Typical Constituents of Royal Jelly

A literature search has been conducted to determine constituents of Royal Jelly.

Royal Jelly is a milky-white viacid secretion from salivary glands of the worker hive bee, APIS Melli (APIDAE). It is essential for the development of queen bees.

It is a complex mixture of proteins, amino acids, lip carbohydrates, fatty acids and vitamins, particularly pantothenic acid. One constituent is 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid, which has antimicrobial properties.

• Water 24g/100g
• Protein 31g/100g
• Other soluble substances15g/100g
• Carbohydrate, total 15g/100g
• Ash 2g/100g

• Nitrogen 0.9g/100g
• Phosphorus 0.7g/100g
• Sulphur 0.4g/100g
• Iron Trace
• Manganese Trace
• Nickel Trace
• Cobalt Trace
• Silicon Trace
• Chromium Trace
• Gold Trace
• Mercury Trace
• Arsenic Trace

• Thiamin 1.2 - 7.4mg/100g
• Riboflavin 5.2 - 10mg/100g
• Niacin 60 - 150mg/100g
• Vitamin C 12mg/100g
• Pyridoxine 2.2 - 10.2mg/100g
• Vitamin B12 0.15mg/100g
• Pantothenic Acid 65 - 200mg/100g
• Biotin 0.9 - 3.7mg/100g
• Inositol 80 -150mg/100g
• Folic Acid 0.3mg/100g
• Vitamin E 0.2mg/100g

Royal Jelly Acid (trans-10-hydroxy-2-deconoic acid) constitutes about 7.6 percent by weight of Royal Jelly.

• Wade, A., Reynolds, G.E.F., Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopia, 27th Edition, London, The Pharmaceutical Press.
• Windholm, M. et al, The Merok Index, Tenth Edition, Published by Merok & Co, Rahway, USA, 1983