Sunday, February 13, 2022

Propolis Alleviates Depressive Symptoms

Propolis, rich in numerous polyphenols with unique therapeutic values makes this bee product the most researched worldwide. This randomized placebo-controlled clinical study of Azerbaijan propolis proved it to be an important adjuvant therapeutic with impressive results. Interestingly enough, this anti-depressive characteristic has been identified in previous studies.

Propolis add-on therapy alleviates depressive symptoms; A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial

  
Almost half of the treatments with common antidepressants are failed or result in a relapse of symptoms after cessation. Moreover, the antidepressants side effects rationalize the use of complementary medicine as an adjunctive therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of propolis in complementary therapy of depressive disorder. Chromatography technics were used to detect propolis components. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was designed, and 54 participants were randomly assigned to receive either propolis or Placebo for 6 weeks. Treatment was defined as a decrease in 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17) and Beck depression inventory (BDI). On D42, there
was a significant reduction in HAMD score in the propolis group compared with the placebo group (p < .0001). HAMD score significantly decreased in the propolis group from 20.92 ± 3.77 on D0 to 10.03 ± 5.55 on D42, and BDI score was improved from 29.25 ± 3.06 on D0 to 14.17 ± 4.86 on D42. Our findings confirmed that complementary treatment of propolis with SSRIs could safely attenuate symptoms of moderate–severe MDD. These antidepressant effects might result from the rich phenolic acids and flavonoids content of Azerbaijan propolis.

HAMD Score