Propolis Helps Treat Middle Ear Infections

Propolis and its powerful, naturally-ocurring ingredient, CAPE (caffeic acid phenethyl ester) is well-known to aid human and animal species...

Effect of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (CAPE) on H(2)O(2) Induced Oxidative and Inflammatory Responses in Human Middle Ear Epithelial Cells

Int JPediatr Otorhinolaryngol, 2012 Feb 25

OBJECTIVE:

Acute otitis media (OM) is a common pediatric disease. Recent research into the pathogenesis of OM has focused on oxidative damage, induced by oxygen free radicals, to the middle ear mucosa along with inflammation. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a biologically active ingredient of propolis honey bees, with antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. The effect of CAPE on hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced inflammatory and oxidative reactions in the middle ear is still not known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects of CAPE on cultured human middle ear epithelial cells (HMEECs).

METHODS:

The inflammatory injury of H(2)O(2) and the anti-inflammatory effect of CAPE were determined by measuring levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and COX-2) with real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Oxidative stress induced by H(2)O(2) and antioxidative effects of CAPE were evaluated directly by reactive oxygen species (ROS) production using flow cytometric analysis of 5-(and-6)-chloromethyl-2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate, acetyl ester (CM-H(2)DCFDA), and indirectly by the expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) using Western blot analysis. The effect of CAPE was compared with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) which has well-known antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects.

RESULTS:

CAPE significantly inhibited H(2)O(2)-induced upregulation of TNF-α and COX-2 expression in a dose and time dependent manner. ROS accumulation induced by H(2)O(2) stimulation was decreased by CAPE pretreatment. Induced SOD expression after H(2)O(2) stimulation was diminished by CAPE pretreatment. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects of CAPE were similar to those of NAC.

CONCLUSIONS: 

These findings suggest that inflammation induced by H(2)O(2) can be inhibited by CAPE via inhibition of the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and COX-2. Furthermore, CAPE has antioxidative effects, which decreases the need for endogenous SOD expression.

Denver Bee Hosts Apitherapy Seminar, March 27

A special meeting with experienced apitherapist, Dr. Frederique Keller, is certified to be an enlightening, inspiring and stimulating event...  

Apitherapy Evening
March 27, 7pm

Location:  Denver Beekeepers Association Meting

Denver Police Station District 1 Community Room

1311 West 46th Avenue

Denver, Colorado 

Dr. Frederique Keller, licensed acupuncturist and medical herbalist in a private practice that also incorporates classical homeopathy and bee venom therapy as well as utilizes honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly and bee bread where applicable. She also works in a second office specializing in sports and spinal injuries. 

Propolis Antimicrobial Properties Disinfects Eggs

What's true for humans is also true for chickens - the natural antiseptic properties of propolis have been proven beneficial for numerous species...

Effects of Propolis on Eggshell Microbial Activity, Hatchability, and Chick Performance in Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) Eggs

Poultry Science, 2012 April

Propolis is a sticky resin produced by worker honeybees from substances collected from plants, and it has strong antibacterial and antifungal properties.

The purpose of this study was to establish the effects of propolis on egg weight loss, hatchability, chick performance, and to control microbial activity naturally occurring on eggshells.

A total of 750 fresh eggs was randomly divided into 5 groups. Eggs from the first group were sprayed with ethyl alcohol (70%, A), the second group was sprayed with benzalkonium chloride (B), and the third, fourth, and fifth groups were sprayed with propolis at 3 doses: 5, 10, and 15%. Eggs sprayed with propolis had lower egg weight loss than eggs from groups A and B (P < 0.001). Bacterial activity was reduced significantly in all propolis groups. There were no significant differences between treatments for hatchability, embryonic mortality, BW gain, and relative growth.

Results of the present study indicated that propolis could be an alternative hatching egg disinfectant versus a chemical disinfectant, without adverse effects on hatchability and performance of quail chicks.

Honey Provides Better, Faster Treatment for Burn Wounds

Incredible as it may seem, honey heals wounds and burns, protecting against inflammation or infection and enhancing new tissue formation and thus reducing scarring...

Comparison Between Topical Honey and Mafenide Acetate in Treatment of Burn Wounds

Ann BurnsFire Disasters, 2011 Sep 30

Histological and clinical studies of wound healing were performed in comparable cases of fresh partial-thickness burns treated with honey dressing or mafenide acetate in two groups of 50 randomly allocated patients.

Of the patients with honey-treated wounds, 84% showed satisfactory epithelialization by day 7 and 100% by day 21. In wounds treated with mafenide acetate, epithelialization occurred by day 7 in 72% of cases and in 84% by day 21. Histological evidence of reparative activity was observed in 80% of wounds treated with honey dressing by day 7 with minimal inflammation.

Fifty-two per cent of the mafenide acetate treated wounds showed reparative activity with inflammatory changes by day 7. Reparative activity reached 100% by day 21 with the honey dressing and 84% with mafenide acetate.

Thus, in honey-dressed wounds, early subsidence of acute inflammatory changes, better control of infection, and quicker wound healing were observed, while in mafenide acetate treated wounds a sustained inflammatory reaction was noted even on epithelialization. 

Propolis Flavonoids Accelerate Wound Healing

Propolis flavonoids are numerous but those of great interest are CAPE (caffeic acid phenethyl ester), chrysin, kaempferol, pinocembrin, galangin and artepillin C. These vary on the geographical source of propolis, due the wide variety of polyphenols harvested by the honeybees in the region. Nonetheless, the anti-inflammatory effects have great importance for many applications...

Flavonoids in propolis acting on mast cell-mediated wound healing
Inflammapharmacology, 2012 Feb 17
Salvatore Chirumbolo, University of Verona Italy 

Barroso et al. have shown, on the latest issue of Inflammopharmacology, that the topical application of propolis on surgical wounds affected the number of mast cells recruited in these sites, and suggested two well-known anti-inflammatory components present in propolis, namely caffeic acid and artepillin C, as possible active molecules (Borelli et al. 2002; Paulino et al. 2008). It is widely acknowledged that propolis down-regulates type I allergy and inflammation by affecting mast cells, but the effective components of propolis, which cause these effects, remain still unknown.

Propolis components vary depending on the area from which they are collected, mainly because of the genetic variability among wild plants in different geographic regions; variability in phenolics composition may result in different biochemical property of the propolis, depending on the main component active in raw propolis or in its extracts. In Chinese propolis, chrysin, kaempferol and its derivative, pinocembrin and galangin were identified as main flavonoids able to act on mast cell-mediated inflammatory response, while chrysin was shown to inhibit IL-4 and MCP-1 production from antigen-stimulated RBL-2H3 basophil/mast cell lines (Nakumura et al. 2010). On the other hand, Brazilian propolis extract contains only small amounts of these flavonoids, which might suggest that variation in propolis components could affect anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties (Nakumura et al. 2010). Brazilian propolis contains, therefore, major percentage of phenolic acids, such as caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and artepillin C (Park et al. 2002). 

excerpt online at SpringerLink.com

As the activity of propolis, like many natural products, may be due to the synergic effect of several bioactive components, it will be necessary to distinguish between different types of propolis and analyse its complex compositions to guarantee specific biological activities of propolis diffused worldwide (Frankland Sawaya et al. 2011). Furthermore, inflammation by mast cells can be inhibited by several flavonoids present in propolis. Recent evidence was reported showing that chrysin decreased gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-ά, IL-1β, IL-4 and IL-6 in mast cells by a nuclear factor-κB (NF- κ B) and caspase-1 dependent mechanism (Bae et al. 2011). Genistein modulates NF- κ  B and TNF-ά expression during the early stage of wound healing (Park et al. 2011). CAPE accelerates cutaneous wound healing and its is arguable that propolis with a significant amount of this phenolic acid may exert a wound repairing property (Serarslan et al. 2007). 

The anti-inflammatory property attributed to flavonoids in propolis might suggest that these polyphenols should exert their action toward other newly discovered function of mast cells (Ng 2010), even in association with CAPE or other phenolic acids. Wound healing is a complex process of lysis and reconstitution controlled by a series of cell signaling proteins and involved tissue regeneration and angiogenesis (Hiromatsu and Toda 2003; Nienartowicz et al. 2006). Mast cells have been shown to play a significant role in the early inflammatory stage of wound healing and also influence proliferation and tissue remodeling in skin…

1st ApiMedical Tourism Conf & ApiExpo, Bangladesh 22-24 June

Apitherapy is recognized complementary and alternative medicine in numerous countries around the world and is continuing to integrate into other countries' health care choices...

First International Api-Medical Tourism Conference, Api-Expo in Bangladesh

Bangladesh Tourism Foundation announced its 'First International Api-Medical Tourism Conference and Api-Expo' 2012 to be held at Dhaka Bangladesh from 22-24 June, 2012.

The Conference and Expo is open to apitherapists, beekeepers, tour operators, scientists and clinicians on beehive products with the objective of opening the world of apitherapy to medical people, beekeepers, alternative health practitioners and tour operators. The goal is that ApiMedical Tourism will rise due to the increasing interest in apiculture and apitherapy.

Speakers will deliver the keynotes in the plenary sessions that will improve and refresh the global knowledge base. The conference platform is targeted to health specialists, researchers and ordinary practitioners with a therapeutic interest towards the uses of honey, apitoxin, royal jelly, bees wax, propolis and bee pollen.

For more information, contact: 

Mokhlesur Rahman

President,

Bangladesh Tourism Foundation and Coordinator

First International Api-Medical Tourism Conference and Api-Expo 2012

Conference Secretariat

Room 305, Academic Building, Faculty of Business Studies, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Tel: (+8802)9661920-70 (hunting), Ext- 7970

Mobile: +880155245657, 01714117801

e-mail: gtldhaka@yahoo.com

Over Half of Alternative Medicine Public Use Apitherapy

This study shows 54% who use CAM also use bee products, a tendance worth increasing with more information sharing on the therapeutic importance of Apitherapy... 

Public Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Riyadh Region, Saudi Arabia

Oman Medical Journal, 2012 Jan

OBJECTIVES:

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is well established worldwide. The present work is aimed at studying the knowledge, attitude and practice of CAM by the people of Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional descriptive household survey study of the people living in Riyadh city, as well as the surrounding governorates. A multistage random sample was taken from 1(st) January to the end of March 2010, with a total number of 518 participants. Data were collected using a pre-designed questionnaire through direct interview. The data was collected based on socio-demography, as well as knowledge, attitude and practice of CAM.

RESULTS:

Participants were nearly sex-matched, consisting of approximately 70% Saudi and 30% non-Saudis. About 89% of the participants had some knowledge of CAM. Mass media e.g. (T.V., newspapers and radio) and family, relatives and friends represented the main sources of CAM knowledge, (46.5% and 46.3% respectively). Nearly 85% of participants or one of their family members has used some form of CAM before, and the most common users of CAM practices were females, housewives, and illiterate subjects (or those who could just read and write), as well as participants aged 60 years and above. Medical herbs (58.89%), prayer (54%), honey and bee products (54%), hijama (35.71%) and cauterization or medical massage therapy (22%) were the commonly used CAM practices. Most participants agreed that there are needs for; CAM practices (93.8%), regulations for CAM (94.9%), health education (96.6%), specialized centers (94.8%) and CAM clinics (92.7%). While only 8.3% of participants usually discussed CAM with their physicians.

CONCLUSION:

There is a high prevalence and increased public interest in CAM use in the Riyadh region. There is a positive attitude towards CAM, yet most participants are reluctant to share and discuss CAM information with their physicians.