Androgenic effect of honeybee drone milk in castrated rats:
Roles of methyl palmitate and methyl oleate
Volume 153, Issue 2, 28 April 2014, Pages 446–453
Numerous honeybee (Apis mellifera) products have been used
in traditional medicine to treat infertility and to increase vitality in both
men and women. Drone milk (DM) is a relatively little-known honeybee product
with a putative sexual hormone effect. The oestrogenic effect of a fraction of
DM has recently been reported in rats. However, no information is available on
the androgenic effects of DM. The purpose of the present study was to determine
the androgen-like effect of DM in male rats and to identify effective
compounds.
Materials and methods
A modified Hershberger assay was used to investigate the
androgenic effect of crude DM, and the plasma level of testosterone was
measured. The prostatic mRNA and protein expression of Spot14-like
androgen-inducible protein (SLAP) were also examined with real-time PCR and
Western blot techniques. GC–MS and NMR spectroscopic investigations were
performed to identify the active components gained by bioactivity-guided
fractionation.
Results
The crude DM increased the relative weights of the
androgen-dependent organs and the plasma testosterone level in castrated rats
and these actions were flutamide-sensitive. DM increased the tissue mRNA and
protein level of SLAP, providing further evidence of its androgen-like character.
After bioactivity-guided fractionation, two fatty acid esters, methyl palmitate
(MP) and methyl oleate (MO), were identified as active compounds. MP alone
showed an androgenic effect, whereas MO increased the weight of
androgen-sensitive tissues and the plasma testosterone level only in
combination.
Conclusion
The experimental data of DM and its active compounds (MO and
MP) show androgenic activity confirming the traditional usage of DM. DM or MP
or/and MO treatments may project a natural mode for the therapy of male
infertility.
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