Adjuvant Cancer Treatment Improves with Propolis

Interest in propolis is mounting rapidly and its role as an adjuvant is a consistent finding in complementary and alternative therapies. Moreover, its ability to cause cell death or apoptosis in tumor cells is irreproachable, especially considering that it has no negative side effects.

Emerging Adjuvant Therapy for Cancer: Propolis and its Constituents

J Diet Suppl. 2015 Feb 27. [Epub ahead of print]

Propolis is a bee-metabolized resinous substance (bee glue) from plant sap and gums. It has been in usage as a healing agent since antiquity, yet has not garnered global popularity as a health promoter. Its biological effects, which range from antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, dermatoprotective, anti-allergic, laxative and immunomodulatory to anticancer, have been validated.

Propolis has shown efficacy against brain, head and neck, skin, breast, liver, pancreas, kidney, bladder, prostate, colon and blood cancers.

The inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases, anti-angiogenesis, prevention of metastasis, cell-cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis and moderation of the chemotherapy-induced deleterious side effects have been deduced as the key mechanisms of cancer manipulation. The components conferring antitumor potentials have been identified as caffeic acid phenethyl ester, chrysin, artepillin C, nemorosone, galangin, cardanol, etc. These compounds target various genetic and biochemical pathways of cancer progression. Depending on the botanical sources and the geographical origin, biological activities of propolis vary. Despite phenomenal development in cancer research, conventional therapy falls short in complete malignancy management.

The findings obtained so far build hope that propolis as a complementary medicine may address the lacunae. This review documents the recent advances and scope of amendement in cancer remediation with adequate emphasis on the mechanistic aspect of propolis.

Honey: A Realistic Antimicrobial for Skin Disorders

A reassuring assessment of the antimicrobial properties of honey without singling out any particular nectar source. More importantly, it reinforces honey's value in reversing antimicrobial resistance...

Honey: A realistic antimicrobial for disorders of the skin

J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2015 Jan 30

Resistance of pathogenic microorganisms to antibiotics is a serious global health concern. In this review, research investigating the antimicrobial properties of honeys from around the world against skin relevant microbes is evaluated.

A plethora of in vitro studies have revealed that honeys from all over the world have potent microbicidal activity against dermatologically important microbes. Moreover, in vitro studies have shown that honey can reduce microbial pathogenicity as well as reverse antimicrobial resistance. Studies investigating the antimicrobial properties of honey in vivo have been more controversial.

It is evident that innovative research is required to exploit the antimicrobial properties of honey for clinical use and to determine the efficacy of honey in the treatment of a range of skin disorders with a microbiological etiology. 

Preventing Kidney Damage with Propolis

Another new finding confirming the ability of propolis to protect the kidneys. This is consistent with other studies which find that it not only prevents, protects and heals the kidneys, but the liver and spleen as well. The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and wound-healing capacities are a welcome addition, internally and externally.

Brazilian Red Propolis Attenuates Hypertension and Renal Damage in 5/6 Renal Ablation Model

PLoS One. 2015 Jan 21;10(1):e0116535

The pathogenic role of inflammation and oxidative stress in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is well known. Anti-inflammatories and antioxidant drugs has demonstrated significant renoprotection in experimental nephropathies. Moreover, the inclusion of natural antioxidants derived from food and herbal extracts (such as polyphenols, curcumin and lycopene) as an adjuvant therapy for slowing CKD progression has been largely tested. Brazilian propolis is a honeybee product, whose anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant effects have been widely shown in models of sepsis, cancer, skin irritation and liver fibrosis. Furthermore, previous studies demonstrated that this compound promotes vasodilation and reduces hypertension. However, potential renoprotective effects of propolis in CKD have never been investigated.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a subtype of Brazilian propolis, the Red Propolis (RP), in the 5/6 renal ablation model (Nx). Adult male Wistar rats underwent Nx and were divided into untreated (Nx) and RP-treated (Nx+RP) groups, after 30 days of surgery; when rats already exhibited marked hypertension and proteinuria. Animals were observed for 90 days from the surgery day, when Nx+RP group showed significant reduction of hypertension, proteinuria, serum creatinine retention, glomerulosclerosis, renal macrophage infiltration and oxidative stress, compared to age-matched untreated Nx rats, which worsened progressively over time.

In conclusion, RP treatment attenuated hypertension and structural renal damage in Nx model. Reduction of renal inflammation and oxidative stress could be a plausible mechanism to explain this renoprotection.

Royal Jelly Proteins Mapped via Phosphorylation

With this new mapping of royal jelly proteins, future studies will examine not only the antimicrobial aspects of this magnificent product produced for the queen, but numerous other beneficial effects already documented.

In-Depth Phosphoproteomic Analysis of Royal Jelly Derived from Western and Eastern Honeybee Species

J. Proteome Res., 2014, 13 (12), pp 5928–5943

The proteins in royal jelly (RJ) play a pivotal role in the nutrition, immune defense, and cast determination of honeybee larvae and have a wide range of pharmacological and health-promoting functions for humans as well. Although the importance of post-translational modifications (PTMs) in protein function is known, investigation of protein phosphorylation of RJ proteins is still very limited.

To this end, two complementary phosphopeptide enrichment materials (Ti4+-IMAC and TiO2) and high-sensitivity mass spectrometry were applied to establish a detailed phosphoproteome map and to qualitatively and quantitatively compare the phosphoproteomes of RJ produced by Apis mellifera ligustica (Aml) and Apis cerana cerana (Acc). In total, 16 phosphoproteins carrying 67 phosphorylation sites were identified in RJ derived from western bees, and nine proteins phosphorylated on 71 sites were found in RJ produced by eastern honeybees. Of which, eight phosphorylated proteins were common to both RJ samples, and the same motif ([S-x-E]) was extracted, suggesting that the function of major RJ proteins as nutrients and immune agents is evolutionary preserved in both of these honeybee species. 

All eight overlapping phosphoproteins showed significantly higher abundance in Acc-RJ than in Aml-RJ, and the phosphorylation of Jelleine-II (an antimicrobial peptide, TPFKLSLHL) at S6 in Acc-RJ had stronger antimicrobial properties than that at T1 in Aml-RJ even though the overall antimicrobial activity of Jelleine-II was found to decrease after phosphorylation. The differences in phosphosites, peptide abundance, and antimicrobial activity of the phosphorylated RJ proteins indicate that the two major honeybee species employ distinct phosphorylation strategies that align with their different biological characteristics shaped by evolution. The phosphorylation of RJ proteins are potentially driven by the activity of extracellular serine/threonine protein kinase FAM20C-like protein (FAM20C-like) through the [S-x-E] motif, which is supported by evidence that mRNA and protein expression of FAM20C-like protein kinase are both found in the highest level in the hypopharyngeal gland of nurse bees.

Our data represent the first comprehensive RJ phosphorylation atlas, recording patterns of phosphorylated RJ protein abundance and antibacterial activity of some RJ proteins in two major managed honeybee species. These data constitute a firm basis for future research to better understand the biological roles of each RJ protein for honeybee biology and human health care.

Propolis Stimulates Hair Growth

This is my favorite product from honey bees! It's protective, preventive properties are well-documented but hair growth is a new application. It's no wonder that propolis research is on a steady climb worldwide...

Stimulatory Effect of Brazilian Propolis on Hair Growth through Proliferation of Keratinocytes in Mice

J. Agric. Food Chem., 2014, 62 (49), pp 11854–11861

Propolis is a natural honeybee hive product with the potential for use in the treatment of dermatological conditions, such as cutaneous abrasions, burns, and acne. In this study, we investigated whether propolis stimulates hair growth in mice. 

Ethanol-extracted propolis, which contains various physiologically active substances such as caffeic acid and kaempferol, stimulated anagen induction in shaved back skin. Anagen induction occurred without any detectable abnormalities in the shape of the hair follicles (HFs), hair stem cells in the bulge, proliferating hair matrix keratinocytes in the hair bulb, or localization of versican in the dermal papilla.

Propolis treatment also stimulated migration of hair matrix keratinocytes into the hair shaft in HFs during late anagen in the depilated back skin. Organotypic culture of skin containing anagen stage HFs revealed significant stimulation of hair matrix keratinocyte proliferation by propolis. Furthermore, propolis facilitated the proliferation of epidermal keratinocytes. 

These results indicate that propolis stimulates hair growth by inducing hair keratinocyte proliferation.

Muscle Mass Restored with Fresh Bee Pollen

Recognized for many years as a nutritional supplement for athletes, this new study reveals that fresh bee pollen improved metabolism and muscle mass in aged rats. An important revelation for an aging population where malnutrition often surfaces.

Bee Pollen Improves Muscle Protein and Energy Metabolism in Malnourished Old Rats through Interfering with the Mtor Signaling Pathway and Mitochondrial Activity

Nutrients. 2014 Dec 1;6(12):5500-16

Although the management of malnutrition is a priority in older people, this population shows a resistance to refeeding. Fresh bee pollen contains nutritional substances of interest for malnourished people. The aim was to evaluate the effect of fresh bee pollen supplementation on refeeding efficiency in old malnourished rats.

Male 22-month-old Wistar rats were undernourished by reducing food intake for 12 weeks. The animals were then renourished for three weeks with the same diet supplemented with 0%, 5% or 10% of fresh monofloral bee pollen. Due to changes in both lean mass and fat mass, body weight decreased during malnutrition and increased after refeeding with no between-group differences (p < 0.0001).

Rats refed with the fresh bee pollen-enriched diets showed a significant increase in muscle mass compared to restricted rats (p < 0.05). The malnutrition period reduced the muscle protein synthesis rate and mTOR/p70S6kinase/4eBP1 activation, and only the 10%-pollen diet was able to restore these parameters. Mitochondrial activity was depressed with food restriction and was only improved by refeeding with the fresh bee pollen-containing diets.

In conclusion, refeeding diets that contain fresh monofloral bee pollen improve muscle mass and metabolism in old, undernourished rats.

Recalcitrant Psoriasis Treated Effectively with Apitherapy

Apitherapy is the use of one or more products from honey bees to heal or prevent diseases. This abstract doesn't specify which bee products were used, but individual studies concerning the dermatological therapeutic effects of propolis, honey, royal jelly and bee venom are numerous. In general, studies in Apitherapy show a 'synergistic effect' when multiple bee products are combined, providing a more potent solution.

Efficacy of the Apitherapy in the treatment of recalcitrant localized plaque psoriasis and evaluation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) serum level: a Double blind randomized clinical trial

J Dermatolog Treat. 2014 Nov 26:1-19.

Background: 
No universal consensus about optimal modality for treating the recalcitrant localized plaque psoriasis (RLPP).

Objective: 
To evaluate the immunological and clinical therapeutic effect of using Apitherapy in the treatment of RLPP.

Methods: 
Randomized fifty patients with RLPP received Apitherapy (n = 25) and placebo (n = 25) every week. Both treatments were injected into lesions at weekly intervals for a maximum of 12 treatments. Following up was 6 months later. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) level was measured at pre-study and at 12th week.

Results: 
A significant difference was found between the therapeutic responses of RLPP to Apitherapy and placebo group (P < 0.001). In the Apitherapy group, complete response was achieved in 92 % of patients. There was statistically significant decrease in TNF-α in Apitherapy group versus placebo group. No recurrence was observed in Apitherapy group.

Conclusion: 
Apitherapy is effective and safe treatment for recalcitrant localized plaque psoriasis, when other topical or physical therapies have failed.