Abstract 14476: A Randomized, Double-blind Comparison Study of Royal Jelly to Improve Endothelial Function in Healthy Volunteers

Abstract

Backgrounds: Royal jelly is a creamy substance secreted by honeybees. It has been reported that royal jelly has benefits on dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome. However, the effects of royal jelly on atherogenesis remains unknown. We prospectively evaluated the effects of royal jelly on endothelial function, which can reflect early atherogenesis, in healthy volunteers. Methods: This was a single center, double-blind, 1:1 randomized placebo-controlled study. One-hundred healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to receive royal jelly 690 mg daily (equivalent 2040 mg of fresh royal jelly) or placebo from October 2018 and December 2019. Royal jelly or placebo were administered for 28 days. Endothelial function assessed by reactive hyperemia peripheral arterial tonometry (RH-PAT) and blood chemistries were compared between baseline and 28 days after enrollment. Primary endpoint was the change of RH-PAT index. Secondary endpoint was the change of liver function and lipid profiles. Results: The mean (SD) age of the participants was 35.0 (9.3) and 36.1 (9.1) years, and male was 45% and 50% in the placebo and the royal jelly group, respectively. The relative change of RH-PAT index was significantly higher in the royal jelly group compared with placebo control (21.4 ± 53.1% vs. 0.05 ± 40.9%, P = 0.037). The relative change of alanine aminotransferase and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase were significantly lower in the royal jelly group than the placebo group (alanine aminotransferase: –6.06 ± 22.2% vs. 11.6 ± 46.5%, P = 0.02; γ-glutamyl transpeptidase: -3.45 ± 17.8% vs. 4.62 ± 19.4%, P = 0.045). Lipid profiles were not significantly different between two study groups. Conclusions: Royal jelly improved endothelial function assessed by RH-PAT and liver function in healthy volunteer. It can be expected that royal jelly has anti-atherogenic property through improving endothelial function.