Fermentation seasoning sauce from adult giant honey bees (Apis dorsata F.) by Aspergillus oryzae

Bajaree Chuttong,  Pichet Praphawilai,  Phonkrit Maniwara,  Sampat Ghosh,  Chuleui Jung,  Ming-Cheng Wu,  Khanchai Danmek   

Bajaree Chuttong1, Pichet Praphawilai1,2, Phonkrit Maniwara3, Sampat Ghosh4, Chuleui Jung5, Ming-Cheng Wu6, Khanchai Danmek7

1Meliponini and Apini Research Laboratory, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

2Office of Research and Administration, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

3Postharvest Technology Research Center, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

4Department of Life Science, Sardar Patel University, Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh, India.

5Department of Plant Medicals, College of Life Sciences, Gyeongkuk National University, Andong, Republic of Korea.

6Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.

7Biotechnology Program, School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Phayao, Phayao, Thailand.

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Published:  Jan 21, 2026

DOI: 10.7324/JABB.2026.267938
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Abstract

Adult giant honey bees (Apis dorsata F.) possess high nutritional value, particularly in terms of protein and essential amino acids. However, their application as a functional food ingredient remains largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to develop high-protein fermented seasoning sauces derived from adult A. dorsata by employing a fermentation process similar to soy sauce, which is mediated by Aspergillus oryzae for koji preparation. D53 (bee: water = 5:3), D431 (bee: water: rice flour = 4:3:1), D53A, and D431A (similar to D53 and D431, respectively, although supplemented with 1.0% koji starter) were the four formulations that were examined. A total of 60 days of fermentation was achieved by first fermenting each sample for 30 days, then adding 23% brine and continuing to ferment for another 30 days at 30 °C. Color analysis using the CIE Lab* system showed a statistically significant difference in L* values, with D53 (control) exhibiting higher lightness and b* values but lower a* values compared to D431. The pH of both samples decreased from an initial value of 7.00 to a final range of 5.07–5.13. A gradual reduction in total soluble solid and electrical conductivity was also observed during the fermentation period. Protein content increased significantly in both formulations, with D431A and D53A reaching 3.08% and 2.80%, respectively, markedly higher than in the control and sample without fungal inoculation. Total nitrogen content also increased, reaching 0.45%, indicating proteolytic activity by A. oryzae. Principal component analysis showed a clear difference in sauce quality from various fermentation methods, particularly in terms of physicochemical characteristics (PC1: 71.8%, PC2: 20.9%). This study points out the feasibility of adult A. dorsata as an alternative high-protein substrate for producing value-added fermented sauce, thereby contributing to the diversification of sustainable protein sources.


Keyword:     Honey bee Sauce Aspergillus oryzae Sustainable protein source

Citation:

Chuttong B, Praphawilai P, Maniwara P, Ghosh S, Jung C, Wu MC, et al. Fermentation seasoning sauce from adult giant honey bees (Apis dorsata F.) by Aspergillus oryzae. J Appl Biol Biotech 2026. Article in Press. http://doi.org/10.7324/JABB.2026.267938

Copyright: Author(s). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.
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