Royal jelly is a thick, white substance secreted by honey beeds to feed larvae as well as adult queens. It is produced by the hypopharyngeal glands located on the heads of the worker bees. When a new queen is needed because either she is weakening or died, several small larvae are chosen and fed large amounts of royal jelly in specially constructed cells. The nutrients from royal jelly feeding initiates the development of queen physiology, such as ovaries for laying eggs. The activity of the enzyme which methylates DNA is suppressed in larvae destined to become queens. This finding suggests that DNA methylation is used to store epigenetic information which causes the differential physical development in honey bees due to a change in diet.
Royal jelly is consisted of 67% water, 12.5% crude protein, 11% simple sugars, 5% fatty acids, and trace of minerals, enzymes, antibacterial and antibiotic agents, as well as water-soluble vitamins B and C. Specifically, pantothenic acid and pyridoxine, vitamin B5 amd B6 catalyze metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and amino acids. Fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K cannot be found in royal jelly. With the presence of a variety of different types of vitamins, royal jelly exhibits strong antibiotic properties. In addition, it is rich in royalisin, an antibacterial protein effective against mainly Gram-positive bacteria. Allergic reactions from intaking royal jelly include bronchial spasms, skin irritations, asthma attacks, severe anaphylactic shock and even death. Royal jelly is not recommended for pregnant and lactating women, small children, and people with asthma or allergic to bees or honey.
Cultivation of royal jelly involves collecting the substance directly from the specialized queen larvae cells of the hives. These cells are stocked up with royal jelly for the queen larvaes to feed on while the worker larvaes are fed directly by worker bees simultaneously as the royal jelly are being produced. Hence, collecting royal jelly from queen cells is much more productive and practical. On average, each hive maintained for 5-6 months can yield approximately 500 grams of royal jelly. The product is immediately stored in a refrigerator or freezer as it is perishable. Sometimes, honey and beeswax are added to aid in preservation.
References: (1) http://www.online-vitamins-guide.com/nutrients/royal-jelly.htm (2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_jelly
