Propolis and the Immune System: A Review

Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 113, Issue 1, 15 August 2007, Pages 1-14

Abstract: Propolis has been used empirically for centuries and it was always mentioned as an immunomodulatory agent. In recent years, in vitro and in vivo assays provided new information concerning its mechanisms of action, thus a review dealing with propolis and the immune system became imperative.

This review compiles data from our laboratory as well as from other researchers, focusing on its chemical composition and botanical sources, the seasonal effect on its composition and biological properties, its immunomodulatory and antitumor properties, considering its effects on antibody production and on different cells of the immune system, involving the innate and adaptive immune response.

In vitro and in vivo assays demonstrated the modulatory action of propolis on murine peritoneal macrophages, increasing their microbicidal activity. Its stimulant action on the lytic activity of natural killer cells against tumor cells, and on antibody production was demonstrated. Propolis inhibitory effects on lymphoproliferation may be associated to its anti-inflammatory property.

In immunological assays, the best results were observed when propolis was administered over a short-term to animals. Propolis antitumor property and its anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic potential are discussed.

Since humans have used propolis for different purposes and propolis-containing products have been marketed, the knowledge of its properties with scientific basis is not only of academic interest but also of those who use propolis as well. This review opens a new perspective on the investigation of propolis biological properties, mainly with respect to the immune system.

New Biologically Active Compounds Found in Brazilian ‘Red’ Propolis

Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of a New Type of Brazilian Propolis: Red Propolis
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2007 Jun 23

Propolis has been used as a medicinal agent to treat infections and promote wound healing for centuries. The aim of the present study was to test the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activities of a new type of Brazilian propolis, popularly called red propolis, as well as to analyze its chemical composition…

Our results showed that the red propolis has biologically active compounds that had never been reported in other types of Brazilian propolis.

See: Brazilian Red Propolis—Chemical Composition and Botanical Origin

Bees’ Production of Antimicrobial Compounds Linked to Sociality

Antimicrobial Defences Increase with Sociality in Bees
Biology Letters, Issue Volume 3, Number 4 / August 22, 2007, Pages 422-424

Abstract: Evidence for the antiquity and importance of microbial pathogens as selective agents is found in the proliferation of antimicrobial defences throughout the animal kingdom.

Social insects, typified by crowding and often by low genetic variation, have high probabilities of disease transmission and eusocial Hymenoptera may be particularly vulnerable because of haplodiploidy. Mechanisms they employ to reduce the risk of disease include antimicrobial secretions which are particularly important primary barriers to infection.

However, until now, whether or not there is selection for stronger antimicrobial secretions when the risk of disease increases because of sociality has not been tested. Here, we present evidence that the production of progressively stronger antimicrobial compounds was critical to the evolution of sociality in bees.

We found that increases in group size and genetic relatedness were strongly correlated with increasing antimicrobial strength. The antimicrobials of even the most primitive semi-social species were an order of magnitude stronger that those of solitary species, suggesting a point of no return, beyond which disease control was essential. Our results suggest that selection by microbial pathogens was critical to the evolution of sociality and required the production of strong, front-line antimicrobial defences.

Leukaemia Patient Says Medicinal Honey Relieved Symptoms

The New Buzz on Life Mel Honey
The Daily Mail (UK), 7/28/2007

76 year old Dr. Heime Geffen made a remarkable recovery from leukaemia, after taking 'Life Mel honey', made by bees that feast on specific medicinal herbs and other immune-boosting natural substances

The day before I telephoned Dr Heime Geffen in Canada last month, he had played nine holes of golf, taken out the rubbish and played bridge.

That's not extraordinary for many men of 76, but it was a huge event for him because in October 2006, Dr Geffen was diagnosed with acute myelocytic leukaemia after radiation therapy for another form of cancer.

His doctors had abandoned chemotherapy in February this year, because his blood counts were so low.

"I had deteriorated physically to the point where I was virtually bedridden.

"I couldn't eat, I had sores in my mouth and I felt dreadful," he says.

How this turnaround happened has mystified everyone. It's just possible, although unlikely, that it could be a spontaneous remission or a delayed reaction to chemotherapy.

The other consideration is that, from April, this former family doctor has been taking twice-daily teaspoonfuls of Life Mel honey, made by bees that feast on specific medicinal herbs and other immune-boosting natural substances. His son-in-law heard about it from an oncologist in Israel (where the honey is manufactured), who had read a promising medical report and suggested it would be worth trying.

Within a week of starting the honey regime, Dr Geffen began feeling stronger and his blood counts started to improve.

By mid-May, they were virtually normal; he was out of bed and taking short daily walks…

Chinese Workers Brought Bee Venom Therapy to Rural US

Bradenton Herald (USA), 7/28/2007

I'm a nurse in a rural hospital. Some of the mountain folk I care for tell me that a bee sting every two years or so will significantly decrease arthritis inflammation and pain. They attribute this remedy to the Chinese who came to this area a hundred years ago to work on the railroads and in the logging industry.

"Apitherapy," or bee-venom therapy, for arthritis goes way back in time. There are reports that it was used in ancient Egypt and China. Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.) is purported to have written about bee stings for painful joints.

Doctors in this country used bee-venom therapy to treat arthritis during the first part of the 20th century. Hospital pharmacies even stocked venom for injections. After World War II, this approach fell out of favor because it was considered unscientific.

Proponents claim that honeybee stings can alleviate the pain of tendonitis, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and postherpetic neuralgia. This nerve pain lingers after a shingles attack and can be excruciating. The American Apitherapy Society can provide more information (http://www.apitherapy.org/).

Bee Pollen May Promote Early Development of Digestive System

Trophic Effect of Bee Pollen on Small Intestine in Broiler Chickens
Journal of Medicinal Food, 2007, 10(2): 276-280

In this study, the effects of bee pollen on the development of digestive organs were evaluated in broiler chickens. A total of 144 1-day-old AA broiler chickens were randomly and equally divided into two groups, assigned as the control group and the pollen group, respectively. The control group was fed with a basic diet, while the pollen group was fed with a basic diet supplemented with 1.5% bee pollen over a period of 6 weeks…

The results demonstrated that compared to the control group, the small intestine villi from the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were longer and thicker in the pollen group…

Furthermore, the small intestinal glands were developed at a higher density in the pollen group, and the depth of the glands was significantly increased by bee pollen in the first 2 weeks.

These findings suggest that bee pollen could promote the early development of the digestive system and therefore is a potentially beneficial food supplement for certain conditions, such as short bowel syndrome.

Study: ‘Honey is Effective Against a Broad Range of Microorganisms’

WOUNDS Journal to Publish Study on Effective Antimicrobial Application of Manuka Honey-Based Product
Business Wire, 7/25/2007

PRINCETON, N.J., Jul 25, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Derma Sciences (DSCI) , a manufacturer and marketer of advanced wound care products, today announced that the September 2007 issue of the journal WOUNDS: A Compendium of Clinical Research and Practice (WOUNDS) will feature an article on the use of a manuka honey-based product as a topical antimicrobial for chronic and acute wounds and burns.

The article, "Medihoney(TM) Antibacterial Honey--in-vitro Activity Against Clinical Isolates of MRSA, VRE, and Other Multiresistant Gram-negative Organisms Including Pseudomonas aeruginosa" was written by Narelle May George, Supervising Scientist Queensland Health Pathology Service, Royal Brisbane Hospitals Campus, Herston, Queensland, Australia, and Keith F. Cutting, Tissue Viability Specialist, Harefield Hospital, Middlesex, Principal Lecturer - Tissue Viability, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, Chalfont St. Giles, UK.

The in-vitro study focuses on the antimicrobial effectiveness of a leading global brand of honey-based wound dressing, Medihoney(TM) (Medihoney Pty Ltd, Richlands, Australia). The product contains a blend of honeys, including Leptospermum honeys Manuka (from New Zealand) and its sister species Jelly Bush, from Australia. These Leptospermum honeys have been shown to provide strong, broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity even in the presence of catalase--an enzyme present in wound fluid. Medihoney is owned by Comvita, Derma Sciences' partner in honey-based dressings, and is available in Europe, Australia, and South East Asia.

The abstract for the WOUNDS article by George NM and Cutting KF to be published in September is as follows:

"The clinical use of honey has received increasing interest in recent years, in particular as a topical antibacterial dressing. Results so far are extremely encouraging, demonstrating that honey is effective against a broad range of microorganisms including multiresistant strains. The in-vitro study reported here complements the work of others and focuses on the impact that a standardized honey can have on multiresistant bacteria that are regularly found in wounds and are responsible for increased morbidity."…

Propolis Component May Stimulate Glucose Metabolism

CAPE (caffeic acid phenethyl ester) Stimulates Glucose Uptake Through AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) Activation in Skeletal Muscle Cells
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, July 24, 2007

Abstract: Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a flavonoid-like compound, is one of the major components of honeybee propolis.

In the present study, we investigated the metabolic effects of CAPE in skeletal muscle cells and found that CAPE stimulated glucose uptake in differentiated L6 rat myoblast cells and also activated AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase)…

In summary, our results suggest that CAPE may have beneficial roles in glucose metabolism via stimulation of the AMPK pathway.

American Reporter Tries Bee Venom Therapy

People in Pain Get the Point of the Sting
By Dariush Shafa, The Herald-Leader USA), 7/23/2007

…I don't even feel the stinger as it punches through my skin. Then there is a needlepoint of fire, and it spreads. My whole knee feels like it's under a barrage of searing hot pins.

I've just been stung by a bee. Willingly…

Two minutes after the sting, the pain peaks and then begins to diminish.

By that night, all pain has ceased and the aches are gone.

It's exactly the end result Carlson said would happen. Not only does she use this therapy on others, who suffer diseases from multiple sclerosis to simple arthritis, but also on herself, after she became infected with Lyme Disease from a tick bite. She estimates that she's been stung more than 25,000 times on purpose…

Video: New Treatment For People Allergic To Bee Stings

View the Video

Derma Sciences Receives FDA Clearance for Its Active Manuka Honey Product

API-MED(TM) to be the first honey-based product available in the US, joining Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
Business Wire, 7/23/2007

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Derma Sciences, Inc. (OTCBB: DSCI - News) Derma Sciences, a manufacturer and marketer of advanced wound care products, today announced that it has received clearance from the FDA to market and sell its API-MED(TM) Active Manuka Honey Absorbent Dressing . This represents the first FDA clearance of a honey-based product for the management of wounds and burns. Honey-based products have been available throughout Europe where they compete against silver-based dressings, and have in only two years captured approximately 10% of that market…

US Approves Manuka Honey Wound Dressings

Sydney Morning Herald (Australia), 7/23/2007

Waikato-based Comvita Ltd says its patented "advanced wound care dressing" has become the first using manuka honey for wounds and burns to receive marketing clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The FDA approval heralded an important milestone for Comvita's wound care business, said the company's chief executive Brett Hewlett.

The global advanced wound-care market is worth more than $US4 billion ($NZ5.07 billion), of which the US makes up $US2.3 billion.

"An ageing population and increase in diabetes will continue to be strong drivers for this fast growing category," he said.

Some biologically active honey gathered from manuka contains the compound methylglyoxal, which helps it to battle bacteria causing stomach ulcers, and to promote wound healing…

Derma Sciences recently won clearance to sell Comvita's anti-microbial dressings with manuka honey in Canada. Similar dressings are already approved as anti-microbials in Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Bee Pollen Extract May Help Treat Prostate Cancer

A Steroid Fraction of Chloroform Extract from Bee Pollen of Brassica Campestris Induces Apoptosis in Human Prostate Cancer PC-3 Cells

Phytotherapy Research, 18 Jul 2007

Abstract: Bee pollen of Brassica campestris L. is widely used in China as a natural food supplement and an herbal medicine in strengthening the body's resistance against diseases including cancer. The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of a steroid fraction of chloroform extract from bee pollen of Brassica campestris L. on human cancer cell viability.

Our studies show that among nine cancer cell lines of different origin (PC-3, LNCaP, MCF-7, Hela, BEL-7402, BCG-823, KB, A549 and HO8910), this steroid fraction displayed the strongest cytotoxicity in human prostate cancer PC-3 cells…

It is suggested that the steroid fraction could induce cytotoxicity in prostate cancer PC-3 cells by triggering apoptosis. The studies indicate that the steroid fraction of chloroform extract from bee pollen of Brassica campestris L. may be a promising candidate for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

Philippine ‘Green Honey’ Adulterated

Green Honey Analyzed
R. Valencia and S. Bismark, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 7/21/2007

Sometime ago, a friend gave us a bottle of green honey. She was excited about it and was raving about its great effects. Is this product genuine?, we asked.

The story given by its distributors is that a special bee locally called turong gathers chlorophyll from green algae and combines this with nectar to produce green honey.

Recently, we received a letter from Dr. C.R. Cervancia, head of the National Center for Excellence for Bee Research and Development, who explained the true nature of the product. Her main points:

1. The turong is not a bee but a wasp. Cervancia tells us, Unlike bees, which have a receptacle for honey in their bodies, wasps are unable to collect and transfer it to their nests for storage. Since theyre not known to consume algae, their production of green honey is even more unlikely. Strike one.

2. Some people claim that green honey is found in the forests of Palawan. Thus, investigators from UPLB went off searching for it in its natural environment. Cervancia discloses: Investigations confirmed that it can’t be found in nature! Strike two.

3. How did the honey become green? Chemical analysis indicates that green honey is adulterated with blue and yellow pigments. Strike three.

Indonesian Hotels Offers Honey to Guests

Hotel Ibis Offers Honey
Jakarta Post (Indonesia), 7/22/2007

As part of its commitment always to serve nutritious and natural food for its guests, La Table restaurants run by the Hotel Ibis network offer honey to guests.

Various types of honey can be enjoyed at breakfast at Hotel Ibis in Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Surabaya (East Java) and Pekanbaru (Riau)…

Guests may enjoy honey together with jam to accompany their bread or substitute sugar for a cup of coffee or tea in the morning.

The honey has been made available through cooperation between Hotel Ibis and farmers in Cileubeut, Bogor, West Java.