Propolis Protects Liver and Kidneys

Researchers consistently find propolis to be an important protector for liver diseases and this again shows how it protects from the negative effects of medication. The best part is that taking a daily dose of propolis (250-500mg) has no negative effects on any aspect of human health...

Effect of Croatian Propolis on Diabetic Nephropathy and Liver Toxicity in Mice

BMCComplementary and Alternative Medicine, August 2012

Background

In the present study, we examined the antioxidant effect of water soluble derivative of propolis (WSDP) and ethanolic (EEP) extract of propolis on renal and liver function in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. In addition, we examined whether different extract of propolis could prevent diabetic nephropathy and liver toxicity by inhibiting lipid peroxidation in vivo.

Methods

Diabetes was induced in Swiss albino mice with a single intravenous injection of alloxan (75 mg kg-1). Two days after alloxan injection, propolis preparations (50 mg kg-1 per day) were given intraperitoneally for 7 days in diabetic mice. Survival analysis and body weights as well as hematological and biochemical parameters were measured. The renal and liver oxidative stress marker malonaldehyde levels and histopathological changes were monitored in the liver and kidney of treated and control mice.

Results

Administration of propolis to diabetic mice resulted in a significant increase of body weight, haematological and immunological parameters of blood as well as 100% survival of diabetic mice. Alloxan-injected mice showed a marked increase in oxidative stress in liver and kidney homogenate, as determined by lipid peroxidation. Histopathological observation of the liver sections of alloxan-induced diabetic mice showed several lesions including cellular vacuolization, cytoplasmic eosinophilia and lymphocyte infiltrations, but with individual variability.Treatment of diabetic mice with propolis extracts results in decreased number of vacuolized cells and degree of vacuolization; propolis treatment improve the impairment of fatty acid metabolism in diabetes. Renal histology showed corpuscular, tubular and interstitial changes in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Test components did not improve renal histopathology in diabetic mice.

Conclusions

Propolis preparations are able to attenuate diabetic hepatorenal damage, probably through its anti-oxidative action and its detoxification proccess as well as the potential to minimize the deleterious effects of free radicals on tissue. The protective role of propolis against the ROS induced damages in diabetic mice gives a hope that they may have similar protective action in humans.

Honey Intensifies Antioxidant Effect of Black Tea

Two very important products of the beehive, honey and propolis, are consistently found to be complementary to everything - from antibiotics to radiation therapy. Is it any wonder that the antioxidants in honey only complement the antioxidant properties of lemon flavored black tea?

Potentiating Effects of Honey on Antioxidant Properties of Lemon-Flavoured Black Tea

Int'l J Food Sciences & Nutrition, August 3, 2012

Health benefits including antioxidant potential of black tea (Camellia sinensis), lemon (Citrus limon) and honey bees (Apis mellifera) have been extensively reported. Nevertheless, nothing is reported about the effects of their concomitant use.

Herein, those effects were evaluated in infusions of lemon-flavoured black tea with three different kinds of honey (light amber, amber and dark amber) from Lavandula stoechas, Erica sp. pl. and other indigenous floral species from north-east Portugal, a region with high amounts of this food product.

Data obtained showed that the use of honey (dark amber>amber>light amber) potentiates the antioxidant activity of lemon-flavoured black tea, increasing the reducing power and lipid peroxidation inhibition properties, as also the antioxidant contents such as phenolics, flavonoids and organic acids including ascorbic acid.

Propolis Effective in Mastitis Relief for Dairy Cattle

The antibacterial effects of propolis are more concentrated when used in an ethanol extract and should be incorporated into the cattle's treatment protocol. What's odd is that they didn't apply the EEP directly on the cows udder but chose to go "downstream" and treat the milk... 

Bactericidal Activity of Ethanolic Extracts of Propolis Against Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Mastitic Cows

World JMicrobiol Biotechnol, 2012 Feb 28

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen for both humans and animals, and it has been an ubiquitous etiological agent of bovine mastitis in dairy farms worldwide.

Elimination of S. aureus with classic antibiotics is difficult, and the current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of ethanolic extracts of propolis (EEP) against S. aureus cultivated in complex media or milk. EEP (0-0.5 mg ml(-1)) decreased growth of S. aureus in BHI media and 1 mg ml(-1) was bactericidal against washed cell suspensions (10(7) CFU ml(-1)). Propolis extracts also killed S. aureus cells resuspended in milk, but the bactericidal dose was at least 20-fold greater. Cultures that were transferred for at least 60 generations with sub-lethal doses of propolis did not change much their sensibility to EEP. Atomic force microscopy images revealed changes in morphology and cell size of S. aureus cells exposed to EEP (0.5 mg ml(-1)).

Our results indicate that propolis extracts might be effective against mastitis-causing S. aureus strains in vivo, but milk constituents affect the inhibitory activity of propolis.

Considering that propolis-resistance appears to be a phenotype not easily selected, the use of EEP combined or not with other antimicrobial agents might be useful for mastitis control in vivo.