Propolis May Help Protect the Liver from Damage

Propolis Protects CYP 2E1 Enzymatic Activity and Oxidative Stress Induced by Carbon Tetrachloride
Journal of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Issue Volume 302, Numbers 1-2, August, 2007, Pages 215-224

Abstract: …Experimental liver injury was induced in rats by CCl4 to determine toxicological actions on CYP 2E1 by microsomal drug metabolizing enzymes. In this report, ethanolic extract of propolis at a dose of 200 mg/kg (po) was used after 24 h of toxicant administration to validate its protective potential…

Propolis extract showed significant improvement in the activity of both enzymes and suppressed toxicant induced increase in sleep time and bromosulphalein retention. Choleretic activity of liver did not show any sign of toxicity after propolis treatment at a dose of 200 mg/kg (id).

Histopathological evaluation of the liver revealed that propolis reduced the incidence of liver lesions including hepatocyte swelling and lymphocytic infiltrations induced by CCl4. Electron microscopic observations also showed improvement in ultrastructure of liver and substantiated recovery in biochemical parameters.

Protective activity of propolis at 200 mg/kg dose was statistically compared with positive control silymarin (50 mg/kg, po), a known hepatoprotective drug seems to be better in preventing hepatic CYP 2E1 activity deviated by CCl4.

These results lead us to speculate that propolis may play hepatoprotective role via improved CYP 2E1 activity and reduced oxidative stress in living system.

Propolis Component Induces Brain Cancer Cell Death, Has Neuroprotective Effect

Propolin G, a Prenylflavanone, Isolated from Taiwanese Propolis, Induces Caspase-Dependent Apoptosis in Brain Cancer Cells
J. Agric. Food Chem., August 9, 2007

Abstract: We have previously shown that six propolins, A-F, could be isolated from Taiwanese propolis (TP) and that they exerted a broad spectrum of biological activities.

Recently, we isolated a seventh compound, propolin G…

In our present study, we were interested in the various biological activities of TP extract as well as in propolin G as a pure compound. We found that propolin G could efficiently induce apoptosis in brain cancer cell lines (glioma and glioblastoma).

The apoptosis might have been through a mitochondrial- and caspase-dependent pathway. This result demonstrated that the TP collection season was more an important factor than the geographical region.

Propolis has been suggested to possess a potent antioxidant activity. We further evaluated the antioxidant property of propolin G using DPPH (1,2-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl). Our results indicate that propolin G does possess free radical scavenging activity.

We also evaluated the neuroprotective action of propolin G, TP, and BP (Brazilian propolis) extracts against oxidative stress in rat primary cortical neurons.

Our data demonstrate that propolin G and TP extracts have a marked neuroprotective effect that is greater than BP extract.

In conclusion, the isolation and characterization of propolin G from TP have demonstrated for the first time that this compound is a potent inducer of apoptosis in brain cancer cells and that this compound and TP extract exhibit a protective effect against oxidative stress in rat cortical neurons.

Study Identifies Honey Component that Stimulates Immune Cells

A 5.8-kDa Component of Manuka Honey Stimulates Immune Cells Via TLR4
Journal of Leukocyte Biology, August 3, 2007

Abstract: Honey is used as a therapy to aid wound healing. Previous data indicate that honey can stimulate cytokine production from human monocytes. The present study further examines this phenomenon in manuka honey...

To identify the component responsible for inducing cytokine production, honey was separated by molecular weight using microcon centrifugal filtration and fractions assessed for stimulatory activity.

The active fraction was analyzed by MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy, which demonstrated the presence of a number of components of varying molecular weights. Additional fractionation using miniaturized, reverse-phase solidphase extraction resulted in the isolation of a 5.8-kDa component, which stimulated production of TNF-alpha via TLR4.

These findings reveal mechanisms and components involved in honey stimulation of cytokine induction and could potentially lead to the development of novel therapeutics to improve wound healing for patients with acute and chronic wounds.

US Professor to Study Antimicrobial Properties of Propolis

Bees, Biofuels and Climate Change are the Focus of Three U of M, CFANS Grants
Justin Ware, University News Service, 8/6/2007

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL ( 8/6/2007 ) -- Three projects have been awarded $100,000 each as part of the new, University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences Grants program.

The grants are aimed at increasing the college's research capacity in the areas of environment; the bio-based economy; and crops, food animals and human health.

The projects include:

…Novel Antimicrobial Properties of Honeybee Propolis in Human and Animal Health, led by professor Jerry Cohen with two co-principal investigators, Gary Gardner and Marla Spivak.

Honey Has Been Healing for Ages

The Washington Post, 8/7/2007

"Grind to a powder river dust . . . and then knead it in water and honey, and let oil and hot cedar oil be spread over it." (Sumerian clay tablet, c. 2000 B.C.)

"Boil together strong white vinegar, honey, alum from Egypt, toasted natron [sodium bicarbonate] and a little bile." (Ancient Egyptian wound treatment)

"Thou shouldst bind fresh meat upon [the wound] the first day, thou shouldst apply two strips of linen; and treat afterward with grease, honey, (and) lint every day until he recovers." (Recommendation of Herophilus, founder of the medical school in Alexandria, c. 300 B.C.)

Such were the concoctions prescribed by physicians of the ancient world to soothe ailments of the eye and ear, to eliminate skin infections and to promote the healing of wounds or the site of surgeries such as circumcision.

In "The World History of Beekeeping and Honey Hunting," Eva Crane says honey was even used by the Babylonians to preserve corpses, by preventing putrefaction. During the Middle Ages, write Bodog F. Beck and Doree Smedley in "Honey for Your Health," honey was used extensively "for boils, wounds, burns and ulcers." And it continued to be applied as a topical salve well into the 20th century…

Washington Post Article Looks at Use of Honey in Wound Healing

Could Honey, an Ancient Remedy, Make a Comeback in Contemporary Wound Care?
By Eric Frederick Trump, The Washington Post, 8/7/2007

For biochemist Peter Molan, honey's ancient power to heal is not a matter of faith. So sure is he of the science behind it that he frequently applies the stuff of his research on himself -- and on his wife.

"She had a persistent boil on her buttocks," he explained. Since no standard salves had helped, he liquefied a dollop of a particular variety of honey known as manuka in the kitchen microwave, poured it over gauze and applied it.

The molten honey burned her.

"Fortunately, manuka is effective in treating burns as well as boils," Molan said cheerfully. Within a short time, he said, both boil and burn healed.

Manuka honey -- widely used for wound treatment in New Zealand, where Molan is co-director of Waikato University's Honey Research Unit -- is becoming increasingly accepted for this purpose around the world. Research over the past two decades, much of it conducted in Molan's lab, has focused on the potential for manuka to be used as an antimicrobial that may one day stand alongside such standard wound treatments as silver dressings and penicillin.

Manuka has also attracted attention because, in an era when the efficacy of pharmaceutical antibiotics is under threat, it has shown some promise in the treatment of wounds infected with especially challenging bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the superbug whose incidence increased 32-fold in U.S. hospitals between 1976 and 2003, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Manuka dressings have been in use for some time in Great Britain and Australia as well as in New Zealand; earlier this year they were cleared for use as an antimicrobial dressing in Canada; and last month the Food and Drug Administration cleared them for use in wound and burn care -- though not as an antimicrobial drug -- making them the first honey-based products cleared for medical use in the United States…

Canadian Beekeepers Use Bee Venom Therapy to Treat Arthritis

Creating a Buzz
By Steve Bartlett, The Telegram (Canada), 8/5/2007

Aubrey Goulding’s knee was being a “real nuisance.” It was to the point where walking down steps was terrible.

He split it open with an ax while working in the woods at age 21 and, as health-care providers predicted at the time, arthritis was setting in years later.

Fed up with the pain, he did something few might muster up the courage to attempt. He captured 14 or 15 bees from a hive in his backyard and put them in a Mason jar. His daughter iced his knee. Aubrey agitated the bees with a shake, flicked the top off the jar, and put it over the aching area. He gave himself 10 or 12 “good stings.” He repeated the process a week later.

That was between 10 and 15 years ago. He hasn’t felt a pain there since. “That knee now, I’d say, is as good as anybody 30 years old — no aches, no pains.”

He learned of the therapeutic power of stings from a book, “Bees don’t get arthritis.”...

Paradise Farms — the business he and his wife, Viola, operate — sells natural bee and honey products on local, national and international markets…

While Viola has been stung only once since 1984 — last year, actually — Aubrey feels a sting as much as seven or eight times a week at certain times of the season.

He admits it hurts — “It’s a hard sting for 30 seconds” — but he welcomes it when one gets him.

“Bee venom has a chemical in it called mellitin, and mellitin is 100 times stronger than cortisone. So, for inflammation on the joint, bursitis, tendonitis, it is fantastic.”…

Honey-Based Body Care Products Company Hires PR Firm

BeeCeutical Organics Signs with Primetime PR and Marketing
PRNewswire, 8/6/2007

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., Aug. 6 PRNewswire — Primetime PR and Marketing, a full service public relations and marketing firm based in Hollywood, Florida announced today the addition of BeeCeutical Organics to its roster of clients, says Alan T. Brown, President. The natural skin care line consists of body-care products that feature organic ingredients and their proprietary 100% Organic Holistic Honey Blend(TM)…

Founded by husband and wife team, Richie and Julie Gerber, the couple started as organic farmers in Maine and then opened the Bread of Life Natural Foods supermarket chain in Florida which later merged with Whole Foods. Their products include their proprietary 100% Organic Holistic Honey Blend(TM), featuring medicinal honeys from around the world that have been used for centuries to heal the skin.

For more information please visit http://www.healthfromthehive.com/

Best-Selling Diet Author Calls Bee-Collected Pollen ‘Superfood’

An Interview with Tosca Reno, Author of The Eat-Clean Diet
Written by Kelly Jad'on, Blog Critics, 8/4/2007

It's difficult to imagine that Ms. Tosca Reno was once a 40 year old fat housewife who transformed not just her body, but also her life. This is the author of The Eat-Clean Diet, a best-seller. Read it. You'll find the tools to empower your own lifestyle makeover…

KJ: What did you eat for breakfast today?

T. Reno: This morning I ate a bowl of ½ C dry oatmeal, 1T wheat germ (for Vitamin E and fiber) and 2T coarsely chopped flax seed with 1C hot water, 1/4C mixed berries, 1C of coffee, 2T of bee pollen.

KJ: Bee pollen?

T. Reno: Yes, it’s a superfood (protein, complex carbs, vitamins, rutin, minerals). It helps increase stamina during cardio, and improves weight management, by curving cravings for large portions of food…

Study Identifies 20 Royal Jelly Proteins

Proteome Analysis of Apis Mellifera Royal Jelly
Journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, August 3, 2007

Abstract: Royal jelly plays a pivotal role in the development of honey bee larvae. However, while various health promoting properties of royal jelly have been reported, most of the active substances within royal jelly that lead to these properties are still unknown.

Since up to 50% (dry mass) of royal jelly is protein, royal jelly proteome analysis is a promising starting point for attempts to identify the proteins that provide health-promoting effects. However, the comprehensive analysis of royal jelly proteins is hampered by the enormous abundance of some proteins in the major royal jelly protein family, which constitutes 80–90% of the royal jelly proteome…

We applied different methods for the prefractionation and separation of royal jelly proteins in order to circumvent the shortcomings of the individual techniques and achieve a high coverage of the royal jelly proteome. In this way, we were able to identify 20 different proteins in total, as well as to show a very high degree of cleavage of different proteins of the major royal jelly protein family. Furthermore, we investigated the protein phosphorylation of royal jelly proteins, and identified and located two phosphorylation sites within venom protein 2.

Propolis Extract Boosts Antitumor Activity of Cancer Drug

Studies from University of Zagreb, Department of Animal Physiology Add New Findings in the Area of Cancer Therapy
Ventures & Law Weekly, 8/12/2007

A new study, "Enhanced antitumor activity of irinotecan combined with propolis and its polyphenolic compounds on Ehrlich ascites tumor in mice," is now available. According to a study from Zagreb, Croatia, "The effects of the anticancer drug irinotecan combined with ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP), a water-soluble derivate of propolis (WSDP), quercetin and naringin on the growth of Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) and the life span of tumor-bearing Swiss albino mice were studied. Test components were given to mice intraperitoneally (i.p.) at doses of 100mg kg(-1) for three consecutive days before the i.p. injection of EAT cells (1x106)."

"Irinotecan was administered i.p. at dose of 50mg kg(-1) on days 1, 13, and 19 after tumor cell inoculation. The results clearly demonstrate the synergistic action of irinotecan and EEP on survival time," wrote V. Benkovic and colleagues, University of Zagreb, Department of Animal Physiology.

The researchers concluded: "These results suggest that clinical trials using a propolis preparation EEP combined with irinotecan may be beneficial in maximizing antitumor activity and minimizing post-chemotherapeutic reactions to the cytostatic drug."…

Study: Propolis Extract May Help Prevent Prostate Cancer

Human Prostate Cancer Cells by Ethanolic Extracts of Brazilian Propolis and Its Botanical Origin
International Journal of Oncology, 2007 Sep;31(3):601-6

Propolis is a resinous substance collected by bees (Apis mellifera) from various tree buds which they then use to coat hive parts and to seal cracks and crevices in the hive. Propolis, a known ancient folk medicine, has been extensively used in diet to improve health and to prevent disease.

In the present study, we have evaluated the effects of ethanolic extracts of Brazilian propolis group l2 and bud resins of botanical origin (B. dracunculifolia), and propolis group 3 on proliferation of metastasis (DU145 and PC-3) and primary malignant tumor (RC58T/h/SA#4)-derived human prostate cancer cells…

The results obtained here demonstrate that the Brazilian propolis extracts have significant inhibitory effect on proliferation of human prostate cancer cells. Inhibition was achieved through regulation of protein expression of cyclin D1, B1 and cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) as well as p21.

Our results indicate that the Brazilian propolis extracts show promise as chemotherapeutic agents as well as preventive agents against prostate cancer.

Raw Local Honey Recommended for Allergy Relief

A Sweet Relief for Allergy Season
By Barbara Gerry, Spokesman Review (USA), 8/2/2007

Is eating local honey for allergy relief just an old wives' tale? Or can the sweet relief allergy sufferers seek from their nonstop miserable "cold" symptoms be as simple as eating two teaspoons of honey a day?

"Local honey" is honey that has been collected from beehives no more than 50 miles from where you live. The closer the hives, the more effective the honey will bee (pun intended) in alleviating allergy symptoms, it is believed.

While not a "cure," anything that eliminates my symptoms is cure enough for me. And this is a feeling shared by the many people who have found sweet relief by eating local honey…

Because raw, unfiltered, unheated honey contains bits and pieces of pollen, it becomes a powerful immune system booster, according to honeybee experts…

Honey, Lettuce Seed Recommended for Asthma

Effective Natural Therapy for Asthma, Bronchitis
By Seye Adeniyi, Nigerian Tribune, 8/2/2007

…Another good natural therapy for asthma is lettuce seeds. Lettuce seed you may ask? But the truth is that a teaspoon of lettuce seeds mixed with pure honey, stirred well and left for a day or two is a natural bronchodilator.

Taking this preparation twice daily during the treatment of asthma and bronchitis is a very useful tonic. Regular usage will also reduce dependence on asthma medicines and improve the quality of life. To prepare this concoction, take a teaspoon of raw lettuce seeds, mix it in a pure (undiluted) honey. Take the concoction on an empty stomach twice a day. This has been proven to be a good relief over a long term…

Whole Bee Venom Cytotoxicity Differs for Normal, Cancer Cells

Cytotoxicity of Honeybee (Apis Mellifera) Venom in Normal Human Lymphocytes and Hl-60 Cells
Chemico-Biological Interactions, June 20, 2007

Whole bee venom (BV) is used to treat inflammatory diseases in Korean traditional medicine. Various studies have demonstrated anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects of BV.

The toxicity of individual components of BV has been widely studied, although few studies have reported on the toxicity of BV. We sought to evaluate the cytotoxicity of BV in normal human lymphocytes and HL-60 cells.

When cells were treated with BV at concentrations of 1 or 5mug/ml, BV induced cell death in a time-dependent manner until 24h, but these cytotoxic effects ended thereafter. When cells were treated with BV at a concentration of 10mug/ml, however, viability decreased until 72h, which may have been due to the half-life of BV. Whole BV also inhibited proliferation in these cells.

BV induced DNA fragmentation and micronuclei in HL-60 cells and DNA fragmentation in human lymphocytes. Phosphate and tensin homolog (PTEN) up-regulation in HL-60 cells may induce S-phase cell cycle arrest.

Forkhead transcription factor (FKHR and FKHRL1) up-regulation in human lymphocytes by whole BV treatment may be involved in the repair of damaged DNA and reduce genotoxicity. Based on these results, whole BV may exert cytotoxicity in these two cells in a different fashion.