Apitherapy for Parkinson’s Disease: A Foc... - Cure Parkinson's

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Apitherapy for Parkinson’s Disease: A Focus on the Effects of Propolis and Royal Jelly - 2020

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I switched from Google to DuckDuckGo and found this surprising article. hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2...

5. Evidence from Preclinical Studies

The effects of both propolis and its flavonoids and RJ and its lipids on PD were examined both in vivo and in vitro. The findings indicate that these bee products can induce both structural and symptomatic improvements and reduce the behavioral and histomorphometrical dysfunctions that are caused by PD in rodents. In this regard, a water extract of propolis (200 mg/kg/d/40 days) reduced dopaminergic neurodegeneration and striatal fiber degeneration induced by 6-OHDA along with maintenance of body weight and improvement of cardiac and autonomic functions [83]. CAPE (10 mg/kg) significantly decreased stepping ratio, improved coordination, shortened the latency to orient downwards on pole test, prolonged the permanence time, and increased the activity index and rears in rotenone-challenged mice [44]. This effect is a read out for reduced neurotoxicity demonstrated by CAPE in mice treated with MPTP and rotenone as depicted by increased percentage of viable dopaminergic neurons in the SNC by 73% and 92%, respectively [44, 84].

6.1. Bee Products Protect Neurons against Oxidative Stress

Antioxidants protect neurons against neurotoxins by inhibiting the generation of free radicals. Several lines of evidence denote that flavonoids in propolis and derivatives of RJ lipids demonstrate neuroprotective effects in dopaminergic neurons, to a great extent, through modulation of oxidative stress. CAPE blocked the production of O2− and peroxynitrite in the brain of MPTP-intoxicated mice and inhibited the activity of the prooxidant iNOS in rotenone-induced mouse model of PD [44, 84].

6.2. Bee Products Protect Neurons against Neuroinflammation

Research shows that both central and local inflammation, which involves CD4 T cell infiltration and activation of CD11b+microglia/macrophages, play a key role in neuron loss in PD. Chronic activation of these cells is associated with morphological and functional alterations that promote excessive production of ROS [44, 87].

Research shows that bee products such as RJ display immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory functions under conditions of neuroinflammation via activation of NRF2 [13]. In addition to being a master pathway that stimulates the release of antioxidants, NRF2 plays a central role in the suppression of inflammatory responses directly through downregulation of the transcription of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-1β [92]. Moreover, redox control (expression of antioxidant genes such as HO-1) is another mechanism through which RJ might silence neuroinflammation [13]. HO-1 is a main cytoprotective agent not only against oxidative stress but also against inflammation.

6.4. Maintaining Brain Levels of Dopamine

Dopamine is the main neuroactive substance involved in PD [31]. Current PD treatments are based on dopamine replacement [44]. Active compounds in propolis increased dopamine levels in the SNC of experimental models of PD.

6.5. Enhancement of the Production of Neurotrophins in the Brain

Neuronal adversities such as chronic oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and excitotoxicity are key contributors to progressive neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration. Neurotrophins are compounds that are essential for the survival of specific neurochemical phenotype classes of neurons [42].

6.6. Restoration of Normal Brain Structure

PD involves morphological alterations in different parts of the brain, including reduced volumes of the caudate nucleus, thalamus, and white matter, as well as atrophy of the basal ganglia, contraction in the left cerebellum, decreased gray matter in the right quadrangular lobe, reduced fractional anisotropy, neuromelanin pigmentation, neuronal loss within the SNC, and increased mean and radial diffusivity within the SNC and globus pallidus [108]. Experimental models indicate that RJ induces structural and symptomatic improvements in PD mice by protecting against the histomorphometrical dysfunctions caused by the disease. The effect of RJ on the integrity of brain structure is attributed to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects, which all lower the loss of dopaminergic and cholinergic neurons [99, 109]. The effect of propolis on brain structure was evaluated in 6-OHDA-challenged rats. Compared with the sham and placebo (water) groups, propolis significantly reduced striatal fiber degeneration [83]. However, the effect of active compounds in propolis on anatomical structures in the brain needs to be explored in future studies.

7. Discussion

Few preclinical studies have evaluated the effect of propolis flavonoids, RJ, and RJ lipids on PD. Whole RJ [82], CAPE [44], and chrysin [42] improved motor behavioral alterations in PD animals. The protective effects of these compounds are likely attributed to their ability to reduce the production of free radicals [13, 42, 44, 45, 79, 84, 86], proinflammatory cytokines [42, 44], and mitochondrial proteins [45, 84] involved in cell death as well as their downstream effectors such as caspase-3 [85] and bax [79]. Immunochemistry and cell viability analyses revealed higher survival of dopaminergic neurons treated with these compounds both in vivo [42, 44, 84] and in vitro [13, 45, 79, 84, 86]. These results indicate that bee products such as propolis and RJ can be a potentially safe adjunctive treatment for PD.

And here is a long bonus section for Art and the rest of us microbiome obsessed people:

It is now well-known that altered gut microbiome is a major contributor to the initiation and development of PD pathology [10, 11, 121]. Evolving knowledge implies that dietary interventions such as fatty acids (phospholipid membrane precursors), amino acids, and microbiota-directed therapy (e.g., probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics) may correct gut alterations, treat GI symptom, and promote CNS functioning in PD [10, 18, 121, 122]. Propolis and RJ are rich in amino acids, fatty acids, and phospholipids [28, 37, 41, 55]. In addition, they are abundant in beneficial bacteria such as lactic acid bacteria, which is commonly used as probiotics to improve health and enhance growth and reproductive performance—43 species of these bacteria have been identified in bees and bee products such as RJ with 20 of them having inhibitory effects against 28 species of human and animal pathogens, some of which are antibiotic-resistant [123]. Propolis possesses strong antimicrobial properties, and it is used by bee workers as a disinfecting agent to keep integrity of the beehive [40]. Meanwhile, RJ contributes to the diversity and vitality of gut microbiome in queen bees. For example, Lactobacillus apis and Bifidobacterium are abundant in the gut of queen bees, and they produce metabolites that prevent the expression of oxidative stress genes and contribute to the excellent physical and reproductive traits of queen bees. On the other hand, these bacteria are deficient in bee workers, which feast mainly on honey and pollens [124]. The literature denotes that both propolis and RJ contribute to the maintenance of GI function. In this respect, supplementing rats on high fat diet with 0.2% dietary green propolis significantly altered the structure of gut microbiome. This effect was associated with less intestinal permeability, lower levels of lipopolysaccharide in the systemic circulation, and downregulation of activity of toll-like receptor 4 and cytokine expression in skeletal muscle [125]. Propolis was also reported to protect rats against gastric mucosal lesions induced by stress [126]. RJ has been shown to enhance the growth of beneficial gut bacteria such as Bacteroides fragillis and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, which colonize in the distal end of the gut to ferment and degrade indigestible proteins and carbohydrates; they also play a role in the activation of the regulatory T cells. In addition, RJ also demonstrates protective effects on the intestinal wall by contributing to the viability of the human epithelial colorectal cell line Caco-2 [127]. Thus, we suggest that propolis and RJ may positively affect the gut-brain axis in PD patients by modulating microbiota composition. Future studies exploring the effect of bee products on microbiota in PD and its association with the molecular and cellular adversities associated with PD will provide insightful information. It might be helpful to compare the effect of combining propolis and RJ with other conventional treatments such as dietary modifications and exercise since these interventions express their effects, in part, through the modulation of gut microflora [128].

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park_bear profile image
park_bear

This is a review of 11 different studies that used either OHDA or MPTP toxin animal models. If the substance under test is introduced after the toxin does its damage the result can be informative. On the other hand, if the substance under test is merely used to protect against the toxin, that is not a valid test of ability to improve Parkinson's. In some of these studies the latter may have been the case:

" Chrysin treatment for 28 days protected mice against behavioral deficits triggered by interstriatal injection of 6-OHDA 36 days after lesion induction as reported by decreasing the number of rotations and latency for the first fall elicited by 6-OHDA"

Although this description is sufficiently unclear that one would need to actually review the study being cited to be sure of what was going on. Same for this other study:

"Moreover, treating 6-OHDA-PD rat models with RJ (100 or 200 mg/kg), 4 weeks after lesion induction, resulted in a significant decrease in the number of rotations in ipsilateral and contralateral to striatal lesion induced by apomorphine subcutaneous injection (0.2 mg/kg) in the 7th week after lesion induction compared with untreated PD rats [82]."

One would really need to review this study as well to be sure of what actually happened.

Bolt_Upright profile image
Bolt_Upright in reply to park_bear

I am really surprised that a bear would be resistant to a treatment involving honey.

Lucky for me I am a nice drive from Amish country. Taking a drive tomorrow.

park_bear profile image
park_bear in reply to Bolt_Upright

These additions are not likely to do you any harm, as my wild cousins can attest. But if you are serious about adding these to your supplement stack I recommend a deeper investigation.

Bolt_Upright profile image
Bolt_Upright in reply to park_bear

5. Evidence from Preclinical Studies

The effects of both propolis and its flavonoids and RJ and its lipids on PD were examined both in vivo and in vitro. The findings indicate that these bee products can induce both structural and symptomatic improvements and reduce the behavioral and histomorphometrical dysfunctions that are caused by PD in rodents. In this regard, a water extract of propolis (200 mg/kg/d/40 days).

So I weigh about 70 kg. That would be 14 grams of propolis a day. That's a lot!

park_bear profile image
park_bear in reply to Bolt_Upright

There is a adjustment factor for metabolic rate - divide dose by 12 to adjust from mouse to human, and by 8 for rats.

Bolt_Upright profile image
Bolt_Upright in reply to park_bear

Thank you so much park_bear! This helps a lot!

Bolt_Upright profile image
Bolt_Upright in reply to Bolt_Upright

2.3. Antioxidant Effect of Propolis in Human Studies hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2...

Most of the studies regarding antioxidant properties of propolis have been performed on cell culture or animals. In the available literature, there are only a few studies investigating the antioxidant effect of propolis in humans.

Mujica et al. [44] evaluated the effects of the oral administration (twice daily, 15 drops each time, 90 days) of commercially available propolis solution (Beepolis®) on the oxidative status and lipid profile in a human population in Chile. The 90-day propolis supplementation resulted in a 67% decrease in the amount of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS; lipid peroxidation derivative products) and 175% increase in reduced glutathione (GSH) level compared to the baseline. Net changes of both studied parameters were significantly higher in propolis supplemented group than those observed in the placebo group. Moreover, an increase in the HDL concentration on the 90th day of propolis supplementation compared to the baseline value was observed. The authors concluded that propolis supplementation appeared to have positive effects on oxidative status and the improvement of HDL and may thus reduce the risk of cardiovascular events.

But that good news is followed by this:

Jasprica et al. [45], in turn, investigated the issue of the possible influence of 30-day supplementation with commercially available powdered propolis extract (a total daily dose of flavonoids was 48.75 mg) on antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), and a lipid peroxidation marker—malondialdehyde (MDA)—in healthy individuals. In the male group, after 15 days of propolis treatment, a 23.2% decrease in MDA level was observed, whereas after 30 days, a 20.9% increase in SOD activity was found. Interestingly, MDA concentration in the end of treatment was similar to the baseline value. The propolis treatment had no effect on any of the studied parameters in women (). The authors concluded that the effect of propolis was both time and gender dependent and suggested a possibility of existence of only the transitory effect of propolis ingestion on lipid peroxidation.

Bolt_Upright profile image
Bolt_Upright in reply to Bolt_Upright

Hmmm

Kumari et al. [4] showed that the hydroethanolic extract of Indian propolis (HEIP) displayed the protective effect against mitomycin C- (MMC-) induced genotoxicity and cytotoxicity which could be, at least partially, mediated via free radical-scavenging activity and inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation. The potential geno- and cytotoxic effects of MMC in the bone marrow was manifested by a significant increase in the frequency of micronculeated cells and the percentage of apoptotic cells as well as the reduction in polychromatic erythrocyte (PCE) to normochromatic erythrocytes (NCE) ratio (P/N ratio) compared to the control group. However, MMC-induced toxic effects were significantly recovered by pretreatment with HEIP with the optimum dose being 400 mg/kg.

Now we are up to 28 grams of propolis.

Bolt_Upright profile image
Bolt_Upright in reply to Bolt_Upright

More good Royal Jelly news: hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2...

4.3. Antioxidant Effect of Royal Jelly in Human and Animal Diabetes Mellitus Model

Despite antioxidant properties of the royal jelly found in both in vitro and in vivo models, there are only a few human studies confirming its effectiveness. The research recently conducted concerned its influence on the parameters associated with diabetes and oxidative stress in people with diabetes mellitus type 2 [114, 115]. In the study conducted by Pourmoradian et al. [114], 50 female volunteers with type 2 diabetes were randomly supplemented with RJ (1000 mg once a day) or placebo for 8 weeks. Before and after the intervention, glycemic and antioxidative-oxidative blood parameters were determined. After the supplementation decreased fasting blood glucose (FBG) and serum glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels as well as increased insulin concentration were noticed in the royal jelly-supplemented group in comparison with the placebo one. Moreover, the supplementation caused a significant increase in erythrocyte SOD and GPx activities as well as a decrease in MDA concentration. Similar results were reported by Shidfar et al. [115]. In their study, 46 type 2 diabetic patients were randomly assigned to royal jelly (1000 mg, 3 times a day, for 8 weeks) or placebo -supplemented groups. In the supplemented group, decreased homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and increased total antioxidant capacity in comparison with the placebo group were noted. Also in studies using an animal model of diabetes, the improvement of oxidative-antioxidant (MDA, CAT, and ferric-reducing properties of plasma (FRAP)) and biochemical parameters (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and fasting blood glucose (FBG)) as well as histopathological changes (tubular differentiation index, mononuclear immune cells, tunica albuginea thickness, seminiferous tubules diameter, Johnsen’s score, spermiogenesis index, Sertoli cell index, and meiotic index) were observed after royal jelly supplementation [116, 117]. The authors suggested that their results confirmed the role of reactive oxygen species, even if only secondary, in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. According to them, the royal jelly can ameliorate insulin resistance via antioxidant effect. Based on their results, the authors stated that supplementation with the royal jelly might be beneficial for diabetic patients, but further studies are necessary to clarify the exact mechanism of RJ influence on diabetic parameters.

Bolt_Upright profile image
Bolt_Upright in reply to Bolt_Upright

4.4. Antioxidant and Neuroprotective Effects of Royal Jelly hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2...

There are several studies that focused on the relationship between the antioxidant and neuroprotective effects of royal jelly, in the literature data. Mohamed et al. [118] investigated the possible neurotoxic effect of tartrazine, a commonly used synthetic azo dye, as well as the potential modulatory role of royal jelly. The group of rats receiving only tartrazine showed not only disturbances of antioxidant biomarkers but also numerous apoptotic cells in the brain cortex and significant decrease in the concentration of the brain neurotransmitters (GABA, dopamine, and serotonin). The authors revealed that the cotreatment of rats with royal jelly improved antioxidant biomarkers as well as neurotransmitter levels. Interestingly, royal jelly also had an activating effect on the central nervous system represented by the reduced degree of damage and apoptosis of brain tissue. The authors concluded that a component responsible for these changes could be 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid, because it was demonstrated that in addition to its antioxidative properties, 10H2DA could support the generation of neurons.

Bolt_Upright profile image
Bolt_Upright in reply to Bolt_Upright

hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2...

6. Conclusion

The aforementioned in vitro and animal studies seem to confirm the usefulness of using bee products (propolis, bee pollen, and royal jelly) as natural agents capable of counteracting the effects of oxidative stress underlying the pathogenesis of numerous diseases or disorders, such as neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, diabetes, and atherosclerosis, as well as negative effects of different harmful factors and drugs (e.g., cytostatic agents). However, studies on their role in humans are very limited, and the existing ones have aimed mostly at evaluating the effect of the supplementation of commercially available extracts of propolis or royal jelly in healthy people or type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, in the available literature, there is a lack of studies considering this issue in the context of neurodegenerative disorders or cancers, although promising results were obtained in animal studies. This may result from the fact that particular samples of bee products may have different compositions, so it is difficult to draw a general conclusion concerning their potential therapeutic application without a detailed chemical analysis.

In conclusion, future studies concerning the question if bee products could be a promising adjuvant in the therapy of oxidative stress-related disorders or diseases in human seem to be advisable.

Bolt_Upright profile image
Bolt_Upright in reply to Bolt_Upright

I think I see more good than bad and at reasonable doses in the limited human studies. Adding bee pollen to my smoothie also.

Elephantlydia profile image
Elephantlydia in reply to Bolt_Upright

Your comments about Royal jelly are interesting but unfortunately most of the data is in animal studies.Royal jelly will probably do no harm but I believe a good multivitamin would be just as effective and a good antioxidant.

Bolt_Upright profile image
Bolt_Upright in reply to Elephantlydia

One of my focuses is fixing the microbiome. I think I read the Royal Jelly has 23 or 43 different beneficial bacteria in it. Not sure it makes it past the stomach acid. And it tastes good. Thanks.

LAJ12345 profile image
LAJ12345

Just be careful you are not allergic to it. My sister had a near anaphylactic reaction to a lip balm with bees wax and royal jelly in it. Turns out she is allergic to royal jelly which isn’t surprising given her allergy to pollens.

Bolt_Upright profile image
Bolt_Upright

Comparison of antimicrobial efficacy of propolis, Morinda citrifolia, Azadirachta indica (Neem) and 5% sodium hypochlorite on Candida albicans biofilm formed on tooth substrate: An in-vitro study 2013 jcd.org.in/article.asp?issn...

Conclusion: According to the results of this study, propolis can be used as an effective antifungal agent similar to that of sodium hypochlorite, although long-term in vivo studies are warranted.

Bolt_Upright profile image
Bolt_Upright in reply to Bolt_Upright

Wow! Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is a solution made from reacting chlorine with a sodium hydroxide solution. These two reactants are the major co-products from most chlor-alkali cells. Sodium hypochlorite, commonly referred to as bleach, has a variety of uses and is an excellent disinfectant/antimicrobial agent.

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