First Report on Honduran Propolis

Constituents of Honduran Propolis with Inhibitory Effects on Saccharomyces cerevisiae Multidrug Resistance Protein Pdr5p

J Agric Food Chem, 2012 Sep 25. [Epub ahead of print]

Chemical investigation of a propolis sample collected in Honduras has led to the isolation of the new (E,Z)-cinnamyl cinnamate (2) together with 14 known compounds: six cinnamic ester derivatives, two flavanones, a chalcone, two triterpenes and three aromatic acids. Structural determination was accomplished by spectroscopic analysis, particularly 2D NMR and ESI-MS/MS techniques. Futhermore, we checked the ability of propolis extract and the most representative compounds of each class (1, 5, 8 and 10) to inhibit the activity of Pdr5p, a protein responsible for a multidrug resistance phenotype in yeast.

The present study appears to be the first report on Honduras propolis. Isolated cinnamic ester derivatives indicated the possible relation between Honduras propolis and the genus Liquidambar.

New E-Book: Treatment With Propolis

By Eugene M Munro

All you need to know about Propolis and how to use it in one book.

Gelam Honey May Help Treat Inflammatory Disorders

Gelam Honey Scavenges Peroxynitrite During the Immune Response

Int. J. Mol, Sci, 2012, 13(9), 12113-12129

Monocytes and macrophages are part of the first-line defense against bacterial, fungal, and viral infections during host immune responses; they express high levels of proinflammatory cytokines and cytotoxic molecules, including nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species, and their reaction product peroxynitrite.

Peroxynitrite is a short-lived oxidant and a potent inducer of cell death. Honey, in addition to its well-known sweetening properties, is a natural antioxidant that has been used since ancient times in traditional medicine.

We examined the ability of Gelam honey, derived from the Gelam tree (Melaleuca spp.), to scavenge peroxynitrite during immune responses mounted in the murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide/interferon-γ (LPS/IFN-γ) and in LPS-treated rats. Gelam honey significantly improved the viability of LPS/IFN-γ-treated RAW 264.7 cells and inhibited nitric oxide production—similar to the effects observed with an inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase (1400W). Furthermore, honey, but not 1400W, inhibited peroxynitrite production from the synthetic substrate 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1) and prevented the peroxynitrite-mediated conversion of dihydrorhodamine 123 to its fluorescent oxidation product rhodamine 123.

Honey inhibited peroxynitrite synthesis in LPS-treated rats. Thus, honey may attenuate inflammatory responses that lead to cell damage and death, suggesting its therapeutic uses for several inflammatory disorders.

Antimicrobial Activity of Portuguese Propolis Related to Physicochemical Composition

Comparative Study of Different Portuguese Samples of Propolis: Pollinic, Sensorial, Physicochemical, Microbiological Characterization and Antibacterial Activity

Food Chem Toxicol, 2012 Sep 5

The aim of this work was to study four propolis samples from Trás-os-Montes region of Portugal. The propolis samples' color was different, which pollen analysis showed to be due to different botanical sources: Populus sp., Pinus sp., Quercus sp. and Castanea sativa. The data from physicochemical analysis (moisture, soluble and insoluble solids content, pH, conductivity, ash content, wax, total phenolics and flavonoids content) was treated using multivariate statistical tools as cluster heat map, principal components analysis and linear discriminant analysis with the purpose of classifying the sample accordingly to the botanical/geographical origin.

The discriminant analysis was applied with stepwise to select the variables that most contribute to sample identification accordingly to pollinic profile. The cross-validation technique was applied, using the leave-one-out procedure, which showed good prediction capabilities of the samples. Microbiologically, the commercial quality was satisfactory, since the samples didn't contain deterioration or pathogenic microorganisms.

All the samples studied presented antimicrobial activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, in a dose dependent way. The antimicrobial activity was strictly related to the physicochemical composition. This work will allow connecting a particular chemical propolis type to a specific type of biological activity, what is essential for the use in therapeutic applications.

Propolis Flavonoid May Help Treat Melanoma

Galangin Induces B16F10 Melanoma Cell Apoptosis Via Mitochondrial Pathway and Sustained Activation of p38 MAPK

Cytotechnology, 2012 Sep 22

Galangin, an active flavonoid present at high concentration in Alpinia officinarum Hance and propolis, shows cytotoxicity towards several cancer cell lines, including melanoma. However, the specific cellular targets of galangin-induced cytotoxicity in melanoma are still unknown.

Here, we investigated the effects of galangin in B16F10 melanoma cells and explored the possible molecular mechanisms. Galangin significantly decreased cell viability of B16F10 cells, and also induced cell apoptosis shown by Hoechst 33342 staining and Annexin V-PI double staining flow cytometric assay.

Furthermore, upon galangin treatment, disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential was observed by JC-1 staining. Western blotting analysis indicated that galangin activated apoptosis signaling cascades by cleavage of procaspase-9, procaspase-3 and PARP in B16F10 cells. Moreover, galangin significantly induced activation of phosphor-p38 MAPK in a time and dose dependent manner. SB203580, an inhibitor of p38, partially attenuated galangin-induced apoptosis in B16F10 cells.

Taken together, this work suggests that galangin has the potential to be a promising agent for melanoma treatment and may be further evaluated as a chemotherapeutic agent.

Royal Jelly Boosts Red Blood Cell Counts, Glucose Tolerance and Mental Health

Effect of Royal Jelly Ingestion for Six Months on Healthy Volunteers

Nutr J, 2012 Sep 21;11(1):77

BACKGROUND:

Royal jelly is a widely ingested supplement for health, but its effects on humans are not well known. The objective was to evaluate the effects of long-term royal jelly ingestion on humans.

METHODS:

We conducted a randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. A total of 61 healthy volunteers aged 42-83 years were enrolled and were randomly divided into a royal jelly group (n = 31) and a control group (n = 30). Three hundred mg of royal jelly (RJ) or a placebo in 100 ml liquid/day were ingested for 6 months. The primary outcomes were changes in anthropometric measurements and biochemical indexes from baseline to 6 months after intervention.

RESULTS:

Thirty subjects in the RJ group and 26 in the control group were included in the analysis of endpoints. In an adjusted mean change of the variables from the baseline, significant differences between the two groups could be found in red blood cell counts (+0.16x106 /muL for the RJ group vs. -0.01x106 /muL for the control group, P = 0.0134), hematocrit (+0.9% vs. -0.8%, P = 0.0251), log (fasting plasma glucose) (+0.01 +/- 0.01 log mg/dL vs. +0.05 +/- 0.01 log mg/dL, P = 0.0297), log (insulinogenic index) (+0.25 vs. -0.13, P = 0.0319), log dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) (+0.08 log mug/dL vs. +0.20 log mug/dL, P = 0.0483), log testosterone (T) (+0.12 +/- 0.04 log ng/mL vs. -0.02 +/- 0.05 log ng/mL, P = 0.0416), log T/DHEA-S ratio (+0.05 +/- 0.05 vs. -0.23 +/- 0.59, P = 0.0015), and in one of the SF-36 subscale scores, mental health (MH) (+4 vs. -7, P = 0.0276).

CONCLUSIONS:

Six-month ingestion of RJ in humans improved erythropoiesis, glucose tolerance and mental health. Acceleration of conversion from DHEA-S to T by RJ may have been observed among these favorable effects.