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Honey bee (Apis mellifera L.)
From time immemorial, honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) can be considered as one of the most familiar and essential insect for human and plant life. They are critical organisms for apiculture (honey production, etc.) and pollination, and it would not be wrong to state that their benefit is immeasurable.

Royal Jelly (RJ)
Royal Jelly (RJ), which is a white-yellow colloid with a pH 3.6-4.2, is secreted via the glandular cephalic system (hypopharingeal and mandibular glands) of worker bees and fed to the queen for its lifetime, and to all young honey bee larvae for three days after hatching.
RJ is also widely used as in human health-promoting medical products, cosmetics, and health foods. .

What is the composition of RJ?
The RJ has an average moisture content of 60-70%, and consists of crude protein 12-15%, total sugar 10-16%, lipids 3-6%, vitamins, salts, and amino acids. Herein lies our aim, “to examine the protein component of RJ”, which is known to consist of both water-soluble (46-89%) and -insoluble proteins, by using the proteomics technology.

Why we research RJ protein?
RJ is imprtant for honey bee and human life. However, there are few studies on the mechanism of individual RJ components (proteins and metabolites) as factors for these pharmacological effects ascribed to RJ. Especially, there are few studies of RJ proteins, though it account for a half of dried RJ. To investigate the RJ protein components, we will be able to understand the RJ.

We hope the RJ proteome data will be used by everyone, ultimately hoping that the RJ research will be fruitful for human life and insect biology. Let's be alive with the nature.

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