Investigating the Safety of Bee Pollen on Performance, Oxidative Stress, and Histopathological Changes in the Liver, Kidney, and Pancreas of Rats

Abstract

Objective: The therapeutic effects of bee pollen have already been proven in various studies, but toxicity studies in this field are limited. Therefore, in this study, the possible toxicity effects of hydroalcoholic extract of flower pollen on liver, kidney, and pancreatic tissues of male rats are investigated. Methods: Fourteen male rats were divided into two groups of seven: the first group received 800 mg/kg hydroalcoholic extract of bee pollen, and the second group received 0.5 mL/100 g normal saline intraperitoneally for 1 day. Then, their livers, kidney, pancreas, and oxidative stress biomarkers were evaluated. In addition, pieces of liver, kidney, and pancreatic tissues were examined histopathologically. Results: Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (P =0.0212), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) enzymes (P =0.0344), and malondialdehyde (MDA) biomarker (P =0.018) of kidney tissue were significantly decreased in the hydroalcoholic extract of bee pollen group compared to the control group. The glutathione (GSH) biomarker of kidney tissue showed a significant increase in this group compared to the control group (P =0.0031). The other evaluated parameters were not significantly different between the two groups (P> 0.05). Histopathologically, no deleterious and toxicity effects were observed in the tissues. Conclusion: Bee pollen has therapeutic properties and, as a nutrient, can be useful and effective for humans. In this study, this substance did not have toxicity effects on the liver, kidney, and pancreas and even protected vital organs in oxidative stress conditions. However, more research is needed to prove the toxicity of this valuable substance and to ensure its safety.