Extended data
Components of beeswax
Beeswax is a complex organic compound. The main components of beeswax are esters, fatty acids and sugars synthesized by higher fatty acids and monohydric alcohols, but their components are different due to different bee species, honey powder source plants and extraction methods.
1, ester
Fatty acid esters include monoesters and hydroxyl esters, the content of which is 70%~75%. In monoester, melittin palmitate is 23%, shellac palmitate is 2%, melittin wax acid 12%, melittin pyrogallic acid 12%. Among the hydroxyl esters, 8%~9% are hydroxy palmitate wax alcohol ester, 9%~9.5% are diester and 4%~4.5% are acid ester.
2. Fatty acids
The content of free fatty acids is10% ~15%; 9%~ 1 1% saturated fatty acids, including 3.3%~4.4% wax acid, 0/%~1.5% wood tar acid, 2% melittic acid and wood acid,1.3% ~/kloc.
pharmacological action
1, active ammonia scavenging effect, China beeswax can scavenge OH in Fenton system and O2 in X/XO system. The concentration above 2.5μg/ml completely inhibited lipid hyperammoniation, and also inhibited SOD induction in a concentration-dependent manner.
2, other functions, beeswax and its emulsion have antibacterial and antiseptic effects. And heparin 100- 150mg is suspended in beeswax 0.5- 1.5ml, and given intravenously, which can prolong the anticoagulant effect of heparin.
Collection and extraction of beeswax
The collection of beeswax is mostly completed in spring and autumn. By strengthening the management of bee colony, beekeepers urge bees to secrete more wax and build more spleens, and then collect old nest spleens, excess spleens, wax covers, bases and honey covers cut off when shaking honey.
Physical characteristics of beeswax
Pure beeswax is white. Usually beeswax is light yellow, medium yellow or dark brown, which is caused by fat-soluble carotenoids or other pigments in pollen and propolis.
At room temperature, beeswax is solid, with a beeswax fragrance similar to honey and bee pollen. The specific gravity at 20℃ is 0.954~0.964. The melting point is generally between 62℃ and 67℃, depending on the source and extraction method. At 300℃, beeswax turns into smoke and decomposes into volatile substances such as carbon dioxide and acetic acid.
The outside temperature is low, and the original wax contains many impurities, showing a special smell. The high-quality refined beeswax was obtained by removing impurities, decoloring and deodorizing the original wax by special process.
Related products
Modern processing technology further separated and extracted the special components of beeswax, and obtained products with higher added value. This is triacontanol (TA), octacosanol and rape sterol.
Triacontanol (TA) is a long-chain fatty alcohol composed of 30 carbon atoms, and its chemical name is triacontanol-1 or n-triacontanol, or TA for short, or Tria, also known as melittin. The content of TA in beeswax can be as high as 10% ~ 25%, which is a good source of TA.
Melissa alcohol is mainly used in agriculture, such as TA, which can significantly improve the yield and quality of economic seaweed such as kelp, laver and Undaria pinnatifida. After applying TA to rice seedlings, a rapid reaction was observed, and the contents of reducing sugar and free amino acids increased rapidly. TA can not only increase the yield of tea, but also increase the amino acid content of tea and improve the aroma and quality of tea.
Octadecanol is a naturally occurring higher alcohol, which mainly exists in natural products such as sugarcane wax, bran wax, wheat germ oil, beeswax and insect wax. Octadecanol is an accelerator of calcitonin formation, which can be used to treat hypercalcemia and osteoporosis with high cholesterol and high lipoprotein blood group.
Stimulate sexual behavior of animals and humans. Cosmetics containing octacosanol can promote skin blood circulation, activate cells, and have anti-inflammatory and dermatoses (such as beriberi, eczema, itching, acne, etc. ) effect.
References:
Baidu encyclopedia-beeswax