A crude publish on crude protein

During my evaluation into honey bee vitamin, I saved working into statements in regards to the crude protein content material materials of varied pollen types. In keeping with a School of Florida Extension Bulletin, the crude protein content material materials of pollen ranges from 6% to 30% of the dry weight, counting on the floral provide. Furthermore, the article claims that larval and newly emerged honey bees require a meals routine containing 20% to 25% crude protein.

Then the question bought right here to me: what the heck is crude protein? How is it completely totally different from frequent outdated protein?

In keeping with various dictionaries, “crude” can indicate unrefined, lacking finish or polish, lacking custom or refinement, rudimentary, pure, raw, or blunt.

Nevertheless crude protein isn’t any of those. In its place, it is an estimated protein stage. The estimate is derived from a chemical analysis of the amount of nitrogen throughout the pollen. The amount of nitrogen is then multiplied by a relentless (usually 6.25-6.38) which yields an estimate of complete protein.

Nevertheless nitrogen could be current in several parts of the pollen grain, not merely the protein. This totally different nitrogen throws off the estimate and creates the excellence between true protein and crude protein. Fortunately, there usually isn’t an extreme quantity of of this totally different nitrogen, so the estimates are fairly good.

Nonetheless, referring to vitamin, not all protein is usable by honey bees. Protein is made up of amino acids. There are numerous completely totally different protein-building amino acids, nonetheless solely ten of them are wished by honey bees. The ten they need are: threonine, valine, methionine, leucine, iso-leucine, phenylalanine, lysine, histidine, arginine, and tryptophan. The others are sometimes referred to as non-essential.

The difficulty with the crude protein estimate is that it consists of nitrogen from all sources along with the non-essential amino acids. So, when evaluating pollen as a meals provide, it’s advisable understand it’s amino acid profile, not merely the crude protein stage.

Dandelion pollen, for example, can have a crude protein content material materials of twenty-two.69 (Jivan, A. et. al. 2011) nonetheless it is poor in 4 of the essential amino acids: arginine, isoleucine, leucine, and valine.

The underside line is that honey bees need various pollen types of their meals routine to ensure they get the entire essential amino acids. Crude protein is an estimate of protein content material materials, nonetheless it really would not inform the whole story.

Rusty
HoneyBeeSuite

On a quest for protein. Pixabay image.