Bee pollen an alternative to growth promoters for poultry production-a review

Abstract

Globally, the use of natural products as remedies for poultry health calls for a systematic exploration of their potential. Furthermore, there is an increasing popularity and utilization of bee-based products due to their inherent benefits. The current review was aimed at analysing empirical results, biological activities and secondary metabolites of bee pollen that are beneficial to the poultry industry. Eligible literature was retrieved from different databases. The findings from the literature search indicated that bee-collected pollen has received attention from researchers owing to its positive effects as a possible growth promoter in poultry production. It contains antioxidants, antimicrobials, emulsifiers, vitamins and minerals which can meet the biochemical and functional needs of poultry flocks. We identified a minimum of 17 research articles that captured various observations on the effects of bee pollen in poultry. The most common observations were on growth performance and gastrointestinal morphology. The search results also indicated that there are several factors such as floral species, climatic conditions and soil types which influence the nutritional composition of bee pollen. Studies gathered revealed that the antioxidant properties found in bee pollen are due to the phenolic compounds it possesses. Overall, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the health effects of supplementing bee pollen indicating a major knowledge gap that requires more research.