Taken together, the evidence suggests that health-protecting
properties of RJ can be, in part, ascribed to actions of lipids in RJ.
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