Abstract
Bee products are sources of functional food that have been used in complementary medicine to treat a variety of acute and chronic illnesses in many parts of the world. The products vary from location to location as well as country to country. Therefore, the aim of this review was to identify various bee products with potential preventive and therapeutic values used in the treatment of male reproductive impairment. We undertook a vigorous search for bee products with preventive and therapeutic values for the male reproductive system. These products included honey, royal jelly, bee pollen, bee brood, apilarnil, bee bread, bee wax, and bee venom. We also explained the mechanisms involved in testicular steroidogenesis, reactive oxygen species, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, which may cumulatively lead to male reproductive impairment. The effects of bee pollen, bee venom, honey, propolis, royal jelly, and bee bread on male reproductive parameters were examined. Conclusively, these bee products showed positive effects on the steroidogenic, spermatogenic, oxidative stress, inflammatory, and apoptotic parameters, thereby making them a promising possible preventive and therapeutic treatment of male sub/infertility.
Highlights
Honeybees produce various products containing many biochemical components such as minerals, vitamins, and polyphenols, which are biologically active [1]
The bee products include bee venom, honey, pollen, royal jelly, propolis, bee bread, bee brood, and beeswax, which are produced by four types of insects: honeybees (Apis), stingless bees, honey wasps, and honey ants [5]
To the best of our knowledge, no article has looked at the various studies on the effects of bee products on the male reproductive impairment; the aim of this review was to look at the effects of various bee products as potential protective and therapeutic agents in male reproductive impairment
Summary
Honeybees produce various products containing many biochemical components such as minerals, vitamins, and polyphenols, which are biologically active [1]. These compounds have served as preventive and therapeutic agents in the last four decades and have been used in apitherapy [2]. The bee products include bee venom, honey, pollen, royal jelly, propolis, bee bread, bee brood, and beeswax, which are produced by four types of insects: honeybees (Apis), stingless bees, honey wasps, and honey ants [5]. Nowadays, there are many studies investigating the potential protective and therapeutic roles of these bee products in health, including male infertility [12,13,14,15]. To the best of our knowledge, no article has looked at the various studies on the effects of bee products on the male reproductive impairment; the aim of this review was to look at the effects of various bee products as potential protective and therapeutic agents in male reproductive impairment
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