Royal Jelly and in vitro Fertilization

Royal jelly may improve the metabolism of glucose and redox state of ovine oocytes matured in vitro and embryonic development following in vitro fertilization

Theriogenology. 2016 Dec;86(9):2210-2221

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different concentrations of royal jelly (RJ) on in vitro maturation (IVM), fertilization, cleavage, blastocyst rates, glutathione (GSH) content in ovine oocyte, mRNA abundance of antioxidant enzymes in both oocyte and cumulus, and glucose metabolism-related genes in cumulus cells.

In vitro maturation of oocyte was performed in the presence of control (RJ0), 2.5 (RJ2.5), 5 (RJ5), and 10 (RJ10) mg/mL of RJ. Nuclear status, intracellular GSH content in oocytes, and mRNA abundance of selected genes were evaluated following 24 hours of IVM. Following the IVM, fertilization and embryo culture were carried out in all the groups and embryonic development was examined. The addition of 10-mg/mL RJ to maturation media not only yielded a higher number of oocytes at MII stage but also showed an increased level of intracellular GSH content than did RJ2.5 and control groups. Fertilization, cleavage, and blastocyst rate were higher in the RJ10 treatment group in comparison to the control one. In cumulus cells, the expression of PFKM, PFKL, and G6PDH were increased following the addition of RJ to the maturation media. Supplementation of 10-mg/mL RJ to IVM medium increased the GPx mRNA abundance in both oocyte and cumulus cells and SOD expression in the cumulus cells. The CAT mRNA abundance was not influenced by the addition of RJ to the maturation media in either oocyte or cumulus cells.

It seems that the improvement of oocyte maturation and its subsequent development in RJ10 group may be associated with amelioration of redox status in the oocytes and activation of glucose metabolic pathways in their surrounding cumulus cells.

Brazilian Propolis May Help Prevent Blood Clots

Effects of a diet containing Brazilian propolis on lipopolysaccharide-induced increases in plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels in mice

J Intercult Ethnopharmacol. 2016 Aug 17;5(4):439-443.

BACKGROUND:

Brazilian propolis has many biological activities including the ability to help prevent thrombotic diseases, but this particular effect has not been proven. Plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), an inhibitor of fibrinolysis, increase under inflammatory conditions such as infection, obesity and atherosclerosis and such elevated levels predispose individuals to a risk of developing thrombotic diseases.

AIM:

This study aimed to determine the effects of a diet containing Brazilian propolis on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced increases in plasma PAI-1 levels.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Mice were fed with a diet containing 0.5% (w/w) Brazilian propolis for 8 weeks. Thereafter, the mice were subcutaneously injected with saline containing 0.015 mg/kg of LPS and sacrificed 4 h later.

RESULTS:

Orally administered Brazilian propolis significantly suppressed the LPS-induced increase in PAI-1 antigen and its activity in mouse plasma.

CONCLUSION:

This study indicated that Brazilian propolis contains natural products that can decrease thrombotic tendencies in mice.

Propolis Component May Help Treat Advanced Prostate Cancer

CAPE suppresses migration and invasion of prostate cancer cells via activation of non-canonical Wnt signaling

Oncotarget. 2016 Jun 21;7(25):38010-38024

Prostate cancer (PCa) was the fifth most common cancer overall in the world. More than 80% of patients died from PCa developed bone metastases. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a main bioactive component of honeybee hive propolis. Transwell and wound healing assays demonstrated that CAPE treatment suppressed the migration and invasion of PC-3 and DU-145 PCa cells. Gelatin zymography and Western blotting indicated that CAPE treatment reduced the abundance and activity of MMP-9 and MMP-2.

Analysis using Micro-Western Array (MWA), a high-throughput antibody-based proteomics platform with 264 antibodies detecting signaling proteins involved in important pathways indicated that CAPE treatment induced receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 2 (ROR2) in non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway but suppressed abundance of β-catenin, NF-κB activity, PI3K-Akt signaling, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Overexpression or knockdown of ROR2 suppressed or enhanced cell migration of PC-3 cells, respectively. TCF-LEF promoter binding assay revealed that CAPE treatment reduced canonical Wnt signaling. Intraperitoneal injection of CAPE reduced the metastasis of PC-3 xenografts in tail vein injection nude mice model. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that CAPE treatment increased abundance of ROR2 and Wnt5a but decreased protein expression of Ki67, Frizzle 4, NF-κB p65, MMP-9, Snail, β-catenin, and phosphorylation of IκBα. Clinical evidences suggested that genes affected by CAPE treatment (CTNNB1, RELA, FZD5, DVL3, MAPK9, SNAl1, ROR2, SMAD4, NFKBIA, DUSP6, and PLCB3) correlate with the aggressiveness of PCa.

Our study suggested that CAPE may be a potential therapeutic agent for patients with advanced PCa.

Two Novel Cinnamic Acid Derivatives from Italian Honey and Propolis

Journal of Apicultural Research 

Volume 55, 2016 -  Issue 3

4-(3′-Hydroxymethyl-3′-methylallyloxy)cinnamic acid 1 and 4-(3′-hydroxymethyl-3′-methylallyloxy)-3-methoxycinnamic acid 2 have been identified as novel phytochemicals in honey and propolis of Italian origin by HPLC analysis. Compound 2 was seen to be most abundant in honey samples with a concentration of 3.52 ug/g.

Propolis Component May Help manage Asthma

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester alleviates asthma by regulating the airway microenvironment via the ROS-responsive MAPK/Akt pathway

Free Radical Biology and Medicine

Volume 101, December 2016, Pages 163–175

In the pathophysiology of asthma, structural cell dysfunction and concomitant microenvironment changes in airways are crucial to pathological progression, which involves oxidative stress. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is an active anti-oxidative component obtained from propolis, and has been shown to have beneficial effects on several respiratory disorders, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. However, the impact of CAPE on asthma is not well understood. 

Therefore, this study investigated the advantages of using CAPE to treat asthma and demonstrated the roles of CAPE in the regulation of airway microenvironments. In ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized mice, CAPE treatments notably reduced airway hyperresponsiveness, attenuated extensive inflammatory cell infiltration and inhibited goblet cell hyperplasia and collagen deposition and fibrosis. In addition, CAPE improved the airway microenvironment in a dose-dependent manner by inhibiting OVA-induced increases in immunoglobulin E, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 and suppressing matrix metalloproteinase-9 and alpha-smooth muscle actin expression as well as malondialdehyde production. To determine the underlying mechanisms responsible for these effects, we used TNF-α-stimulated BECs and TGF-β1-challenged human ASMCs to explore the impacts of CAPE on pro-inflammatory proteins and ASMC proliferation. 

The results indicated that CAPE significantly limited the secretion of eotaxin-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, IL-8 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and dramatically inhibited the proliferation of ASMCs. These effects were shown to be associated with decreased reactive oxidant species (ROS) levels. The phosphorylation of Akt and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) caused by increased ROS was significantly decreased by CAPE, which implied a contribution of ROS-MAPK/Akt signaling to the attenuation of asthma. Our findings indicated for the first time that CAPE alleviates airway inflammation and remodeling in chronic asthma by balancing the airway microenvironment, which highlights a novel profile of CAPE as a potent agent for asthma management.

Propolis Boosts Bactericidal Activityof Dendritic Cells

Propolis modulates miRNAs involved in TLR-4 pathway, NF-κB activation, cytokine production and in the bactericidal activity of human dendritic cells

Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology

Objectives

Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen-presenting cells, essential for recognition and presentation of pathogens to T cells. Propolis, a resinous material produced by bees from various plants, exhibits numerous biological properties, highlighting its immunomodulatory action. Here, we assayed the effects of propolis on the maturation and function of human DCs.


Methods

DCs were generated from human monocytes and incubated with propolis and LPS. NF-κB and cytokines production were determined by ELISA. microRNA's expression was analysed by RT-qPCR and cell markers detection by flow cytometry. Colony-forming units were obtained to assess the bactericidal activity of propolis-treated DCs.


Key findings

Propolis activated DCs in the presence of LPS, inducing NF-kB, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 production. The inhibition of hsa-miR-148a and hsa-miR-148b abolished the inhibitory effects on HLA-DR and pro-inflammatory cytokines. The increased expression of hsa-miR-155 may be correlated to the increase in TLR-4 and CD86 expression, maintaining LPS-induced expression of HLA-DR and CD40. Such parameters may be involved in the increased bactericidal activity of DCs against Streptococcus mutans.


Conclusion

Propolis modulated the maturation and function of DCs and may be useful in the initial steps of the immune response, providing a novel approach to the development of DC-based strategies and for the discovery of new immunomodulators.

Propolis Hydrogel for Wound-Care Dressings

Properties of PVA Hydrogel Wound-Care Dressings Containing UK Propolis

Macromolecular Symposia
Volume 368, Issue 1
October 2016
Pages 122–127
First published: 21 October 2016

Burns pose a potential threat to health, and often require dressings. PVA hydrogels present many characteristics of ideal dressings, but do not have any intrinsic antimicrobial properties. Propolis is a natural antimicrobial substance that can be incorporated in materials intended for wound-care. The goal of this work was to produce and characterize (in terms of swelling behaviour, microstructural and thermal analysis) PVA gels loaded with a UK propolis.

Propolis was loaded in the gels and it altered the crystallinity of the PVA gels. The thermal profile of the PVA-UK propolis gels was different from that of PVA gel alone. All gels presented at least ∼200% of swelling degree. Weight loss as well as propolis release was high for samples with high amount of propolis. Samples with the highest amount of propolis still presented mechanical properties adequate for the application.

Yellow Propolis May Help Treat Depression

Neurobehavioral and Antioxidant Effects of Ethanolic Extract of Yellow Propolis

Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
Volume 2016 (2016), Article ID 2906953, 14 pages

Propolis is a resin produced by bees from raw material collected from plants, salivary secretions, and beeswax. New therapeutic properties for the Central Nervous System have emerged.

We explored the neurobehavioral and antioxidant effects of an ethanolic extract of yellow propolis (EEYP) rich in triterpenoids, primarily lupeol and β-amyrin. Male Wistar rats, 3 months old, were intraperitoneally treated with Tween 5% (control), EEYP (1, 3, 10, and 30 mg/kg), or diazepam, fluoxetine, and caffeine (positive controls) 30 min before the assays. Animals were submitted to open field, elevated plus maze, forced swimming, and inhibitory avoidance tests. After behavioral tasks, blood samples were collected through intracardiac pathway, to evaluate the oxidative balance. The results obtained in the open field and in the elevated plus maze assay showed spontaneous locomotion preserved and anxiolytic-like activity.

In the forced swimming test, EEYP demonstrated antidepressant-like activity. In the inhibitory avoidance test, EEYP showed mnemonic activity at 30 mg/kg. In the evaluation of oxidative biochemistry, the extract reduced the production of nitric oxide and malondialdehyde without changing level of total antioxidant, catalase, and superoxide dismutase, induced by behavioral stress.

Our results highlight that EEYP emerges as a promising anxiolytic, antidepressant, mnemonic, and antioxidant natural product.

Honey and Propolis Help Treat Aphthous Stomatitis in Children

Minerva Pediatr. 2016 Dec;68(6):507-509.

Clinical efficacy of a solution composed by sodium bicarbonate and alginate, aloe vera, propoli, chamomile, calendula and honey, in the treatment of minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis in children.

Kourtney Kardashian Uses Manuka Honey for Skin Care

Kourtney Kardashian, Manuka Doctor celebrate honey-fueled skin care

LA Times

First it was a fraught relationship with color cosmetics, then a more solid relationship with hair care and now Kourtney Kardashian has her fingers in honey-fueled skin care. Manuka Doctor has turned to the reality TV princess to generate buzz for its treatment products, and she did her part Wednesday evening by headlining a party for the brand...

Bee Venom May Help Treat Atopic Dermatitis (AD)

Effects of Emollient Containing Bee Venom on Atopic Dermatitis: A Double-Blinded, Randomized, Base-Controlled, Multicenter Study of 136 Patients

Ann Dermatol. 2016 Oct;28(5):593-599. Epub 2016 Sep 30.

BACKGROUND:

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common, complex disease that follows a chronic relapsing course and significantly affects the quality of life of patients. Skin barrier dysfunction and inflammatory processes induce and aggravate this skin condition. Proper use of an emollient for hydration is a keystone of AD treatment. Bee venom is known to have anti-inflammatory effects and has been widely used in traditional medicine to treat various inflammatory disorders.

OBJECTIVE:

To find out the beneficial effect of an emollient containing bee venom in the treatment of patients with AD.

METHODS:

This study included 136 patients with AD who were randomized to receive either an emollient containing bee venom and silk-protein or a vehicle that was identical except for the bee venom for 4 weeks. The patients were instructed to apply the emollient twice daily on their entire body and not to use other medications, including topicals, during the course of the study. The eczema area and severity index (EASI) score, transepidermal water loss, and visual analogue scale (VAS) score of itching were evaluated at the first visit and after 2 and 4 weeks. The investigator global assessment was evaluated at 2 and 4 weeks after the application of emollient containing bee venom or vehicle.

RESULTS:

Patients applying emollient containing bee venom showed significantly lower EASI score and VAS value compared to patients applying emollient without bee venom.

CONCLUSION:

Emollient containing bee venom is a safe and effective option for patients with AD.

Royal Jelly Contains Antibiotic Compounds

Food to some, poison to others - honeybee royal jelly and its growth inhibiting effect on European Foulbrood bacteria

Microbiologyopen. 2016 Oct 14

Honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera) serve as attractive hosts for a variety of pathogens providing optimal temperatures, humidity, and an abundance of food. Thus, honeybees have to deal with pathogens throughout their lives and, even as larvae they are affected by severe brood diseases like the European Foulbrood caused by Melissococcus plutonius.

Accordingly, it is highly adaptive that larval food jelly contains antibiotic compounds. However, although food jelly is primarily consumed by bee larvae, studies investigating the antibiotic effects of this jelly have largely concentrated on bacterial human diseases.

In this study, we show that royal jelly fed to queen larvae and added to the jelly of drone and worker larvae, inhibits not only the growth of European Foulbrood-associated bacteria but also its causative agent M. plutonius. This effect is shown to be caused by the main protein (major royal jelly protein 1) of royal jelly.

Propolis, Honey Component May Help Treat Depression

Neurochemical factors associated with the antidepressant-like effect of flavonoid chrysin in chronically stressed mice

Eur J Pharmacol. 2016 Sep 5;791:284-296

Chrysin is a flavonoid which is found in bee propolis, honey and various plants. Antidepressant-like effect of chrysin in chronically stressed mice was previously demonstrated by our group. Conversely, neurochemical factors associated with this effect require further investigations.

Thus, we investigated the possible involvement of pro-inflammatory cytokines, kynurenine pathway (KP), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) metabolism and caspases activities in the effect of chrysin in mice exposed to unpredictable chronic stress (UCS). UCS applied for 28 days induced a depressive-like behavior, characterized by decrease in the time of grooming in the splash test and by increase in the immobility time in the tail suspension test.

Oral treatment with chrysin (5 or 20mg/kg, 28 days), similarly to fluoxetine (10mg/kg, positive control), culminated in the prevention of these alterations. UCS elevated plasma levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone and adrenocorticotropic hormone, as well the tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and kynurenine levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HP). UCS induced the decrease in the 5-HT levels in the HP and the increase in the indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase, caspase 3 and 9 activities in the PFC and HP.

Treatment with chrysin, similarly to fluoxetine, promoted the attenuation of these alterations occasioned by UCS.

These results corroborated with the antidepressant potential of chrysin in the treatment of psychiatric diseases. Furthermore, this work indicated the association of pro-inflammatory cytokines synthesis, KP, 5-HT metabolism and caspases activities with the action exercised by chrysin in mice exposed to UCS.

Residues in beeswax: a health risk for the consumer of honey and beeswax?

J Agric Food Chem. 2016 Oct 14. [Epub ahead of print]

A scenario analysis in regard to the risk of chronic exposure of consumers to residues through the consumption of contaminated honey and beeswax was conducted. Twenty-two plant protection products and veterinary substances of which residues have already been detected in beeswax in Europe were selected. The potential chronic exposure was assessed applying a worst-case scenario based on the addition of a maximum daily intake through the consumption of honey and beeswax to the theoretical maximum daily intake through other foodstuffs. For each residue, the total exposure was finally compared to the acceptable daily intake. It is concluded that the food consumption of honey and beeswax contaminated with these residues considered separately does not compromise the consumer's health, provided proposed action limits are met. In regard to residues of flumethrin in honey and in beeswax, the "zero tolerance" should be applied.

Royal Jelly Inhibits Bacterial Growth

Food to some, poison to others - honeybee royal jelly and its growth inhibiting effect on European Foulbrood bacteria

Microbiologyopen. 2016 Oct 14

Honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera) serve as attractive hosts for a variety of pathogens providing optimal temperatures, humidity, and an abundance of food. Thus, honeybees have to deal with pathogens throughout their lives and, even as larvae they are affected by severe brood diseases like the European Foulbrood caused by Melissococcus plutonius.

Accordingly, it is highly adaptive that larval food jelly contains antibiotic compounds. However, although food jelly is primarily consumed by bee larvae, studies investigating the antibiotic effects of this jelly have largely concentrated on bacterial human diseases.

In this study, we show that royal jelly fed to queen larvae and added to the jelly of drone and worker larvae, inhibits not only the growth of European Foulbrood-associated bacteria but also its causative agent M. plutonius. This effect is shown to be caused by the main protein (major royal jelly protein 1) of royal jelly.