Bee Air (Bienenluft) Therapy Part of Apitherapy Trend in Europe

Good vibrations can leave you buzzing at first bee therapy retreat

Saturday May 20 2023, The Times

Pet therapy, cat cafés and emotional support animals have all sought to enhance the bond between humans and nature for those in need of a bit of unconditional love. As therapy crazes go, insects have yet to be embraced.

However, tranquillity seekers are now being offered an hour cocooned with 60,000 honey bees whose wing vibrations create “a positive energising effect which calms and relaxes”, according to a new treatment centre.

The bees come and go beneath a wooden triangular structure, known as an apipod, in which clients lie on beds, taking in the pollen aromas and sound of activity from the six hives without fear of being stung.

Guests can relax, or even fall asleep, surrounded by the aromas of honey, propolis, nectar and pollen

The practice, known as apitherapy, is a fast-growing trend in eastern Europe....

Video: Some Syrians are Turning to Bee Venom Therapy as Alternative Medicine

 

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Beebread, Bee-Collected Pollen and Artificially Fermented Pollen Show Significant Antiviral Activity Against Influenza A Virus

Antiviral Activity of Beebread, Bee-Collected Pollen and Artificially Fermented Pollen against Influenza A Virus

Foods 2023, 12(10), 1978

Bee-collected pollen (BCP) and the naturally fermented BCP product known as bee bread (BB) are functional foods renowned for their nutritious, antioxidant, antibacterial and other therapeutic properties. This is the first study employed to assess the antiviral activity of BCP and BB against influenza A virus (IAV) H1N1 along with their proteinaceous, aqueous and n-butanol fractions. Additionally, artificially fermented BCP has been evaluated against IAV (H1N1). Antiviral activity was assessed in vitro by comparative real-time PCR assay. IC50 values ranged from 0.022 to 10.04 mg/mL, and Selectivity Index (SI) values ranged from 1.06 to 338.64. Artificially fermented BCP samples AF5 and AF17 demonstrated higher SI values than unfermented BCP, and proteinaceous fractions demonstrated the highest SI values. The chemical profile of BCP and BB samples, analyzed using NMR and LC-MS, revealed the presence of specialized metabolites that may contribute toward the antiviral activity. 

Overall, the significant anti-IAV activity of BB and BCP harvested in Thessaly (Greece) could be attributed to chemical composition (especially undiscovered yet proteinaceous compounds) and possibly to microbiome metabolism. Further research regarding the antiviral properties of BCP and BB will elucidate the mode of action and could lead to new treatments against IAV or other viral diseases.

Honey and Propolis Ointment Accelerates Wound Healing

Amplification of Wound Healing by Propolis and Honey Ointment in Healthy and Diabetic Rat Models; Histopathological and Morphometric Findings

Arch Razi Inst. 2022 Oct 31;77(5):1673-1681

Skin wound healing, especially in diabetic patients, has been a major medical challenge for decades. In the meantime, the use of traditional medicine has always been questioned. Propolis) resin and wax (is one of the most likely solutions to this problem. The present study aimed to establish an animal model for healing skin wounds and diabetic ulcers. To this aim, rats were randomly allocated into two healthy and diabetic groups (50 mg/kg streptozotocin resulted in diabetes with high BSL to 300 mg/dL), which were divided into four subgroups. The 7 mm full-thickness skin wounds were created on the abdomen region in 80 male Wistar rats using paunch. In the subgroups, the wounds were cleaned with normal 0.9% saline as the control subgroup and dressed with Eucerit, 1.5% honey+eucerit, and 3% propolis +1.5% honey+eucerit, once daily for 14 days in other subgroups, respectively. On days 1, 3, 5, and 7 after the intervention, wound and area contractions were calculated using digital photographs measurement. The histopathological and semi-quantitative studies were performed on days 7 and 14 after wounds creation. The microscopic findings demonstrated that the granulation tissue, fibroblasts, re-epithelization, and angiogenesis increased (P≤0.05) in the subgroups treated by propolis and honey combination in healthy and diabetic rats within 7 and 14 days post-injury. Also, less inflammation and a significant reduction in wound contraction were observed in the same subgroups on days 3, 5, and 7 compared to other subgroups (P≤0.05). The results indicated that significant healing quality and acceleration were affected by propolis and honey compared to other subgroups on days 3 and 5 (P≤0.05).

Honey Promotes Faster Healing for Necrotizing Fascitis Wounds

A Comparative Study Between Use of Topical Honey and Edinburgh University's Solution of Lime (EUSOL) Dressing in Necrotizing Fascitis Wounds

Cureus. 2023 Jan 16;15(1):e33825

Introduction Necrotizing soft tissue infection is potentially life-threatening and involves subcutaneous fascial planes, later involving overlying skin and, eventually, underlying muscles. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are necessary for this disease's management to avoid significant morbidity and fatality. 

After resuscitation and optimization, early surgical debridement is followed by serials of dressing. Various materials like Edinburgh University's solution of lime (EUSOL), normal saline, povidone-iodine, and honey have been used as dressing solutions for necrotizing fasciitis. This study is based on comparing the effects of honey and EUSOL as dressing solutions in necrotizing fasciitis wounds. 

Methods A randomized clinical trial was conducted at the Civil Hospital Karachi, from March 2020 to July 2021. This study has been approved by the ethical review committee of the institution and registered at clinicaltrial.gov. Based on the dressing solution for necrotizing fasciitis, patients were divided into two groups, The honey group (intervention group) contains 90 patients, and the EUSOL group (control group) has 85 patients. 

Results A total of 175 patients' data were analyzed, 90 in the honey group and 85 in the EUSOL group. Patients presented to the hospital with symptoms of 6.20 ± 2.72 days in the honey group and 6.67 ± 4.08 days in the EUSOL group. The days required for clearance of slough in the honey group were 2.83 ± 0.79, while 2.48 ± 0.82 days in the EUSOL group with a p-value of 0.005. The duration of hospital stay was 4.96 ± 1.31 days in the intervention group and 9.33 ± 1.45 days in the control group, with a p-value of 0.007. Wound healing days were 20.23 ± 4.45 in the intervention group while 28.38 ± 7.06 days in the control group, with a significant p-value of 0.000. 

Conclusion While managing necrotizing soft tissue infection wounds with honey. Honey promotes faster wound healing and shorter hospital stays compared to EUSOL.

Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan Awarded for Promoting Apitherapy, Using Bee Products for Medicinal PurposeS

ANADOLU AGENCY

Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan on Friday received the Dr. Beck Apitherapy Award for promoting bee products for medicinal purposes.

She hosted the International Apitherapy Federation's executives at the Vahdettin Mansion in Istanbul.

At the reception, Janos Kormendy-Racz, head of the Hungarian Apitherapy Association, presented the award to Erdogan for her contributions to the dissemination of apitherapy studies in Türkiye.

“This award is half Turkish, half Hungarian. The person you see in the picture has made great contributions to the use of bee products in the field of medicine and to the development of bee studies. I hope that it will be an occasion for us to go further in Turkey as well,” Kormendy-Racz said...

New Video: 'Bee Air" Therapy in Moldova

Meet Mariana and Iurie, beekeepers from Moldova. Inspired by farmers from Ukraine, they decided to bring the innovative practice of apitherapy to Moldova. With big aspirations but little knowledge of business, they needed help with capacity-building to become successful entrepreneurs

As part of a programme to help aspiring Moldovan enterprises, PIN Moldova, in partnership with the local Socio-Economic Policy Centre, “CONSENS”, has worked with business owners like Mariana and Iurie.

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Bee Venom Therapy Popular in Sudan

Bee venom: Sudan's alternative medicine

Middle East Monitor

From inside his small shop in souk in the centre of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, Abdullah Al-Sarraj was able to make bee stings an "effective and rapid treatment" for people who are suffering from chronic diseases.

In the shop with its own distinctive buzz, Hamza grabs forceps and gets to work with the bees. He says treatment by bees was mentioned in the Quran and everything that comes from the stomach of bees is healing, including the honey and wax, but he says even the venom from their sting can heal.

He says he uses the bees' sting to treat ailments by inserting them into specific sites on a patients' body depending on the disease being treated, adding that the "stings relax the nerves".

Al-Sarraj is considered one of the oldest therapists of this type of alternative medicine in Khartoum.

Bee venom contains "a treatment for about 140 diseases, because it contains organic, non-chemical medicinal substances that do not cause side effects," says Al-Sarraj.

Propolis, Royal Jelly, and Bee Venom May Help Treat High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

Sci Rep. 2022 Dec 1;12(1):20765.

Apitherapy combination improvement of blood pressure, cardiovascular protection, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses in dexamethasone model hypertensive rats

Hypertension-induced ventricular and vascular remodeling causes myocardial infarction, heart failure, and sudden death. Most available pharmaceutical products used to treat hypertension lead to adverse effects on human health. Limited data is available on apitherapy (bee products) combinations for treatment of hypertension.

This study aims to evaluate the antihypertensive effects of combinations of natural apitherapy compounds used in the medical sector to treat a variety of diseases. Rats were assigned into six groups consisting of one control group and five hypertensive groups where hypertension (blood pressure > 140/90) was induced with dexamethasone. One of these groups was used as a hypertension model, while the remaining four hypertensive groups were treated with a propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom combination (PRV) at daily oral doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/kg, and with losartan 10 mg/kg.

The PRV combination at all doses decreased arterial blood pressure below the suboptimal value (p < 0.001), and PRV combination treatment improved dexamethasone-induced-ECG changes. The same treatment decreased angiotensin-II, endothelin-1, and tumor growth factor β serum levels in hypertensive rats. Additionally, PRV combination improved histopathological structure, and decreased serum levels of NF-kB and oxidative stress biomarkers. We concluded that PRV combination therapy may be used as a potential treatment for a variety of cardiovascular diseases.

How To Treat Eczema Using Honey

The National Eczema Association reports that honey has become more popular in recent years for treating eczema, and while it appears to be safe, it should be used with caution. You should discuss it or any alternative treatments with your doctor. While an allergic reaction to honey is unlikely, it can happen — especially if you're allergic to bee stings or pollen. If you have any concerns, play it safe and test your skin. Apply a small amount of honey to a small area and watch for any symptoms that include itching, redness, or a rash. You should also never give honey to babies under one year of age because it could give them botulism, per WebMD.

HEALTH DIGEST

The Use of Medicinal Honey in Wound Care of Horses

The right kind of honey is key if you want to try this technique

By Carol Shwetz Dvm

Medicinal honey shows impressive results in combatting antibiotic resistance, improving patient welfare and economizing wound management for humans and companion animals.

When the source of honey is well chosen, there are no mentionable side effects or contra-indications.

Honey is roughly 80 per cent simple sugars (such as glucose and fructose) and 20 per cent water and also contains more than 200 different bioactive compounds (including proteins, enzymes, amino acids, phytochemicals, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals).

Its therapeutic potency is complex. It contains compounds both known and unknown by the scientific world. It is a product of nature and thus variations in composition occur between geographical locations of the hive, season, weather and the bee’s pasture conditions. As a result of this variability, science struggles to fully standardize, quantify and qualify the healing benefits of honey...

Honey-Propolis-Engineered Collagen Peptides as Promising Wound-Healing Matrix in Mouse Model

In this study, collagen hydrolysates (CHDs) were fabricated with honey-propolis wax (HPW), structurally modified as a sponge matrix, and experimentalized on wound healing in a mouse model. The scaffold was characterized by means of in vitro enzymatic degradation; in vitro HPW release; and in vivo wound-healing mouse model, wound-healing-specific RNA, transcripts, and protein markers. The functional activity of the HPW extracted from raw propolis was determined using total flavonoids, antioxidant scavenging assays, and anti-hemolytic principles. 

The results indicated that HPW had a high flavonoid content (20 μg/mL of wax) and antioxidant activities. The effective concentration (EC50) of HPW was estimated (28 mg/mL) and was then used in the subsequent in vivo experiments. Additionally, the dopped mixture of CHDs and HPW substantially enhanced the wound-healing process and regulated wound biochemical markers such as hexoseamine and melondialdehyde. CHDs- HPW upregulated the expression of growth factors including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (2.3-fold), fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) (1.7-fold), and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) (3.1-fold), indicating their potential capacity to perform wound re-epithelialization and the loading of ground tissue. Pro-inflammatory markers IL-1 β (51 pg/mL) and TNF-α (220 pg/mL) were significantly reduced in the CHD-HPW-treated wound. 

These interesting results were further confirmed using mRNA and protein growth factors from the wound, which enhanced the load of collagen-I in the wound site. In conclusion, CHDs-HPW exhibited a significant reduction in inflammation and inflammatory markers and helped to obtain a faster wound-healing process in a mouse model. The newly engineered biosponge could be developed as a promising therapeutic approach for the regeneration and repair of damaged human skin in the future.

First Kenyan Apitherapy Workshop with International Participation, December 2022

 

Intensive Apitherapy Course & Workshops in Romania

Application form for the Intensive Apitherapy Course & Workshops (I.A.C.W.) with Dr. Stefan Stângaciu and his colleagues.

Flavonoid Extract from Propolis Protects Heart After Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)

Flavonoid Extract from Propolis Provides Cardioprotection following Myocardial Infarction by Activating PPAR- γ

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022 Jul 5;2022:1333545

We have previously reported that flavonoid extract from propolis (FP) can improve cardiac function in rats following myocardial infarction (MI). However, the mechanisms responsible for the cardioprotective effects of FP have not been fully elucidated. In the current study, we explored whether FP can reduce inflammatory cytokines and attenuate sympathetic nerve system activity and antiendoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and whether the cardioprotective effects are related to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) activation.

Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups: Sham group received the surgical procedure but no artery was ligated; MI group received ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) branch of the coronary artery; MI + FP group received FP (12.5 mg/kg/d, intragastrically) seven days prior to LAD ligation; FP group (Sham group + 12.5 mg/kg/d, intragastrically); MI + FP + GW9662 group received FP prior to LAD ligation with the addition of a specific PPAR-γ inhibitor (GW9662), 1 mg/kg/d, orally); and MI + GW9662 group received the PPAR-γ inhibitor and LAD ligation.

The results demonstrated that the following inflammatory markers were significantly elevated following MI as compared with expression in sham animals: IL-1β, TNF-α, CRP; markers of sympathetic activation: plasma norepinephrine, epinephrine and GAP43, nerve growth factor, thyroid hormone; and ER stress response markers GRP78 and CHOP. Notably, the above changes were attenuated by FP, and GW9662 was able to alleviate the effect of FP.

In conclusion, FP induces a cardioprotective effect following myocardial infarction by activating PPAR-γ, leading to less inflammation, cardiac sympathetic activity, and ER stress.