Thursday, January 31, 2013

Non-Toxic Effect from Mega Propolis Consumption

An important study looking towards the lethal dose of Propolis. Fortunately,  massive consumption of Propolis is not a health concern and what could be better for human health than a therapeutically active product to aid the body to heal and prevent disease and illness? The recommended daily dose is about 350 for an average adult but when there's an illness or disease to treat, that dosage should be doubled and consumed 3 times per day...

Apimondia Apimedica-Apiquality International Forum
Acute Toxicological Test of Propolis


2012, Oct. 22-25 Zhenjiang, China

ZHUO Bi-rong, SHI Pei-ying, WU Zhen-hong*
(Bee Science College of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Natural Biotoxi, Fuzhou 350002, China )

This project used Fixed-dose procedure to study acute toxicity reaction of mice to ethanol extract of propolis. The result showed that mice, which have been lavaged with ethanol extract of propolis were all live during 0~14 days. In addition, the tested mice shown no-affected locomotor activity and had no abnormal symptoms. The mice showed no abnormal secretion in mouths, noses and ears. Also the mice showed other normal symptoms such as eyelid without prolapse, clear eye pupil, normal excretions, and smooth hair. Autopsy results showed no obvious abnormity characterization of the organs. The organs index has no obvious difference with control group (The max dose is 2000mg/kg).

In conclusion, mice had no acute toxicity reaction to ethanol extract of propolis. Since 2000mg/kg is 100 times of the human body recommended dose, people can also use propolis with this dose.
*Corresponding author, E-mail:wzh516@126.com


Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Initiation à l'Apithérapie et Phytothérapie

Une formation très enrichissante pour tous ceux qui veulent prendre soin d'eux grâce à une médecine ancienne et à la mode ...


Initiation à l’Apithérapie et Phytothérapie

Une formation proposée par l’Association Francophone d’Api-phytothérapie





Ouverte:
  • A toute personne désireuse de compléter ses connaissances sur les plantes médicinales et les produits de la ruche, dans un but préventif et thérapeutique
  • Aux docteurs en médecine humaine et vétérinaire, infirmières, thérapeutes, pharmaciens...
  • Aux apiculteurs, conseillers en produits naturels…

Deux semaines au choix, en 2013 :
  • Du 5 mai au 11 mai à Auterive (31)
  • Du 1° septembre au 7 septembre à Plan d’Hotonnes (01)

D’autres stages peuvent être organisés selon la demande.

Tarif : 680€ + adhésion 20€

Consultez le programme complet sur le site : www.api-phytotherapie.fr
Tél : +336 18 91 18 05


Honey May Help Prevent, Treat Leukemia

Thanks to reviews such as this one which bring to light the significance of phenolic compounds found in honey and propolis. These naturally-occurring compounds will prove important in reversing the negative effects of antibiotics and so called, 'Super Bugs'. Likewise, beekeepers worldwide need to protect these compounds during the processing of their honey, avoiding heat, sunlight and ultrafiltration...


A Review of Molecular Mechanisms of the Anti-Leukemic Effects of Phenolic Compounds in Honey
Int J Mol Sci, 2012 Nov 15

Hematologic malignancies constitute about 9% of all new cases of cancers as reported via the GLOBOCAN series by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2008. So far, the conventional therapeutic and surgical approaches to cancer therapy have not been able to curtail the rising incidence of cancers, including hematological malignancies, worldwide. The last decade has witnessed great research interest in biological activities of phenolic compounds that include anticancer, anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation, among other things.
A large number of anticancer agents combat cancer through cell cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis and differentiation, as well as through inhibition of cell growth and proliferation, or a combination of two or more of these mechanisms. Various phenolic compounds from different sources have been reported to be promising anticancer agents by acting through one of these mechanisms.
Honey, which has a long history of human consumption both for medicinal and nutritional uses, contains a variety of phenolic compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, coumarins and tannins.
This paper presents a review on the molecular mechanisms of the anti-leukemic activity of various phenolic compounds on cell cycle, cell growth and proliferation and apoptosis, and it advocates that more studies should be conducted to determine the potential role of honey in both chemoprevention and chemotherapy in leukemia.


Friday, January 25, 2013

Propolis Effective in Treating Vaginal Thrush

Already recognized for its antifungal capacity, propolis is also effective in treating vaginal conditions. Propolis ovules have seen dramatic results, in and out of controlled studies. It's exciting to see this study confirm the anecdotal reports from patients and clients...

Preparation and characterization of mucoadhesive thermoresponsive systems containing propolis for the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis

Abstract
This work describes the preparation and characterization of mucoadhesive thermoresponsive systems consisted of poloxamer 407 (P407), Carbopol® 934P (C934P), and propolis to treat vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC).
Systems were obtained with different percentages of P407 and C934P to deliver propolis, a potent drug against VVC. Temperature of gelation, hardness, compressibility, adhesiveness, elasticity, cohesiveness, mucoadhesion, rheology (continuous flow and oscillatory), in vitro drug release, and antimicrobial activity were evaluated. Increasing the polymer content or temperature and the drug presence significantly increased mechanical properties of formulations. These exhibited pseudoplastic flow and low degrees of thixotropy. In most samples, increasing the C934P content significantly changed the oscillatory rheological properties. Formulations showed thermoresponsive behavior, existing as a liquid at room temperature and gel at 34°C–37°C. Propolis release from formulations was controlled by phenomenon of relaxation of polymer chains or displayed anomalous behavior, dependent of concentration of each polymer. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of preparations was evaluated against microorganisms of vaginal importance (Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae), displaying activity against all yeast tested.

The data obtained for these systems indicate a potentially useful role in the treatment of VVC and suggest they are worthy of clinical evaluation.




Royal Jelly Boosts Red Blood Cells, Mental Health & Glucose Tolerance

Contrary to popular belief, consuming Royal Jelly even at elevated levels up to 10g per day is possible, in fact, even beneficial, on a case-dependent basis. Imagine what results that could produce in light of the small quantity they used in this study?

Effect of Royal Jelly Ingestion for Six Months on Healthy Volunteers
Nutrition Journal, 2012 Sep 21

BACKGROUND:
Royal jelly is a widely ingested supplement for health, but its effects on humans are not well known. The objective was to evaluate the effects of long-term royal jelly ingestion on humans.

METHODS:
We conducted a randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. A total of 61 healthy volunteers aged 42-83 years were enrolled and were randomly divided into a royal jelly group (n = 31) and a control group (n = 30). Three hundred mg of royal jelly (RJ) or a placebo in 100 ml liquid/day were ingested for 6 months. The primary outcomes were changes in anthropometric measurements and biochemical indexes from baseline to 6 months after intervention.

RESULTS:
Thirty subjects in the RJ group and 26 in the control group were included in the analysis of endpoints. In an adjusted mean change of the variables from the baseline, significant differences between the two groups could be found in red blood cell counts (+0.16x106 /muL for the RJ group vs. -0.01x106 /muL for the control group, P = 0.0134), hematocrit (+0.9% vs. -0.8%, P = 0.0251), log (fasting plasma glucose) (+0.01 +/- 0.01 log mg/dL vs. +0.05 +/- 0.01 log mg/dL, P = 0.0297), log (insulinogenic index) (+0.25 vs. -0.13, P = 0.0319), log dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) (+0.08 log mug/dL vs. +0.20 log mug/dL, P = 0.0483), log testosterone (T) (+0.12 +/- 0.04 log ng/mL vs. -0.02 +/- 0.05 log ng/mL, P = 0.0416), log T/DHEA-S ratio (+0.05 +/- 0.05 vs. -0.23 +/- 0.59, P = 0.0015), and in one of the SF-36 subscale scores, mental health (MH) (+4 vs. -7, P = 0.0276).

CONCLUSIONS:
Six-month ingestion of RJ in humans improved erythropoiesis, glucose tolerance and mental health. Acceleration of conversion from DHEA-S to T by RJ may have been observed among these favorable effects. 

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Intl German Apitherapy Congress & Expo, 22-26 March


A truly great learning experience for beginners and advanced practitioners of Apitherapy, covering a full range of applications, techniques and personal experience...

11th Annual International German Apitherapy Congress, Expo and Workshops

Passau, Germany
March 22-26, 2013

Venue
IBBHotel, Passau

Congress Main Themes :

1. Prevention and Treatment of Rheumatism and Diabetes with Bee Products.

2. Update on the Apitherapy Science and Practice in China.

3. New Clinical Apitherapy Experiences from the Practice.

Click here for the Preliminary Program


Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Propolis Flavonoid Has Chemotherapeutic Effect

Propolis has numerous flavonoids, each with certain properties, frequently overlapping with other bioflavonoids. Such is the case with Galangin, a flavonoid commonly identified in areas where Poplar trees are present. It also possesses antimicrobial, antimycotic (anti-fungal), bacteriostatic and wound healing properties... 

Galangin Induces B16F10 Melanoma Cell Apoptosis Via Mitochondrial Pathway and Sustained Activation of p38 MAPK
Cytotechnology, 2012 Sep 22

Galangin, an active flavonoid present at high concentration in Alpinia officinarum Hance and propolis, shows cytotoxicity towards several cancer cell lines, including melanoma. However, the specific cellular targets of galangin-induced cytotoxicity in melanoma are still unknown.

Here, we investigated the effects of galangin in B16F10 melanoma cells and explored the possible molecular mechanisms. Galangin significantly decreased cell viability of B16F10 cells, and also induced cell apoptosis shown by Hoechst 33342 staining and Annexin V-PI double staining flow cytometric assay.

Furthermore, upon galangin treatment, disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential was observed by JC-1 staining. Western blotting analysis indicated that galangin activated apoptosis signaling cascades by cleavage of procaspase-9, procaspase-3 and PARP in B16F10 cells. Moreover, galangin significantly induced activation of phosphor-p38 MAPK in a time and dose dependent manner. SB203580, an inhibitor of p38, partially attenuated galangin-induced apoptosis in B16F10 cells.

Taken together, this work suggests that galangin has the potential to be a promising agent for melanoma treatment and may be further evaluated as a chemotherapeutic agent.




Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Honey Protects Humans From Chronic Diseases

This is a gem of a study! It identifies several important elements 1) role of phenolic compounds, i.e., nectar sources 2) flavonoids aid human health 3) positive glycemic effect. Now, beekeepers need to improve processing practices that preserve these elements and educate consumers honey is also medicine and should not be clear as water and remain liquid for life (except for a few rare sources, such as Acacia Honey)...


Honey as a Source of Dietary Antioxidants: Structures, Bioavailability and Evidence of Protective Effects Against Human Chronic Diseases
Curr MedChem, 2012 Dec 28

In the long human tradition honey has been used not only as a nutrient but also as a medicine. Its composition is rather variable and depends on the floral source and on external factors, such as seasonal, environmental conditions and processing.

In this review, specific attention is focused on absorption, metabolism, and beneficial biological activities on human health of honey compounds.
Honey is a supersaturated solution of sugars, mainly composed of fructose (38%) and glucose (31%), containing also minerals, proteins, free amino acids, enzymes, vitamins and polyphenols. Among polyphenols, flavonoids are the most abundant and are closely related to its biological functions.

Honey positively affects risk factors for cardiovascular diseases by inhibiting inflammation, improving endothelial function, as well as the plasma lipid profile, and increasing low-density lipoprotein resistance to oxidation. Honey also displays an important antitumoral capacity, where polyphenols again are considered responsible for its complementary and overlapping mechanisms of chemopreventive activity in multistage carcinogenesis, by inhibiting mutagenesis or inducing apoptosis.

Moreover, honey positively modulates the glycemic response by reducing blood glucose, serum fructosamine or glycosylated hemoglobin concentrations and exerts antibacterial properties caused by its consistent amount of hydrogen peroxide and non-peroxide factors as flavonoids, methylglyoxal and defensin-1 peptide.

In conclusion, the evidence of the biological actions of honey can be ascribed to its polyphenolic contents which, in turn, are usually associated to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions, as well as to its cardiovascular, antiproliferative and antimicrobial benefits.


Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Propolis Protects Kidneys from Aluminum Toxicity

Propolis is the natural protector for humans and animals. It's been proven in numerous studies to protect the body from commonly occuring illnesses, as well as more toxic situations, such as this example. You'll find even more references to its protective nature with other internal organs such as the liver and the intestines in this blog...


Role of Propolis (Bee Glue) in Improving Histopathological Changes of the Kidney of Rat Treated with Aluminum Chloride
EnvironToxicol, 2012 Nov 22

Humans are frequently exposed to aluminum from various food additives, therapeutic treatments and the environment, and it can be potentially toxicThis study is aimed to elucidate the protective effects of propolis against aluminum chloride (AlCl(3) )-induced histopathological and immunohistochemical changes in kidney tissues of rats. 

Sixty Wistar Albino male rats (average weight 250-300 g) were divided into three equal groups. The first served as a negative control. The second received AlCl(3) (34 mg/kg bw, 1/ 25 LD 50). The third were administered AlCl(3) (34 mg/kg bw, 1/ 25 LD 50) plus propolis (50 mg/kg bw). Doses were given once daily via a gavage for 8 weeks every day.

The results showed that shrunken glomeruli, intraglomerular congestion, loss of apical microvilli, degeneration of mitochondria and widened rough endoplasmic reticulum were also observed in the Proximal Convoluted Tubules of these animals. Treatment with propolis ameliorated the harmful effects of AlCl(3) ; this was also proved histopathologically by the noticeable improvement in the renal tissues. There were also significant variations in the expressed of ki-67 and p53 proteins.

It can be concluded that propolis may be promising as a natural therapeutic agent in AlCl(3) -induced renal toxicity and oxidative stress in rat kidneys.