'Wax Bloom' on Beeswax Cultural Heritage Objects

Exploring the causes of the phenomenon

Magn Reson Chem. 2015 Apr 27

The term 'wax bloom' is used to describe a thin whitish crystalline layer that develops on the surface of beeswax objects under specific conditions. This phenomenon is undesirable, especially in the cases of objects with aesthetic or informational value, such as wax sculptures or historical seals. A combination of solid-state NMR and FTIR measurements allowed to obtain fairly detailed insight into the problem and to suggest a probable mechanism of its development. Secondary crystallization of unsaturated hydrocarbons from beeswax was determined as a primary cause. After the macroscopic solidification of beeswax from the melt, these molecules remain for months in a highly mobile, liquid-like state. This facilitates their diffusion to the surface, where they eventually crystallize, forming the 'wax bloom' effect. Although these results are of particular interest with respect to the conservation of beeswax artifacts, they are relevant to this material in general and help with understanding its unique properties.

International Regulations of Propolis Quality

Required Assays do not Necessarily Reflect their Polyphenolic-Related In Vitro Activities

J Food Sci. 2015 May 5

Propolis has been proposed as a polyphenolic-rich natural product potentially able to be used for human consumption or even for medicinal proposes. To guarantee a minimum phenolic and flavonoid content and as consequence of their related-biological activities, international requirements of propolis quality are commonly applied. In this work we assessed phenolic and flavonoid contents of propolis; the antioxidant capacity (toward peroxyl radicals and hypochlorous acid); the ability to generate nitric oxide (NO); and, finally the antimicrobial activity of 6 propolis samples from the VI region of Chile. Our results show that the total phenolic and flavonoid content of propolis samples are not always in agreement with their polyphenolic-associated in vitro activities. For example, P03 and P06 samples showed the lowest (25 ± 4 GAE/g propolis) and the highest (105 ± 3 GAE/g propolis) total phenolic content, respectively. This was in agreement with flavonoid content and their Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) activity. However, this dependence was not observed toward HOCl, NO release and antimicrobial activity.

Based on our results, we consider that, in order to guarantee the antioxidant or antimicrobial in vitro effects, the international regulations of propolis quality should contemplate the convenience of incorporating other simple analytical test such as ORAC or antimicrobial tests.

Royal Jelly RJ Improved Reproductive Parameters in Diabetic Rats

Study on the effect of royal jelly on reproductive parameters in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Int J Fertil Steril. 2015 Apr-Jun;9(1):113-20

BACKGROUND:

Diabetes mellitus has a variety of structural and functional effects on the male reproductive system. Diabetes results in reduced sperm parameters and libido. The present study aims to investigate the effects of royal jelly (RJ) on reproductive parameters of testosterone and malondialdehyde (MDA) production in diabetic rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

This experimental study was conducted on adult male Wistar rats. The animals were divided into four groups (n=8 per group): control, RJ, diabetic and diabetic treated with RJ. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg body weight (BW) of streptozotocin (STZ). RJ, at a dose of 100 mg/kg BW was given by gavage. The duration of treatment was six weeks. After the treatment period the rats were sacrificed. The testes were weighed and changes in sperm count, motility, viability, deformity, DNA integrity and chromatin quality were analyzed. Serum testosterone and MDA concentrations of testicular tissue were determined. Data were analyzed by oneway ANOVA with p < 0.05 as the significant level.

RESULTS:

STZ-induced diabetes decreased numerous reproductive parameters in rats. Testicular weight, sperm count, motility, viability and serum testosterone levels increased in the diabetic group treated with RJ. There was a significant decrease observed in sperm deformity, DNA integrity, chromatin quality, and tissue MDA levels in diabetic rats treated with RJ compared to the diabetic group (p<0 .05="" p="">
CONCLUSION:

RJ improved reproductive parameters such as testicular weight, sperm count, viability, motility, deformity, DNA integrity, chromatin quality, serum testosterone and testicular tissue MDA levels in diabetic rats.

Propolis May Help Treat Antibiotic Resistant Bacterial Pathogens

Chemical composition and disruption of quorum sensing signaling in geographically diverse United States propolis

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:472593

Propolis or bee glue has been used for centuries for various purposes and is especially important in human health due to many of its biological and pharmacological properties. In this work we showed quorum sensing inhibitory (QSI) activity of ten geographically distinct propolis samples from the United States using the acyl-homoserine lactone- (AHL-) dependent Chromobacterium violaceum strain CV026.

Based on GC-MS chemical profiling the propolis samples can be classified into several groups that are as follows: (1) rich in cinnamic acid derivatives, (2) rich in flavonoids, and (3) rich in triterpenes. An in-depth analysis of the propolis from North Carolina led to the isolation and identification of a triterpenic acid that was recently isolated from Hondurian propolis (Central America) and ethyl ether of p-coumaric alcohol not previously identified in bee propolis. QSI activity was also observed in the second group US propolis samples which contained the flavonoid pinocembrin in addition to other flavonoid compounds.

The discovery of compounds that are involved in QSI activity has the potential to facilitate studies that may lead to the development of antivirulence therapies that can be complementary and/or alternative treatments against antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens and/or emerging pathogens that have yet to be identified.

Manuka Honey Benefits: The Secret To Clearer Skin

Look, 5/9/205

Think honey is just for eating? After reading this, you might want to use it for something other than your morning slice of toast…

You may have wondered, when browsing jars of spread at the supermarket, why that one jar of honey is five times the price of the regular stuff. Look closely, and you’ll probably see ‘Manuka Honey’ emblazoned across the label. We’ve long known the health benefits of this superfood, but we think you should know about the huge benefits it could have on your skin.

1- HEALING The healing properties of this magical honey, produced down under in New Zealand, have been known for centuries. You name it, Manuka will heal it – from aggressive spots (makes them less flakier and smaller), to unsightly bruises, scars, and minor cuts. This clever stuff will boost skin renewal, leaving it as good as new...

Malaysian Tualang Honey Confers Cardioprotective Effects

Cardioprotective Effects of Tualang Honey: Amelioration of Cholesterol and Cardiac Enzymes Levels

BioMed Research International
Volume 2015 (2015), Article ID 286051, 8 pages

The present study was designed to investigate the cardioprotective effects of Malaysian Tualang honey against isoproterenol- (ISO-) induced myocardial infarction (MI) in rats by investigating changes in the levels of cardiac marker enzymes, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), lipid peroxidation (LPO) products, and antioxidant defense system combined with histopathological examination.

Male albino Wistar rats (n = 40) were pretreated orally with Tualang honey (3 g/kg/day) for 45 days. Subcutaneous injection of ISO (85 mg/kg in saline) for two consecutive days caused a significant increase in serum cardiac marker enzymes (creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and aspartate transaminase (AST)), cTnI, serum TC, and TG levels.

In addition, ISO-induced myocardial injury was confirmed by a significant increase in heart lipid peroxidation (LPO) products (TBARS) and a significant decrease in antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPx, GRx, and GST).

Pretreatment of ischemic rats with Tualang honey conferred significant protective effects on all of the investigated biochemical parameters. The biochemical findings were further confirmed by histopathological examination in both Tualang-honey-pretreated and ISO-treated hearts.

The present study demonstrates that Tualang honey confers cardioprotective effects on ISO-induced oxidative stress by contributing to endogenous antioxidant enzyme activity via inhibition of lipid peroxidation.

Newly-Discovered Bacterium Helps Honey Bee Larvae

May 6, 2015 by Entomology Today

Honey bees are under constant pressure from a whole host of stresses — diseases, poor nutrition, sublethal effects of pesticides, and many others. While researchers have been aware for a number of years of a community of bacteria in adult bees that may aid with some of these stresses, researchers have now identified bacteria that help honey bee larvae.

Molecular biologist Vanessa Corby-Harris and microbial ecologist Kirk E. Anderson at the USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center in Tucson, Arizona, have named a new species of bacteria — Parasaccharibacter apium. An Acetobacteraceae so far found only in honey bees and their hives, it appears to give honey bee larvae a significantly better chance of surviving to become pupae...

Brazilian Propolis Sold Direct to Consumers

Brazil-Arab News Agency, 5/6/2015

São Paulo – The most common path for small businesses to export is to find a distributor to work the market and make their product known to future foreign customers. This was not the case for Wax Green, a São Paulo-based company that sells honey and propolis. They started exporting directly to end consumers 12 years ago, and still do.

“We deal in propolis and the Chinese really enjoy it. Someone from China bought our product here in Brazil, then went back to his country and wanted to buy again,” says Letícia Giron, the company’s director. According to her, the product became popular in China through word of mouth.

Now, the company also sells to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, the United States, Canada, Spain, the Czech Republic, Chile and Greece. “They get in touch via email, make a deposit and I mail the goods,” says Giron, who reveals she has never carried out any international promotional actions. All sales are initiated by customers who find the company online. The product is shipped by mail or other postal delivery services.

Wax Green also produces honey and propolis of the brown variety, but only exports the green kind. “Green propolis originates from rosemary flower and is the strongest there is. It has higher flavonoid content, which strengthens immunity. Ours is a high quality product,” says Giron about the product she ships abroad. Propolis is extracted from flowers by bees in a process similar to honey’s, and is used as a therapeutic product to treat several conditions...

Bee Venom May Help Treat Cancer

Antitumour action on human glioblastoma A1235 cells through cooperation of bee venom and cisplatin

Cytotechnology. 2015 Apr 28

Cisplatin (cDDP) is one of the most widely used anticancer-drugs in both therapy and research. However, cDDP-resistance is the greatest obstacle for the successful treatment of cancer patients. In the present study, the possible joint anticancer effect of bee venom (BV), as a natural toxin, and cDDP towards human glioblastoma A1235 cells was evaluated.

Treatment with BV alone in concentrations of 2.5-30 μg/ml displayed dose-dependent cytotoxicity towards A1235 cells, as evaluated with different cytotoxicity assays (MTT, Cristal violet and Trypan blue exclusion assay), with an IC50 value of 22.57 μg/ml based on the MTT results. Furthermore, BV treatment induced necrosis, which was confirmed by typical morphological features and fast staining with ethidium-bromide dye. Pre-treatment with BV induced cell sensitization to cDDP, indicating that BV could improve the killing effect of selected cells when combined with cDDP. The isobologram method used to determine the extent of synergism in combining two agents to examine their possible therapeutic effect showed that combined treatment induced an additive and/or synergistic effect towards selected cells depending on the concentration of both. Hence, a greater anticancer effect could be triggered if BV was used in the course of chemotherapy.

The obtained results indicate that joint treatment with BV could be useful from the point of minimizing the cDDP concentration during chemotherapy, thus reducing and/or postponing the development of drug resistance. Our data, in accordance with previously reported results, suggests that BV could be used in the development of a new strategy for cancer treatment.

Chestnut, Oak Honey May Help Prevent Gastric Ulcers

Honey as an apitherapic product: its inhibitory effect on urease and xanthine oxidase

J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem. 2015 May 5:1-5. [Epub ahead of print]

The aim of this study was to evaluate new natural inhibitor sources for the enzymes urease and xanthine oxidase (XO). Chestnut, oak and polyfloral honey extracts were used to determine inhibition effects of both enzymes.

In addition to investigate inhibition, the antioxidant capacities of these honeys were determined using total phenolic content (TPC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and DPPH radical scavenging activity assays.

Due to their high phenolic content, chestnut and oak honeys are found to be a powerful source for inhibition of both enzymes. Especially, oak honeys were efficient for urease inhibition with 0.012-0.021 g/mL IC50 values, and also chestnut honeys were powerful for XO inhibition with 0.028-0.039 g/mL IC50 values.

Regular daily consumption of these honeys can prevent gastric ulcers deriving from Helicobacter pylori and pathological disorders mediated by reactive oxygen species.

Antioxidant Effect of Ethanolic Extract of Propolis

Antioxidant Effect of Ethanolic Extract of Propolis in Liver of L-NAME Treated Rats

Adv Clin Exp Med. 2015 Mar-Apr;24(2):227-32

BACKGROUND:

The blocking of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity may cause vasoconstriction with formation of reactive oxygen species. Propolis is a natural product collected from plants by honeybees. Propolis has biological and pharmacological properties.

OBJECTIVES:

This study was designed to investigate the effects of propolis on catalase (CAT) activity, nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the liver tissues of NOS inhibited rats by Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME).

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

Rats were given a NOS inhibitor (L-NAME, 40 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) for 15 days to provoke hypertension and propolis (200 mg/kg, by gavage) the last 5 of the 15 days.

RESULTS:

Nitric oxide levels in the liver tissue of the rats given L-NAME significantly decreased (p < 0.01). That parameter did not significantly alter in the liver of rats treated with propolis compared to the control group. CAT activity and MDA levels in the liver of the rats administrated L-NAME significantly increased compared to the control group (p < 0.01). These parameters significantly decreased in the liver of the rats given L-NAME + propolis compared to the L-NAME group (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS:

The present data shows that L-NAME in the liver may enhance oxidative stress via inhibited nitric oxide synthase. Our results also suggest that this effect is suppressed by the antioxidant properties of propolis in the liver tissue of NOS inhibited rats.

Brazilian, Cuban and Mexican Propolis Exerts Pro- and Anti-inflammatory Activity Depending on Concentration

Modulatory effects of propolis samples from Latin America (Brazil, Cuba and Mexico) on cytokine production by human monocytes

J Pharm Pharmacol. 2015 Apr 29. doi: 10.1111/jphp.12431. [Epub ahead of print]

OBJECTIVES:

Propolis has been used in folk medicine in different regions of the world including Latin America. Propolis is a resinous mixture of substances collected by honey bees from several botanical sources, and its composition contains a rich chemical variety, depending on the geographical area and plant sources. Our aim was to compare the modulatory effect of propolis samples from three different countries of Latin America (Brazil, Cuba and Mexico) on pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine production (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-10, respectively) by human monocytes.

METHODS:

Cells were incubated with propolis for 18 h at 37°C. Cell viability was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method, and cytokine production was determined by ELISA.

KEY FINDINGS:

All samples did not affect monocyte viability. Brazilian propolis stimulated both TNF-α and IL-10 production by monocytes. Cuban propolis stimulated TNF-α and inhibited IL-10 production, while Mexican sample exerted the opposite effect, inhibiting TNF-α and stimulating IL-10 production. The major compounds found in Brazilian, Cuban and Mexican propolis samples were artepillin C, isoflavonoids and pinocembrin, respectively.

CONCLUSION:

Brazilian, Cuban and Mexican propolis contained different components that may exert pro- and anti-inflammatory activity depending on concentration, what may provide a novel approach to the development of immunomodulatory drugs containing propolis.

7 Health Benefits of Bee Propolis

By Margie King, May 1, 2015

Bees make more than honey. They also make gunk called propolis. And this “bee glue” is a powerful health balm. In fact, studies show it has anti-cancer properties.

Dr. Seema Patel of the Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics Research Center, San Diego State University, conducted a comprehensive review of the literature on propolis and cancer. Dr. Patel found laboratory and animal studies supporting propolis efficacy against these cancers:

• Brain
• Pancreas
• Head and neck
• Kidney and bladder
• Skin
• Prostate
• Breast
• Colon
• Liver
• Blood  

Propolis contains as many as 300 active compounds. These components were found to fight cancer in a variety of ways, including:

• Preventing the growth of new blood vessels to feed cancer cells (anti-angiogenesis)
• Preventing the spread or metastasis of cancer from one organ to another
• Halting cancer cell division
• Inducing apoptosis or programmed cell death

In addition, propolis was found to mitigate the side effects or toxicity of chemotherapy drugs used in the treatment of cancer...

Apitherapy Event May 5 in Luxembourg

The healing power of the honeybee

Luxemburger Wort, Monday, 27 April, 2015 at 11:07

The healing properties of bee products will be explored at a free event being held in Luxembourg on May 5.

During the talk, bee conservation group Bee Together will demonstrate the pros and cons of the medical use of honeybee products, also known as Apitherapy, supported by scientific research...

Honey-Based Synthesis of ZnO Nanopowders and Their Cytotoxicity Effects

Advanced Powder Technology

Available online 18 April 2015

The use of food and bio-derived products for the synthesis of different nanomaterials is of enormous interest to modern nanobiotechnology. We have developed a simple, novel, “greener”, bio-directed, and low cost method for the synthesis of zinc oxide nanopowders (ZnO–NPs) by using honey as a food and bio-derived product. The prepared ZnO–NPs were characterized by UV–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA), and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). Spherical ZnO–NPs were synthesized at different calcination temperatures and FESEM images and its corresponding particle size distributions showed the formation of nanopowders in size of about 30 nm. The PXRD analysis revealed wurtzite hexagonal ZnO with preferential orientation at (1 0 1) reflection plane. In vitro cytotoxicity studies on neuro2A cells showed a dose dependent toxicity with non-toxic effect of a concentration up to 7.8 μg/mL.