Bee Pollen Extract Research Articles

K-carrageenan edible films for beef: Honey and bee pollen phenolic compounds improve their antioxidant capacity

The physical, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties of edible k-carrageenan films containing bee pollen and honey extracts, as well as their evaluation in vitro and on beef, are reported for the first time. Thickness, tensile strength, elongation at break, puncture force, contact angle, water vapor permeability, UV-screening, thermal analysis, color, antioxidant activity in terms of iron reducing power (FRAP) and antiradical power on DPPH radical, as well as antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas spp., aerobic plate counts were determined. All the extracts significantly increased the physical properties and the hydrophilicity of the films. The use of bee pollen and ulmo honey extracts did not significantly change the films color, whereas the quillay honey extract turned them reddish. Thermal stability of films were not affected by antioxidant bee extracts addition. The antibacterial activity of the films added with the extracts, evaluated in isolation or on beef, was not significantly modified with the use of any of the extracts on any of the bacteria evaluated. On the contrary, the antioxidant and antiradical activity of isolated edible films and on meat increased with the use of all the extracts.

Cytotoxicity effect of honey, bee pollen, and propolis from seven stingless bees in some cancer cell lines.

Our effort to find new material for anti cancer from natural resources leads us to focus on stingless bee products such as honey, bee pollen, and propolis. The products were from seven stingless bees named Homotrigona fimbriata, Heterotrigona itama, Heterotrigona bakeri, Tetragonula sarawakensis, Tetragonula testaceitarsis, Tetragonula fuscobalteata, Tetragonula laeviceps. The stingless bee products were evaluated for their cytotoxicity effect on MCF-7, HeLa and Caco-2 cancer cell lines. This is the first time to be reported that the honey, ethanol extracts of bee pollen and propolis of H. fimbriata displayed more potent cytotoxicity than other stingless bee products. By chromatography and biological activity-guided fractionation, ethanol extract of propolis from H. fimbriata was fractionated and isolated its active compound named mangiferonic acid. Mangiferonic acid showed a cytotoxicity effect with IC50 values 96.76 µM in MCF-7, >110.04 µM in HeLa, and > 110.04 µM in Caco-2, respectively. These results exhibited the potential of ethanol extracts from propolis of H. fimbriata to be further developed for drug and experiments to verify the function are essential.

Physicochemical Investigations of Hydrogels Containing Gold Nanoparticles Designed for Biomedical Use

Currently, many investigations are being performed to develop dressing materials with a positive effect on the wound healingprocess. In general, innovative dressings should ensure wound exudate absorption, constitute an external barrier limiting thepossibility of wound contamination and, importantly, also provide therapeutic properties. This work is focused on obtainingmaterials with potential use as dressings for treatment of difficult-to-heal wounds. The synthesis methodology of acrylic hydrogelsmodified with selected modifiers, i.e. arabic gum, nanogold, bee pollen and chamomile extract, was developed. Next, thesorption properties of the materials were determined as well as their behavior during the incubation in fluids imitating theenvironment of the human body. Additionally, the impact of such an incubation on their structure was evaluated by FT-IR spectroscopy.It was proved that the modifiers affected the sorption properties of hydrogels, i.e. samples with additives showed evenapprox. 2.5-fold lower swelling ability. In turn, incubation of hydrogels in simulated body fluids did not cause any rapid changesin pH, which may indicate the biocompatibility of the tested materials with the tested fluids. Thus, it may be concluded that thedeveloped materials show great application potential for biomedical purposes and may be subjected to more advanced studiessuch as cytotoxicity assessments towards selected cell lines.

On the Issue of Creating a Cream of Reparative Action for the Treatment and Prevention of Cheilitis

BACKGROUND: Cheilitis is an inflammatory disease of the lips, its red border, mucous membranes, and skin. There are meteorological, actinic, hypo-, and avitaminosis cheilitis, according to medical indications. Classification of cheilitis includes many types of diseases and is somewhat conditional. For these types of cheilitis treatment are most appropriate to use biologically active substances, in particular lipophilic extract of bee pollen. Lipophilic extract of bee pollen is a complex, concentrated plant-bee product with unique consumer and medicinal qualities. It should be noted that experiments have shown that the bee pollen lipophilic extract has a reparative effect higher than the widespread sea buckthorn oil. AIM: The aim of the work is to create therapeutic and prophylactic cream with lipophilic extract of bee pollen for the cheilitis treatment and prevention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cream preparation was conducted by phase inversion. Thermal and colloidal stability, pH values, the quantitative content of carotenoids, viscosity, osmotic activity, and microbiological purity were determined by generally accepted methods. RESULTS: Samples of the cream containing lipophilic extract of bee pollen are a homogeneous mass of soft consistency with light yellow color and pleasant specific odor. In estimating, the thermal stability cream samples cheilitis curing were successfully tested and proved to be stable. When centrifuging, the absence of stratification of the cream into fatty and aqueous phases after the test has showed the stability of the cream. The pH of the cream samples corresponds to the pH of the skin. During a qualitative test green color indicates the presence of carotenoids. Quantitative determination of the carotenoids amount in the cream for treatment and prevention cheilitis (in recalculation to β-carotene) corresponds to the set content of carotenoids in the cream of 5.4 mg. The viscosity of the developed cream at 16.2 s−1 is 68.38 ± 0.21 Pa x s, that fully corresponds to the viscosity of creams. In the study of osmotic activity, it was found that the cream with a glycerol content of 7% provides moderate osmotic activity of the drug for 8 h, which may indicate the absence of overdrying and irritating effect. In terms of microbiological purity, the investigated cream with lipophilic extract of bee pollen meets the requirements of the State Pharmacopoeia for finished medicines for topical use (category 2). CONCLUSION: For the cheilitis treatment and prevention has suggested the composition of the cream which contains biologically active substance – lipophilic extract of bee pollen. The technology of the cream with lipophilic extract of bee pollen was developed. Thermal and colloidal stability, pH values were studied; the quantitative content of carotenoids, viscosity, osmotic activity, and microbiological purity was determined. The research carried out made it possible to make sure of the correctness and rationality of the developed technology of the cream for the treatment and prevention of cheilitis.

Screening and Bioguided Fractionation of Mimosa pigra L. Bee Pollen with Antioxidant and Anti-Tyrosinase Activities

Abstract Bee pollen, one of the economic bee products, is widely known as a nutritional food with many bioactivities that depend on many such factors as bee species, plant source and biogeography. For this study, bee pollen was collected from Apis mellifera, harvested from the flowers of mimosa (Mimosa pigra L.) in the Chiang Mai province, Thailand. The sample was extracted in methanol (MeOH) and then sequentially partitioned with hexane, dichloromethane (DCM) and MeOH in order to isolate compounds depending on their polarities. The obtained extracts were then tested for their antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase activities through 1,1-diphyenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and for/through inhibition of mushroom tyrosinase extract, respectively. The DCM partitioned extract of mimosa flower bee pollen (DCMMBP) provided the highest antioxidant activity, with an effective concentration at 50% (EC50) of 192.1 μg/mL, and was further fractionated by silica gel 60 column chromatography and Sephadex LH20 size exclusion chromatography. All fractions were tested for their antioxidant activity and analyzed for the chemical structure through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The most active fraction (EC50 of 121.3 μg/mL) was a mixture of compounds, but the isolated flavonoid, naringenin, had a negligible antioxidant activity. In contrast, all three partitioned extracts and pooled fractions after silica gel 60 column chromatography provided no anti-tyrosinase activity (IC50 of > 500 μg/mL) and a very low percentage of tyrosinase inhibition (0–2.99 ± 3.18%), compared to kojic acid (IC50 of 8.58 μg/mL and tyrosinase inhibition of 74.2 ± 1.25%).

Extract of Unifloral Camellia sinensis L. Pollen Collected by Apis mellifera L. Honeybees Exerted Inhibitory Effects on Glucose Uptake and Transport by Interacting with Glucose Transporters in Human Intestinal Cells.

Bee pollen possesses potential hypoglycemic effects but its inhibitory mechanisms on glucose absorption and transportation in intestinal cells still need to be clarified. Here, we determined the inhibitory effects of bee pollen extract originating from Camellia sinensis L. (BP-Cs) as well as its representative phenolic compounds on glucose uptake and transport through a human intestinal Caco-2 cell monolayer model. It showed that three representative phenolic compounds, including gallic acid (GA), 3-O-[6'-O-(trans-p-coumaroyl)-β-d-glucopyranosyl]kaempferol (K1), and 3-O-[2',6'-di-O-(trans-p-coumaroyl)-β-d-glucopyranosyl]kaempferol (K2), with contents of 27.7 ± 0.86, 9.88 ± 0.54, and 7.83 ± 0.46 μg/mg in BP-Cs extract, respectively, exerted mutual antagonistic actions interacting with glucose transporters to inhibit glucose uptake and transport based on their combination index (CI) and molecular docking analysis. K1, K2, and GA might compete with d-glucose to form hydrogen bonds with the same active residues including GLU-412, GLY-416, GLN-314, and TRP-420 in GLUT2. These findings provide us a deep understanding of the mechanisms underlying the anti-hyperglycemia by bee pollen, which provide a new sight on dietary intervention strategies against diabetes.

Bee Bread Exhibits Higher Antimicrobial Potential Compared to Bee Pollen.

This study aimed at investigation of the antimicrobial potential of ethanolic extracts of bee bread (BB) and bee pollen (BP) and suspensions of these products in MHB (Mueller Hinton Broth). We covered 30 samples of BP and 19 samples of BB harvested in Polish apiaries. Slightly lower activity was observed against Gram-negative bacteria compared to Gram-positive staphylococci. BB extracts exhibited higher inhibitory potential with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values in the range from 2.5 to 10% (v/v) against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and ATCC 29213. Most active BB extracts, namely, BB6, BB11 and BB19, effectively inhibited growth of clinical isolates of S. aureus (n = 9), including MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) strains (n = 3) at concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 5.0% (v/v). Minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) values were in the same range of concentrations; however, a shift from 2.5 to 5.0% (v/v) was observed for some products. The most active BP extracts inhibited the growth of reference strains of S. aureus at a concentration of 5% (v/v). Up to the concentration of 20% (v/v) three and seven BP extracts were not able to inhibit the growth of S. aureus ATCC 29213 and S. aureus ATCC 25923 respectively. The growth of staphylococci was also importantly inhibited in suspensions of the products in MHB. No correlation between phenolic content and antimicrobial activity was observed.

Honeybee Pollen Extracts Reduce Oxidative Stress and Steatosis in Hepatic Cells.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Additional therapies using functional foods and dietary supplements have been investigated and used in clinical practice, showing them to be beneficial. Honeybee pollen from Chile has shown a large concentration of phenolic compounds and high antioxidant activity. In this work, we characterized twenty-eight bee pollen extracts from the central zone of Chile according to botanical origin, phenolic profile, quercetin concentration, and antioxidant activity (FRAP and ORAC-FL). Our results show a statistically significant positive correlation between total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. Selected samples were evaluated on the ability to reverse the steatosis in an in vitro cell model using Hepa1-6 cells. The pollen extracts protected Hepa1-6 cells against oxidative damage triggered by 2,2′-azo-bis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)derived free radicals. This effect can be credited to the ability of the phenolic compounds present in the extract to protect the liver cells from chemical-induced injury, which might be correlated to their free radical scavenging potential. Additionally, bee pollen extracts reduce lipid accumulation in a cellular model of steatosis. In summary, our results support the antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and anti-steatosis effect of bee pollen in an in vitro model.

Brazilian bee pollen: phenolic content, antioxidant properties and antimicrobial activity

Bee pollen has been promoted as a dietary supplement for humans due to its nutritional and bioactive properties. Sixty-two samples of Apis mellifera dehydrated bee pollen collected in Brazil (eight states and Federal District) were analyzed for phenolic compounds, flavonoids, antioxidant activity using DPPH, β-carotene and ORAC methods, and antimicrobial activity. The values obtained for total phenolic compounds ranged from 12.60 to 84.22 mg GAE/g bee pollen while total flavonoids oscillated between 1.90 and 36.85 mg quercetin/g bee pollen. The IC50 ranged from 0.35 to 13.42 mg bee pollen/mL of extract. The inhibition percentages ranged from 52.58 to 98.37% of bee pollen extract using the β-carotene method. When measured by the ORAC method, antioxidant activity was between 132.98 and 575.85 μmols eq. Trolox/g bee pollen. Bee pollen efficiently inhibited the growth of all the microorganisms studied. Candida albicans was the most resistant, while Staphylococcus epidermides was the most sensitive.

Effect of antioxidant-rich propolis and bee pollen extracts against D-glucose induced type 2 diabetes in rats

The present study was designed to investigate the preventive effect of propolis, bee pollen and their combination on Type 2 diabetes induced by D-glucose in rats. The study was carried out by feeding daily two concentrations (100 and 200 mg/Kg BW) of propolis or bee pollen (or their combination to normal (non-diabetic) and diabetic rats for a period of 16 weeks. In vivo biochemical changes associated to diabetes are induced by drinking a solution containing 10% of D-glucose (diabetic rats). The in vitro antioxidant activity was also evaluated and the chemical composition of propolis and bee pollen extracts was determined by UHPLC-DAD. Phytochemical composition of propolis and bee pollen revealed the presence of several natural antioxidants, such as hydroxycinnamic acids, hydroxybenzoic acids, flavonoids, flavan-3-ols and stilbens. The major antioxidant compound present in propolis was Naringin (290.19 ± 0.2 mg/Kg) and in bee pollen was apigenin (162.85 ± 17.7 mg/Kg). These results have been related with a high antioxidant activity, more intense in propolis extract. In rats, the administration of D-glucose had induced hyperglycemia (13.2 ± 0.82 mmol/L), increased plasmatic insulin levels (25.10 ± 2.12 U/L) and HOMA-IR index (14.72 ± 0.85) accompanied with dyslipidemia, elevation of hepatic enzyme levels, and a change in both serum renal biomarkers and plasmatic calcium. The co-administration of propolis and bee pollen extracts alone or in combination restored these biochemical parameters and attenuated the deleterious effects of D-glucose on liver and kidney functions. Furthermore, these effects were better attenuated in the combined therapy-prevented diabetic rats. Hence, it is possible to conclude that propolis and bee pollen can be used as a preventive natural product against diabetes induced dyslipidemia and hepato-renal damage.

Water-soluble propolis and bee pollen of Trigona spp. from South Sulawesi Indonesia induce apoptosis in the human breast cancer MCF-7 cell line.

Bee products are best known as one of the beneficial natural products providing multiple pharmacological effects, such as antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. The present study aimed to identify potent products derived from the stingless bee Trigona spp. from Luwu Utara (South Sulawesi, Indonesia), focussing on the water-soluble extract of propolis and bee pollen, against the proliferation of the human breast cancer MCF-7 cell line. The results from DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) method of antioxidant assay revealed that water-soluble propolis and bee pollen had high antioxidant activity, with half-maximal effective concentrations against DPPH radicals of 1.3 and 0.4 mg/ml, respectively. Additionally, water-soluble propolis and bee pollen exhibited a significant antiproliferative activity in MCF-7 cells, with IC50 values of 10.8±0.06 and 18.6±0.03 mg/ml, respectively (P<0.05). Significant cytotoxic effects were observed after 24 h of treatment via microscopic and flow cytometric analysis, where a morphological change toward late apoptosis was observed. By contrast, honey had low antioxidant activity and no antiproliferative effect in MCF-7 cells. The water-soluble propolis also exerted its antiproliferative effect in the human keratinocyte HaCaT cell line. The antiproliferative activity was similar (P>0.05) at 24 and 48 h of treatment, with IC50 at 2.7±0.06 mg/ml and <0.4 mg/ml, respectively. Notably, bee pollen was less toxic to HaCaT cells after 24 h of treatment than the water-soluble propolis, with IC50>50 mg/ml. Its antiproliferative activity was significantly increased after 48 h of treatment, with IC50 at 9.6±0.07 mg/ml (P<0.05). In addition, similar to other poplar propolis, the high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet and electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry analyses revealed that caffeic acid phenethyl ester was not the main bioactive compound of the samples examined. Furthermore, two major proteins (between ~50 and 75 kDa) were identified in the water-soluble propolis and bee pollen. The present results suggested that water-soluble propolis and bee pollen may have the potential to be elaborated further as a breast anticancer therapy.

Schisandra chinensis bee pollen\u2019s chemical profiles and protective effect against H2O2-induced apoptosis in H9c2 cardiomyocytes

BackgroundSchisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill bee pollen extract (SCBPE) is often used as a functional food in China due to its good antioxidant property. However, its chemical compositions and effects on H9c2 cardiomyocytes against H2O2-induced cell injury still lacks of reports thus far. This study aimed to characterize the main components of SCBPE and investigate its protective effects against H2O2-induced H9c2 cardiomyocyte injury.MethodsThe main components of SCBPE were analyzed via ultraperformance liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–QTOF MS/MS). The three main nucleosides in SCBPE were quantitatively analyzed via ultraperformance liquid chromatography–diode array detection. Furthermore, the potential mechanism by which SCBPE exerts protective effects against H2O2-induced H9c2 cardiomyocyte injury was explored for the first time via cell survival rate measurements; cell morphological observation; myocardial superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) level determination; flow cytometry; and quantitative polymerase chain reaction.ResultsTwo carbohydrates, three nucleosides, and nine quinic acid nitrogen-containing derivatives in SCBPE were identified or tentatively characterized via UPLC–QTOF MS/MS. The nine quinic acid nitrogen-containing derivatives were first reported in bee pollen. The contents of uridine, guanosine, and adenosine were 2.4945 ± 0.0185, 0.1896 ± 0.0049, and 1.8418 ± 0.0157 μg/mg, respectively. Results of in vitro experiments showed that cell survival rate, myocardial SOD activity, and GSH level significantly increased and myocardial MDA level significantly decreased in SCBPE groups compared with those in H2O2 group. Cell morphology in SCBPE groups also markedly improved compared with that in H2O2 group. Results indicated that SCBPE protected H9c2 cardiomyocytes from H2O2-induced apoptosis by downregulating the mRNA expressions of Bax, cytochrome C, and caspase-3 and upregulating the Bcl-2 mRNA expression.ConclusionsThis study is the first to report that SCBPE could protect against oxidative stress injury and apoptosis in H2O2-injured H9c2 cells. Results indicated that the nucleosides and quinic acid nitrogen-containing derivatives could be the main substances that exert protective effects against H2O2-induced H9c2 cardiomyocyte injury.

Bee pollen extract as an eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor for pure copper in hydrochloric acid

Herein, bee pollen extract (BPE) was assessed for its performance as a green inhibitor of copper corrosion in acidic media. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry was used to identify the major components of BPE. Multiscale testing techniques, i.e. weight assessment, potentiodynamic polarisation tests, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, were employed to explore the corrosion properties of pure copper specimens in 1 M HCl with 0–7 g/L BPE. The adsorption of BPE on the copper surface fitted a Langmuir-type isotherm. BPE behaves as a mixed-type inhibitor that effectively decreases the corrosion of pure copper metal surfaces in 1 M HCl. Increasing the concentration of BPE increases its inhibition efficiency; at 7 g/L BPE, a high inhibition efficiency of 94.5% was attained. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy were employed to analyse the copper surface. The inhibitive properties of BPE on pure copper corrosion are attributed to the adsorption of antioxidants and phenolic compounds on the copper surface. This study provides insight into the efficiency of BPE as a potential corrosion inhibitor of copper in acidic environments.

Phenolic profile and antioxidant activity of bee pollen extracts from different regions of Algeria

Abstract Due to its complex biochemical properties, the bee pollen is considered one of the functional foods. Bee pollen collected from pollen grains from different botanical sources offers almost a full diet such as carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, minerals. In this study, methanol extracts of 13 honeybee pollen samples were evaluated for flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant capacity. Caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid, gallic acid, quercetin, rutin, vanillin, and naringin were identified as main phenolic compounds in pollen extracts by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The obtained results are: total phenolic content - 379.8 to 915.6 mg GAE/100 g, total flavonoid content - 207.1 to 550 mg QE/100 g, and antioxidant activity - 808.2 to 3311 mg GAE/100 g in bee pollen extracts.

The amino acid profile of broiler chicken meat after dietary administration of bee products and probiotics

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of bee pollen, propolis and probiotics on the amino acid (AA) profile of chicken meat. A total of 240 Ross 308 broiler chicken individuals of mixed sex were randomly divided into four groups (n = 60): control – without supplementation, group with probiotic (3.3 g Lactobacillus fermentum), group with 400 mg bee pollen extract and 3.3 g probiotic, group with 400 mg propolis extract and 3.3 g probiotic. The fattening period lasted for 42 days. The AA profile was not affected by dietary probiotics or probiotics + bee pollen extract in the breast and thigh muscles, however, a higher concentration of Tyr (p ≤ 0.05) was found in the breast muscle in the group with probiotics + propolis extract supplementation. Considering the AA composition and relatively high essential amino acid score (EAAI), breast meat from chickens receiving the probiotic and propolis extract appears to be an interesting source of proteins with an increased (p ≤ 0.05) Phe + Tyr (76.27%) content when compared with the control group (73.49%). With regard to the bee pollen, we can state that this dietary supplement did not lead to any improvement in the AA profile of chicken meat. In conclusion, the dietary probiotic and propolis extract supplementation elicited the best AA profile of the chicken meat among the observed treatments in comparison with the control group and thus may become a promising method to improve the quality of chicken meat.

New approaches to pharmacotherapy of asthenic syndrome in general practice

In the present paper importance of asthenic syndrome as one of the actual problem of modern medicine has been looked. A main ways of pathogenesis of asthenia and its clinical peculiarities in different pathological conditions have been analyzed. A main attention paid to strategies of pharmacotherapy and pharmacopropilaxy of this syndrome, particularly with using of phytotherapy, and to use in these strategies combine drugs. Expediency of using in different forms of asthenic syndrome innovative domestic combine drug Vasavital, containing standartized extract of Ginkgo biloba, bee pollen and vitamin’s complex has been grounded. Clinico-pharmacological effects of Vasavital, it’s clinical experience and safety characteristics have been looked.

The Inclusion of a Supercritical Fluid Extract, Obtained From Honey Bee Pollen, in the Diet of Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata), Improves Fish Immune Response by Enhancing Anti-oxidant, and Anti-bacterial Activities

In the present study, the immune-stimulatory effect of two levels of honey bee pollen (5 and 10%, P5 and P10 treatment, respectively) and its supercritical fluid extract (0. 5 and 1%, E0.5 and E1, respectively) included in the diet, was tested in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). The in vivo trial was preceded by the evaluation of antioxidant properties of three different bee pollen extracts obtained by water, ethanol 80%, and Supercritic Fluids Extraction (SFE). The preliminary evaluation attested that the SFE showed the lowest extraction yield (10.47%) compared to ethanol 80% (48.61%) and water (45.99%). SFE extract showed good antioxidant properties with high polyphenol content (13.06 mg GAE/g), radical scavenging activity (3.12 mg/ml), reducing power (38.68 mg/mL EC50). On the contrary, the water extract showed the significantly lowest polyphenol content (2 mg GAE/g; P < 0.05). The results of in vivo trial demonstrate that the diets supplemented with SFE bee pollen extract had a stimulatory effect on fish serum immunity, respect to the inclusion of raw pollen, this latter revealing some inhibitory effects in the immune response, such a decrease of serum peroxidase and lysozyme activities, particularly in P10 group significantly different (P < 0.05) from the control group. On the contrary, serum peroxidase, protease, antiprotease, were significantly increased in fish fed the diets supplemented with supercritical fluid extract, respect to the fish fed on control and on diets supplemented with 5 and 10% of raw pollen. For what concerns the bactericidal activity against Vibrio harveyii, all the treatments containing bee pollen regardless of the type showed their serum bactericidal activity significantly increased with respect to the control groups (p < 0.05). Given its high antioxidant properties, the absence of toxic solvents and the positive action carried out on improving the humoral response in gilthead seam bream, honey bee pollen SFE extract can be taken into account in the formulation of fish feeds.

Chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and diuretic effect of Moroccan fresh bee pollen in rats.

Aim:This study investigated the chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and diuretic effect of Moroccan aqueous extract of fresh bee pollen (AEFBP) in normal rats.Materials and Methods:The chemical composition of the extracted bioactive compounds was assessed using liquid chromatography with diode array detection coupled to electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry (LC/DAD/ESI-MSn). 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and the reducing power were used to assess the antioxidant properties of the extract, together with the determination of total phenols and flavonoids. To assess the diuretic effect, 20 normal rats were divided into five groups: The first was a control group administered by distilled water (10 mL/kg body weight), the second group received furosemide (10 mg/kg body weight), the third group received 100 mg/kg body weight of AEFBP, the fourth group received 250 mg/kg body weight of AEFBP, and the fifth group received 500 mg/kg body weight of AEFBP for 30 days. Toward the end of this experiment, urine output was measured, and plasma and urine were sampled to analyze creatinine, potassium, chloride, and sodium levels.Results:N1,N5,N10-tri-p-coumaroylspermidine is a spermidine derivative and was the main compound in this sample, in a total of 19 compounds identified, including flavonoids, glucoside flavonoids, and methylated derivatives. Force feeding with the AEFBP induced a significant increase in urine output and urinary electrolyte levels with a dependent dose-effect without changes in plasma electrolytes, whereas furosemide decreased plasma potassium.Conclusion:Moroccan fresh bee pollen extract contains flavonols and spermidines that induce a potential antioxidant activity related to significant diuretic effect without changes in plasma composition.

Bee pollens originating from different species have unique effects on ovarian cell functions

Context The species-specific differences and mechanisms of action of bee pollen on reproduction have not been well studied. Objective We compared the effects of bee pollen extracts from different plants on ovarian cell functions. Materials and methods We compared the effects of pollens from black alder, dandelion, maize, rapeseed, and willow at 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, or 100 µg/mL on cultured porcine ovarian granulosa cells. Cell viability was assessed with a Trypan blue test, the cell proliferation marker (PCNA), and an apoptosis marker (BAX) were assessed by immunocytochemistry. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) release was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Addition of any bee pollen reduced cell viability, promoted accumulation of both proliferation and apoptosis markers, and promoted IGF-I release. The ability of various pollens to suppress cell viability ranked as follows: rapeseed > dandelion > alder > maize > willow. The biological activity of bee pollens regarding their stimulatory action on ovarian cell proliferation ranked as follows: dandelion > willow > maize > alder > rapeseed. Cell apoptosis was promoted by pollens as follows: range > dandelion > alder > rapeseed > willow > maize. The ability of the pollens to stimulate IGF-I output are as follows: willow > dandelion > rapeseed > maize > alder. Discussion Bee pollen can promote ovarian cell proliferation by promoting IGF-I release, but it induces the dominance of apoptosis over proliferation and the reduction in ovarian cell viability in a species-specific manner. Conclusions This is the first demonstration of adverse effects of bee pollen on ovarian cell viability and of its direct stimulatory influence on proliferation, apoptosis, and IGF-I release. The biological potency of bee pollen is dependent on the plant species.

Anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenesis effect of bee pollen methanolic extract using air pouch model of inflammation.

Background and purpose:Research on new drugs with a natural source and low side effects is a priority in pharmacology studies. The present study was conducted to investigate the anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenesis effects of bee pollen extract in the air pouch model of inflammation.Experimental approach:To achieve this goal, male rats were moderately anesthetized and then 20 and 10 mL of sterile air were subcutaneously injected into the intrascapular area of the back of the rat on first and third days, respectively. On day 6, inflammation was induced by intrapouch injection of carrageenan. Normal saline in the control group and bee pollen methanolic extract (50, 100, and 200 mg/pouch) were administered at day 6, simultaneously with carrageenan, and then for 2 consecutive days only normal saline and the extracts were injected. Following sacrificing the rats the pouch was opened and the exudate volume, leukocyte accumulation, granulation tissue weight, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin 1beta, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) concentrations were determined 3 days after induction of inflammation. In order to investigate the angiogenesis, the granulation tissue was removed, homogenized in the Drabkin’s reagent, and then centrifuged. The supernatant was filtered and the hemoglobin concentration was determined using a spectrophotometer.Results:Bee pollen extract significantly decreased the exudate volume, leukocyte accumulation, granulation tissue weight, angiogenesis, VEGF, and TNF-α concentration.Conclusion and implications:The findings of the current study revealed that bee pollen methanolic extract has an anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenesis effect, which could be attributed to the inhibition of VEGF and TNF-α production in the inflammatory exudates.