Therapeutic effect of propolis on Staphylococcus aureus induced oxidative stress in kidney of BALB/c mice. A biochemical and histopathological study

Due to emerging drug resistance in pathogenic organisms, most of the second generation antibiotics are not effective in controlling the disease. As a consequence, the dosage and duration of drug intake has increased leading to drug induced toxicity and various side effects. A large number of natural products are being reported to ameliorate the toxicity and oxidative stress caused by antibiotics. Here, we explored the antioxidative potential of honey bee product propolis alone as well as in combination with antibiotics in Staphylococcus aureus infected BALB/c mice. For experimental design, mice were divided in to seven groups and decapitated after experimental period. Kidney was excised, homogenized and then used for different biochemical and histopathological estimations. Results observed after treatment with propolis and antibiotics were compared with those of S. aureus infected group. Results showed increase in lipid peroxidation, decrease in reduced glutathione levels and antioxidant enzymes such as; catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase. On the contrary, treatment with propolis, led to reduction in levels of LPO and increase in activities of antioxidant enzymes. Also, histopathology of kidney and all kidney function enzymes were restored to near normal.

Antioxidant potential and protective effects of bee pollen extract against Salmonella induced hepatic and renal toxicity in BALB/c mice

Apicultural products comprise honey, bee pollen, propolis, bee wax and royal jelly which are known for their medicinal and health promoting properties. Among these, bee collected pollen allure much attention for its high nutritional properties. Here, we have investigated the protective role of bee pollen against Salmonella typhimurium induced biochemical alteration in BALB/c mice. Experimental animals (BALB/c mice) were divided equally into 10 different groups including normal and treated. Oxidative stress was induced by injecting Salmonella typhimurium (0.2 mL of 2×104 CFU/mL) intraperitoneally in mice. Bacteria induced sufficient alterations in serum enzymes within 5 days. Aqueous extracts of bee pollen of different crops (250 mg/kg) were administrated orally to control and experimental mice for 21 days. Then, hepatic and renal enzymes were measured with the help of standardized kits. Results of this study have revealed that bacterial infection increases the levels of the hepatic and renal enzymes levels (P <0.001) but after treatment with bee pollen extracts, altered levels of enzymes were normalized up to the normal levels. This normalization was highest with bee pollen of Helianthus annus. Administration of bee pollen alone did not produce any negative effects in mice.

Biological properties of volatile oil from Brazilian brown propolis

ABSTRACT Propolis, is a bee product collected from exudates and flower buds of several plants, has strong aroma and several biological applications. This study aimed at evaluating the chemical composition and in vitro antioxidant, antibacterial and cytotoxic properties of volatile oil from Brazilian brown propolis. It was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Volatile oil from brown propolis exhibited strong antibacterial activity against H. pylori (MIC 3.25 µg/ml), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MIC 50 µg/ml) and M. avium (MIC 62.5 µg/ml). It was evaluated in vitro for antioxidant activity by DPPH (IC50 25.0 µg/ml) and ABTS (IC50 30.1 µg/ml) methods. Its cytotoxic property was evaluated in normal (human fibroblasts, GM07429A) and tumor (MCF-7-human breast adenocarcinoma; HeLa-human cervical adenocarcinoma and M059J-human glioblastoma) cell lines. IC50 values were 81.32 µg/ml for GM07429A and 85.00, 129.40 and 84.12 µg/ml for MCF-7, HeLa and M059J cells, respectively. Three major dereplicated components of volatile oil from brown propolis were acetophenone (15.2%), nerolidol (13.3%), and spathulenol (11.6%). Our results contribute to a better understanding of the chemical and biological properties of Brazilian brown propolis and provide evidence for its potential medicinal use.

La Medicina Natural y Tradicional como tratamiento alternativo de múltiples enfermedades / Natural and Traditional Medicine as an Alternative Treatment for Several Diseases

Introducción: El origen de la Medicina Natural y Tradicional está íntimamente unido con la historia del hombre en su lucha por la supervivencia. Las diferentes modalidades de la misma ofrecen grandes potencialidades a la medicina actual. Objetivo: Describir el uso terapéutico de algunas modalidades de la medicina natural y tradicional en la actualidad. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio cualitativo descriptivo mediante la técnica de revisión bibliográfica, a través del análisis, desde una visión integradora, de 40 artículos con calidad científica, publicados en los últimos 5 años, referentes a las modalidades de la Medicina Natural y Tradicional como tratamiento alternativo de múltiples enfermedades. Conclusiones: La Medicina Natural y Tradicional constituye una alternativa más de tratamiento para diferentes enfermedades. Dentro de las principales modalidades utilizadas en Cuba se encuentran: Acupuntura, fitoterapia, apiterapia, moxibuxtión, homeoterapia y ozonoterapia. Algunos de sus usos terapéuticos son: expectorantes, antihipertensivos, antifúngicos, antinflamatorios, analgésicas, estimulantes inmunológicos, sedantes, entre otros. En Cuba se aprobó un programa para su aplicación y una guía para la prescripción de productos naturales, que se convirtió en una herramienta de trabajo para el médico(AU)

Introduction: The origin of natural and traditional medicine is closely associated with the history of mankind in the struggle for survival. Its different modalities offer great potentialities to present-day medicine. Objective: To describe the therapeutic use of some modalities of natural and traditional medicine at present. Methods: A qualitative, descriptive study was carried out using the bibliographic review technique, through the analysis, from an integrating view, of 40 articles with scientific quality, published in the last five years, referring to the modalities of natural and traditional medicine as alternative treatment for multiple diseases. Conclusions: Natural and traditional medicine is another treatment alternative for different diseases. Among the main modalities used in Cuba are acupuncture, herbal medicine, apitherapy, moxibustion, homeotherapy, and ozone therapy. Some of its therapeutic uses are as expectorants, antihypertensive, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, immune stimulants, and sedatives. In Cuba, a program was approved for its application, as well as it was a guide for prescribing natural products, which became a working tool for the physician(AU)

La medicina tradicional en afecciones lumbosacras en el adulto mayor / Traditional medicine for lumbosacral conditions in the elderly

RESUMEN Introducción: los métodos empleados por la Medicina Natural y Tradicional son terapéuticos, económicos e inocuos. La lumbalgia es una afección que padecen los adultos mayores en algún momento de la vida. Objetivo: determinar la efectividad de la medicina tradicional en afecciones lumbosacras en el adulto mayor, del Policlínico Universitario Pedro Borrás Astorga, en el período de septiembre de 2016 a junio de 2017. Métodos: se realizó una investigación observacional, analítica, de casos y controles, con un universo de 562 adultos mayores que asistieron a consulta de medicina tradicional con dolor lumbosacro, se seleccionó una muestra aleatoria simple de 200 pacientes, separados en dos grupos, de 100 cada uno, el de casos que recibió tratamiento con medicina tradicional y el grupo de controles tratado con medicina convencional; se utilizaron métodos teóricos, empíricos la revisión de la historia clínica, la escala de Oswestry e índice Womac, se aplicaron técnicas estadísticas (porciento y Chi cuadrado). Resultados: predominaron en ambos grupos las edades entre 60-64 años, el sexo femenino, la ocupación de ama de casa en las féminas y trabajador agrícola en los hombres, la evolución de los síntomas utilizando la medicina tradicional resultó satisfactoria en un 95 %, el 36 % utilizó de 3 a 6 sesiones con ventosas, el 52 % de 7 a 10 sesiones con ventosas, el 88 % recibió tratamiento con digitopuntura y un 48 % presentó gastritis como reacción adversa ante el tratamiento convencional. Conclusiones: la medicina tradicional resultó ser un tratamiento efectivo para los adultos mayores aquejados de afecciones lumbosacras.

ABSTRACT Introduction: the methods used by Natural and Traditional Medicine are therapeutic, economical and harmless. Low back pain is a condition the elderly suffer from at certain moments throughout their lives. Objective: to determine the effectiveness of traditional medicine in lumbosacral conditions in the elderly, at Pedro Borrás Astorga University Polyclinic, from September 2016 to June 2017. Methods: an observational, analytical, case and control research was carried out with a target group of 562 old people who attended a traditional medicine consultation with low back pain, a simple random sample of 200 patients was chosen, who were separated into two groups, of 100 each of cases treated with traditional medicine and the control group treated with conventional medicine; theoretical methods were used, empirical review of clinical history, Oswestry scale and Womac index, along with statistical techniques were applied (percentage and Chi-square). Results: in both groups the ages between 60-64 years predominated, female sex prevailed, the occupation of housewives in women and agricultural workers in men, the development of symptoms using traditional medicine was satisfactory in 95 %, 36 % needed from 3 to 6 sessions with cups, 52 % from 7 to 10 sessions with cups, 88 % underwent treatment with acupressure and 48 % suffered from gastritis as an adverse reactions regarding the conventional treatment. Conclusions: traditional medicine proved to be an effective treatment for the elderly suffering from lumbosacral conditions.

A Review on Bioactivities of Honey Bee Venom

The Honeybee (Apis mellifera) is one of the world’s most beneficial insects, as it plays a critical role in many terrestrial ecosystems. The use of honeybee products has been documented for thousands of years in many cultures for the treatment of human diseases, and their healing properties have been documented in many religious texts. The present study sets out to compile information on the history, chemical composition and scientific evidence concerning bee venom research. The promising bioactivities have the potential to provide practical directions for further investigation. PubMed database, Google Scholar Library, research articles, books, and relevant web pages have been accessed to accumulate data so that the updated information included in this study is as current as possible. At least 18 pharmacologically active components including various enzymes, peptides, and amines are present in bee venom. Medicinal use of bee venom therapy wields significant in vivo and in vitro outcomes to some extent mitigate the effects of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, HIV, arthritis, liver fibrosis, cancer, tumors, fibrotic diseases, Lyme disease, etc. The effects of bee venom were the first documented in 1888 with the publication of a European clinical study conducted on its impact on rheumatism. According to a study published in the journal, bee venom has been used to treat various conditions for centuries. Such research activities confirm the therapeutic effectiveness of bee venom and as a potential future biomedicine.

Antibacterial action of geopropolis of Melipona quadrifaciata in cultivation of secretion of otitis in dogs / Acción antibacteriana de geopropolis de Melipona quadrifaciata en cultivo de secreción de otitis en perros

ABSTRACT Objective. The objective of the present paper was to test the in vitro antibacterial activity of the Mandaçaia (Melipona quadrifaciata) bee's geopropolis. Materials and methods. The experiment was carried out with secretion samples collected from animals with ear diseases evaluated at Unifeso's Clinic School of Veterinary Medicine, where in vitro tests took place, antibiograns with alcoholic extract of geopropolis were made 10 test tubes (two tubes for each concentration of 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%). Results. Were not identified microorganisms at concentrations of 70, 80 and 90%. Conclusions. The geopropolis of Melipona quadrifasciata showed antibacterial activity in vitro against microorganisms from ear secretion of dogs with otitis externa.

RESUMEN Objetivo. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue probar la actividad antibacteriana in vitro de la geopropólea de la abeja Mandaçaia (Melipona quadrifasciata). Materiales y métodos. Se realizó el experimento con muestras de secreciones obtenidas de animales con enfermedades del oído evaluados en la Clínica Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria de Unifeso, donde tuvieron lugar las pruebas in vitro, antibiograns con extracto alcohólico de geopropolis fueron realizados 10 tubos de ensayo (dos tubos para cada concentración del 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%). Resultados. No se identificaron los microorganismos a concentraciones de 70, 80% y 90%. Conclusiones. La geopropolis de Melipona quadrifasciata mostró actividad antibacteriana, in vitro, frente a microorganismos de la secreción del oído de los perros con otitis externa.

Cura local con apiterapia en una paciente con ántrax / Local cure with apitherapy in a patient with anthrax

Se describe el caso clínico de una paciente de 67 años de edad, quien ingresa en el en Servicio de Dermatología del Hospital General Docente "Dr. Juan Bruno Zayas Alfonso" con diagnóstico de ántrax en región posterosuperior del tórax. Se realiza necrectomía y radiografía simple de tórax que muestra un derrame pleural izquierdo de gran cuantía; por tanto, se traslada al Servicio de Neumología donde se le diagnostica neoplasia de pulmón. La infección de piel se trató con antimicrobianos de uso parenteral y curas locales con miel de abejas, así se logró la resolución total de la lesión.

The case report of a 67 years patient who was admitted in the Dermatology Service of "Dr. Juan Bruno Zayas Alfonso" Teaching General Hospital with diagnosis of anthrax in postero-superior region of the thorax is described. A necrectomy and simple x-ray of thorax are carried out that which show a significant left pleural effusion; therefore, he was transferred to the Pneumology Service where he is diagnosed with lung neoplasia. The skin infection was treated with antimicrobials of parenteral use and local cures with honey, thus, the total resolution of the lesion was achieved.

Apitherapy - a natural antidote for oral diseases: an overview

Natural commodities of honeybees have various ingredients within them, which contribute to their incredible properties. These products have been used in traditional medicine since ancient times, due to its biologically active nature in preventing infections, wound healing and in promoting health. This nature is credited to their antibacterial, antioxidant, immunomodulating, anti-inflammatory and wound healing property. As natural remedies are showing promising results in management of oral diseases in the modern era, this paper attempts to highlight the properties of various products of honeybees and clinical applications in dentistry.

Novel Insights into the Health Importance of Natural Honey

Honey is a sweet, flavourful liquid substance with several beneficial constituents. Extensive research has shown the therapeutic promise of the use of honey in enhancing health values and improving body systems. This manuscript documents the ancient medicinal uses of honey and provides evidence-based data demonstrating its benefits in animal models, patients, and healthy individuals. Several reports by various researchers are discussed regarding health indices and biomarkers used following apitherapy. These include physiological processes in virtually all animal and human organs. The responses of body systems after oral and systemic administration of honey are also mentioned. Honey is also evaluated for its wide acceptability as a complementary and alternative medicine for most ailments. All types of honey exhibit different biochemical activities and show greater variability in their potency as apitherapeutic agents than conventional medicines. The mechanisms of action conferring honey’s protective effects, as suggested by various authors, are documented. These entail synergistic interaction of the bioactive physical and chemical constituents of honey to produce the desired beneficial effects. The use of apitherapy in synergy with chemotherapy to manage microbial and cancer ailments is also helpful in reducing drug-induced cytotoxicity. The mechanistic insights into the overall protective, preventive, and therapeutic effects of honey portend the presence of a unique factor, a ‘synergistic multiple ingredients factor’, designated SMIF.

Hymenoptera venom anaphylaxis in adult Korean: a multicenter retrospective case study

PURPOSE: We investigated the causes, clinical features, and risk factors of bee venom anaphylaxis in Korea. METHODS: The medical records of the diagnosis of anaphylaxis during a 5-year period from the 14 hospitals in Korea have been retrospectively reviewed. Cases of bee venom anaphylaxis were identified among anaphylaxis patients, and subgroup analyses were done. RESULTS: A total of 291 patients were included. The common cause of bee species was vespid (24.6%) in bee venom anaphylaxis, followed by honeybee and vespid (8.8%), apitherapy (7.7%), and honeybee (2.0%), although the causative bee species were commonly unknown (56.9%). The severity of anaphylaxis was mostly mild-moderate (72.9%), and common clinical manifestations included cutaneous (80.6%), cardiovascular (39.2%), respiratory (38.1%), and gastrointestinal (13.1%) symptoms. Portable epinephrine auto-injectors were prescribed to 12.1% of the patients. Subject positive to both vespid and honeybee showed more severe symptoms and higher epinephrine use (P<0.05). The severity was significantly associated with older age, but not with gender, underlying allergic disease, or family history. Apitherapy-induced anaphylaxis showed a higher rate of hospitalization and epinephrine use than bee sting anaphylaxis (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Vespid is the most common cause of bee venom anaphylaxis in Korea. It is suggested that positivity to honeybee and vespid may be associated with more severe symptoms.

Cáncer y terapéttica con productos de la colmen. revisión sistemática de los eestudios experimentales / Cancer therapy with bee products. Systematic review of experimental studies

Antecedentes. Los productos de la colmena se han utilizados desde hace más de dos milenios con fines terapéuticos. Conceptos teóricos basados en la composición de los productos hacen pensar que podrían ser de utilidad en el manejo del cáncer. Objetivo. Resumir la evidencia experimental disponible en la actualidad sobre el uso de los productos de la colmena en el manejo del cáncer. Material y métodos. Se realizó una revisión sistemática de los estudios experimentales publicados a través de las bibliotecas digitales PUBMED, LiLACS y OVID en los cuales se evaluara la utilidad del uso de los distintos productos de la colmena sobre cultivos de células tumorales o sobre modelos animales de cáncer. Se realizó un análisis cualitativo de la información y se construyeron tablas de resumen. Resultados. La búsqueda arrojó un total de 391 resultados de los cuales únicamente 55 cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. El veneno de abejas, la miel y el propóleo son los productos con un mayor número de publicaciones. La mayoría son estudios in vitro y son pocos los modelos en animales realizado. Se describen los mecanismos de acción a través de los cuales estos podrían llegar a ejercer acciones farmacológicas útiles en el manejo del cáncer. Conclusión. La aplicación de los productos de la colmena en el cáncer es un campo incipiente pero prometedor de investigación. Existe evidencia experimental que documenta la plausibilidad biológica de este uso. Es necesario realizar modelos animales que permitan describir el comportamiento de los productos y documentar su seguridad y utilidad terapéutica en el cáncer.

Background. The beehive products have been used for more than two millennia with therapeutic purposes. Theoretical models based on the composition of products suggest that might be useful in cancer management. Objective. To summarize experimental evidence available to date on the use of beehive products in cancer management. Methods. A systematic review of experimental studies published was performed through PUBMED, LILACS and OVID databases in which evaluate the usefulness of the beehive products on tumor cell cultures or animal models of cancer. A qualitative analysis of information was performed and summary tables were constructed. Results. A total of 391 articles was founded of 55 met the inclusion criteria. Bee venom, honey and propolis are the products with a greater number of publications. Most are studies invitro and few animal models that have been made. Mechanisms of action through which they may come to exert pharmacological properties useful in cancer management were described. Conclusion. Application of beehive products in cancer is a nascent but promising field of research. Experimental evidence documents biological plausibility of this application. Animal models are needed to help describe the behavior of products and document their safety and therapeutic use in cancer.

Efecto antiinflamatorio de apitoxina de Apis mellifera sobre prostaglandina E2 del fluido crevicular gingival de pacientes con y sin enfermedad periodontal, sometidos a apiterapia: ensayo preliminar / Anti-inflammatory effect of apitoxin and Apis mellifera on prostaglandin E2 in gingival crevicular fluid of patients with and without periodontal disease, submitted to apitherapy: preliminary test

Introducción: La apitoxina que es producida por la Apis mellifera posee efecto antiinflamatorio sobre una serie de marcadores biológicos. La prostaglandina E2 forma parte de ellos, estando presente en el fluido gingival crevicular (FGC). La prostaglandina E2 es evidenciada en la enfermedad periodontal. Objetivo: En este estudio se evaluó el efecto antiinflamatorio de la apitoxina sobre la concentración de prostaglandina E2 del FGC de un paciente sin enfermedad periodontal (SEP) y otro con enfermedad periodontal (CEP). Materiales y Método: Se seleccionó un paciente SEP y otro CEP, que sometidos a apiterapia durante 28 días, se registraron 5 muestras por paciente de FGC, siendo almacenadas, centrifugadas y refrigeradas para su conservación. Posteriormente se midió la concentración de prostaglandina E2 crevicular mediante inmunodifusión radial simple en placas petri con concentración de anticuerpo anti prostaglandina E2 de 1:1000. Selladas a 4°C, se esperó 72 horas para permitir su difusión, tiñéndose con Azul brillante de Coomasie, determinándose la concentración de cada placa. Resultados: Paciente SEP inmediatamente antes de apiterapia presentó una concentración de 0.9636 ± 0.0055 (ug/uL), finalizando con una concentración de 0.9196+/-0.0733 (ug/uL) al completar 28 días de tratamiento. El paciente CEP antes de recibir apiterapia presento una concentración de 1.1866 +/- 0.0867 (ug/uL), finalizando con una concentración de 0.9858 +/- 0.0074 (ug/uL) al completar 28 días de tratamiento. Discusión: Los hallazgos de este estudio demuestran una disminución de la concentración de PGE2 del FGC tanto para el paciente CEP y SEP sometidos a apiterapia durante 28 días, siendo esta disminución 3.7 veces mayor en el paciente CEP.

Introduction: Apitoxin, which is produced by Apis mellifera, has anti-inflammatory effect on a number of biomarkers. Prostaglandin E2 is one of them, being present in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). Prostaglandin E2 is evidenced in periodontal disease. Objective: This study evaluated the antiinflammatory effect of apitoxin on concentration of prostaglandin E2 FGC in a patient with no periodontal disease (SEP) and other with periodontal disease (CEP). Materials and Methods: We selected both a SEP and CEP patient who were subjected to apitherapy for 28 days. There were 5 samples per patient of FGC, being stored, centrifuged and refrigerated for their preservation. Subsequently, the concentrations of crevicular prostaglandin E2 were measured by simple radial immunodiffusion in petri dishes with antibody concentration of prostaglandin E2 of 1:1000. Sealed at 4 °C, after 72 hours to allow diffusion, they were stained with Coomassie Brilliant Blue, determining the concentration of each plate. Results: SEP patient immediately before apitherapy presented a concentration of 0.9636 +/- 0.0055 (g / mL), ending with a concentration of 0.9196 +/- 0.0733 (g / mL) upon completion of 28 days of treatment. CEP patient before receiving apitherapy showed a concentration of 1.1866 +/- 0.0867 (g/mL), ending with a concentration of 0.9858 +/- 0.0074 (g/mL) upon completion of 28 days of treatment. Discussion: The findings of this study show a decrease in the concentration of PGE2 of FGC both for the CEP and SEP patient subjected to apitherapy for 28 days, being this decrease 3.7 times higher in the CEP patient.

Therapeutic effect of bee venom in sows with hypogalactia syndrome postpartum

The objective of this study was to determine the clincotherapeutic effect of whole bee venom in hypogalactic sows postpartum. Sows after parturition were assigned to treated and nontreated control groups. In the treated group, 22 sows were bee acupunctured once a day for 3 consecutive days. Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) for bee acupuncture were about 15 days after metamorphosis. One live bee was used to sting the acupoints known as Yang-ming (ST-18, 1.5 cm lateral to the base of the last 2 pairs of teats) and Jiao-chao (GV-1, at the indentation between the base of tail and the anus). In the control group, 20 sows were intramuscularly injected with a standard dosage of penicillin G (400,000 IU/head) once a day for 3 consecutive days. At post-treatment, 85.0% of the drug-treated control and 90.9% of the bee venomtreated group recovered from hypogalactia syndrome. The advantages of apitherapy were that the patients did not have stress because they were not restrained for a long period. The result suggested that apitherapy using bee venom is an effective treatment for sows with hypogalactia syndrome postpartum.