Bee Pollen

This study focuses on the development and evaluation of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) as an efficient carrier for the co-delivery of paclitaxel (PTX) and kaempferol (KMF) in breast cancer treatment. PTX, a BCS (Biopharmaceutics Classification System)-IV class drug, was combined with KMF, a flavonoid extracted and isolated from bee pollen, to enhance therapeutic efficacy. The optimal synergistic ratio of PTX and KMF was incorporated into SLNs using a hot homogenization technique, resulting in PTX-KMF-SLNs with a stable core-shell structure, narrow size distribution (166.1 ± 3.2 nm), and high encapsulation efficiency (86.15 ± 4.52%). In vitro studies demonstrated that PTX-KMF-SLNs exhibited five times greater cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells compared to the free drug combination while minimizing systemic toxicity. Preclinical evaluation further confirmed a significant reduction in tumor volume, highlighting the enhanced therapeutic potential of the nanoformulation. The antioxidant properties of KMF contributed to improved drug stability and targeted delivery, making PTX-KMF-SLNs a promising nanocarrier system for breast cancer therapy. The nanoformulation SLNs effectively reduced tumor volume in preclinical models, showing strong therapeutic potential. Future prospects include clinical translation, personalized therapy, application to other cancers, and development of targeted or stimuli-responsive delivery systems. This formulation represents a promising strategy for safe and effective breast cancer therapy.

PURPOSE: A probable interaction between warfarin and honeybee-collected pollen is reported. SUMMARY: A 71-year-old Caucasian man arrived at an anticoagulation clinic for routine warfarin monitoring with an International Normalized Ratio (INR) value of 7.1 (therapeutic range, 2.0-3.0). His medical history included atrial flutter, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, obesity, and hypothyroidism. His medication regimen included warfarin, hydrochlorothiazide, lisinopril, levothyroxine, simvastatin, glyburide, metformin, vardenafil, aspirin, a multivitamin, and the herbal products Cataplex E2, Cataplex B, and Cyruta. The dosages of all medications and herbal products had been stable for the previous nine months, including warfarin (INR, 1.9-3.3). The patient began taking bee pollen granules (one teaspoon orally twice daily) for a perceived general health benefit one month before this clinic visit. He denied use of alcohol and tobacco, changes in dietary phytonadione intake, missed or extra doses of warfarin, any other medication changes, and acute illness and diarrhea. Warfarin was withheld, and the patient was seen at the anticoagulation clinic three days later with an INR of 3.7. Warfarin was held for a fourth day and then restarted with the weekly dose decreased by 11%. The patient continued to take bee pollen, and all INR values during the next seven months were within or near the therapeutic range. Use of the Drug Interaction Probability Scale indicated that there was a probable interaction between bee pollen and warfarin. CONCLUSION: Consumption of bee pollen led to increased INR values in a patient taking warfarin.

In this study, 28 Wistar female rats (200-250g) were used and divided into four equal groups. Group 1 was allocated as the control group. Groups 2-4 were administered 100mg/kg/bw/day bee pollen, 20mg/kg/bw/day propoxur, and 100mg/kg/bw/day bee pollen plus 20mg/kg/bw/day propoxur by gavage for 14 days, respectively. At the end of the 14th day, blood and tissues (the liver, kidney, brain, and heart) were collected from all animals. Oxidative stress markers (MDA, CAT, SOD, GSH-Px) and some other biochemical parameters (total protein, albumin, glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, BUN, creatinine, uric acid, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, total bilirubin, GGT, LDH, AST, ALT, and ALP) were analyzed. According to the data obtained, propoxur was determined to lead to negative changes in most of the biochemical parameters investigated and the administration of bee pollen was determined to alleviate these effects.

The increasing use of bee products in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries has intensified interest in their therapeutic properties. However, the safety of these natural compounds warrants careful consideration, particularly within the context of pharmacovigilance. This study aimed to conduct an integrative review of the scientific literature and official pharmacovigilance databases (Notivisa, EudraVigilance, FDA/MedWatch, TGA, among others) to identify adverse effects and toxicological risks associated with the use of honey, apitoxin (bee venom), propolis, royal jelly, bee pollen, and beeswax. The findings indicated that although widely used, these products are not free from risk. Reported cases included infant botulism and grayanotoxin poisoning linked to honey; anaphylaxis and fatalities following therapeutic use of bee venom; contact dermatitis and systemic reactions induced by propolis; severe asthma attacks after royal jelly consumption; adulteration of pollen-based supplements with illicit pharmacological substances; and allergic reactions to beeswax in cosmetic products. Allergic responses were the most prevalent type of adverse event, particularly among atopic individuals. These findings highlight the need for appropriate labeling, post-marketing surveillance, and educational campaigns to ensure the safe use of these products. It is concluded that despite their recognized benefits, apitherapeutic products must be used with caution, and the strengthening of pharmacovigilance systems is essential to safeguard public health. © 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

Bee products, including honey, have been utilized since ancient times for nutritional and therapeutic purposes. Recently, other bee products such as bee pollen, royal jelly, and propolis have caught a lot of attention. Being high in antioxidants and bioactive compounds, these products have established their applications in the pharmaceutical field as supplementary or alternative medicines. This review focuses on their use against polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)-related infertility. A systematic search of electronic databases including PubMed, Web of Science ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar was conducted from their inceptions up to November 2022. Studies with a small sample size, studies with inconclusive data, and pre-prints have been excluded. A narrative synthesis was performed during draft preparation after the authors independently performed a literature search. A total of 47 studies were finalized for the review. It can be observed that in vivo data on the use of bee products in treating PCOS mostly deals with their use in synergism with the PCOS medicines to enhance their effect and/or curb their side effects; however, clinical trials for the same are limited. With the amount of data being limited, it is difficult to map out the mechanism by which these products act in managing PCOS inside the human body. The review gives detailed insights into the reversal and restorative properties of bee products against the aberrations in reproductive health caused by PCOS.

Pollen has been used for centuries as a tonic and a multipurpose remedy in traditional medicine. The present umbrella review aims to qualitatively assess the therapeutic efficacy of orally administered pollen in the management of nonallergic diseases. MEDLINE via PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were systematically searched for relevant systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Articles were independently screened and selected, then quality of evidence of included studies was evaluated with a dedicated NIH tool. Retrieved evidence was critically appraised and discussed. Two hundred four articles were found and, after selection process, five systematic reviews were included in the present work, including one with a meta-analysis. Evidence from these reviews supports the use of grass pollen extracts for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and chronic prostatitis (CP). Additional preliminary evidence on the topic indicates the potential use of grass pollen extracts for vasomotor symptoms in women. Overall, results of the present review suggest that flower pollen extracts may be useful as a complementary remedy for the management of BPH, CP, and vasomotor symptoms. Evidence regarding bee pollen is too limited to draw any conclusion on its clinical efficacy. Further studies are needed. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Functional foods can be effective in the prevention of metabolic syndrome and subsequently the onset of cardiovascular diseases and type II diabetes mellitus. More recently, however, another term was introduced to describe foods with additional health benefits: "superfoods", for which, to date, no generally accepted definition exists. Nonetheless, their consumption might contribute to the prevention of metabolic syndrome, for example due to the presence of potentially bioactive compounds. This review provides an overview of controlled human intervention studies with foods described as "superfoods" and their effects on metabolic syndrome parameters. First, an Internet search was performed to identify foods described as superfoods. For these superfoods, controlled human intervention trials were identified until April 2017 investigating the effects of superfood consumption on metabolic syndrome parameters: waist circumference or BMI, blood pressure, or concentrations of HDL cholesterol, triacylglycerol or glucose. Seventeen superfoods were identified, including a total of 113 intervention trials: blueberries (8 studies), cranberries (8), goji berries (3), strawberries (7), chili peppers (3), garlic (21), ginger (10), chia seed (5), flaxseed (22), quinoa (1), cocoa (16), maca (1), spirulina (7), wheatgrass (1), acai berries (0), hemp seed (0) and bee pollen (0). Overall, only limited evidence was found for the effects of the foods described as superfoods on metabolic syndrome parameters, since results were not consistent or the number of controlled intervention trials was limited. The inconsistencies might have been related to intervention-related factors, such as duration or dose. Furthermore, conclusions may be different if other health benefits are considered.

An evidence-based systematic review including written and statistical analysis of scientific literature, expert opinion, folkloric precedent, history, pharmacology, kinetics/dynamics, interactions, adverse effects, toxicology, and dosing.

Comment in J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl). 2020 Jan;104(1):399. doi: 10.1111/jpn.13294. To evaluate the effect of bee pollen (BP) and/or propolis (Pro) supplementation on rabbit does, 64 nulliparous NZW rabbits does were distributed among eight groups (eight animals/group). One unsupplemented group was the control; the other seven groups were supplemented, respectively, with zinc bacitracin (ZnB) at 100 mg, BP at 150 and 300 mg, Pro at 150 and 300 mg, BP+Pro at 150 and 300 mg of each three times/week, day after day continuously along eight parities. The BP300, Pro300 and BP+Pro150 groups had higher body weight of litter at birth and number of kids born alive. The BP supplementation at 150 mg increased plasma total protein and albumin than the control group. The BP or Pro at 150 mg decreased plasma T3 than the other groups except for BP+Pro150. The ZnB group had significantly greater T3 /T4 ratio compared to BP, Pro and BP+Pro at 150 mg. The BP+Pro150 group had less ALT than the control; BP300 and Pro 300 mg resulted in lower plasma AST than the groups Pro150 with or without BP and the control group. The plasma alkaline phosphatase of BP at 150 or 300 mg and BP+Pro150 was significantly greater than that of the Pro150 group. The BP+Pro300 group had higher WBCs than the other groups. In contrast, the lymphocytes were greater in the Pro and BP+Pro300 groups than in BP, Pro and BP+Pro at 150 mg. The groups supplemented with BP and BP+Pro at 150 and 300 mg had significantly greater SRBCs of doe rabbits and their offspring compared to the control and the ZnB group. The BP at 300 mg increased the serum albumin and α1 -globulin than the control group. The Pro300 group had greater serum α2 -globulin and β-globulin than the control group. The total globulin was significantly greater for the 300 mg propolis-supplemented groups than the control. © 2019 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Sixty-four nulliparous female rabbits were distributed among eight groups (eight animals/group). Group one was the unsupplemented control group; the other seven groups were supplemented with zinc bacitracin (ZnB) at 100 mg, or bee pollen (BP) and/or propolis (Pro) at 150 and 300 mg in a capsulated form, three times a week, day after day, continuously all over the experimental period. The experiment was run for eight parties; at each parity, 28 kids of each doe group (a total of 224 rabbits) were divided into two subgroups weaned, respectively, at 24 and 30 days of age. Thus, for each parity, there were 16 groups (eight does treatments × two weaning age, 14 rabbits per group). The growing rabbits fed the standard diets without supplements. The growth performance, the carcass traits, the liver and the spleen histology of rabbits were checked up to 90 days of age to find possible carryover effects of the supplements. The supplements had no significant effect on most of the growth performance at 90 days of age, but BP150 and BP+Pro300 increased the growth rate in comparison with ZnB group. The liver weight in the control, BP300 and Pro300 groups was higher than the ZnB one. The spleen weight was higher in the groups ZnB, BP150, Pro300 and BP+Pro300, followed by the control, BP300 and BP+Pro150 and thus Pro150. The heart % in the BP150 and Pro300 groups was higher than ZnB and BP+Pro150 groups. A lymphoid hyperplasia of splenic white pulp was observed in the BP+Pro groups, while propolis alone showed a mild activation of lymphobiosis. The Pro and BP groups showed the same picture of the control group exhibiting a hydropic degeneration of mostly hepatic cells, while the ZnB group exhibited adverse effect on the bile ducts featuring portal periductal inflammatory cells infiltration with epithelial hyperplasia reflecting chronic cholangitis. © 2019 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

The aim of the article was to study the effect of different growth promoters on growth performance, carcass quality, biochemical and haematological traits and immune response of growing rabbits. A total number of 105 male growing NZW rabbits during 35-91 days of age were randomly distributed among 7 groups fed the same basal diet and submitted to different dietary treatments: the first group was unsupplemented and used as control; the other groups were supplemented respectively with bee pollen and/or propolis at 200 mg/kg BW of each and inulin and/or mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) at 35 mg/kg BW of each. Body weight gain, daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), biochemical and haematological blood parameters, carcass characteristics, histological studies of ileum and spleen and economical efficiency were measured. Bee pollen administered alone or with propolis significantly (p < 0.01) the body weight gain and improved FCR in respect of the control group. Inulin with MOS significantly improved just FCR than the control group. Bee pollen with propolis and MOS supplemented-groups resulted in significantly higher (7.96 and 8.41% respectively) white blood cells compared to the control group. Plasma total cholesterol was significantly higher for the MOS group in respect of the control, bee pollen, inulin and inulin with MOS supplemented-groups. Propolis resulted in significantly higher dressed carcass percentage than the control group and higher carcass index than only bee pollen with propolis supplemented-group. Bee pollen, in particular if in combination with propolis, could be used as a supplement in the growing rabbits during days 35-91 of age with positive effects on growth rate and feed conversion ratio. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Forty New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit does were equally divided among four groups feeding the same commercial diet and receiving a water solution containing, respectively, 0 (control), 100, 200 and 300 mg bee pollen/kg body weight (BW), 1 week before and after mating during moderate (October-February) and hot seasons (May-September) for three consecutive mating in each season. Does were mated with non-treated adult NZW male rabbits 11 days after kindling. Body weight of does, number of service per conception, conception rate, feed intake, litter size, milk production, blood constituents, weight of kits from birth up to weaning and survival rate were determined. For each season, 80 weaned rabbits originated from the does of the control group (untreated does) were equally divided into four groups (0, 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg BW) of bee pollen, given as a water solution twice per week from 4 to 12 weeks of age. The kit of the does given 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg BW did not receive bee pollen during the growing period (4-12 weeks of age). The effect of bee pollen on growing rabbit's performance was studied from 4 to 12 week of age. Bee pollen at 200 mg significantly (p < 0.01) increased body weight of does, conception rate, milk yield, litter size; improved biochemical profiles of blood and helps outstanding of does during both seasons. The same dose of bee pollen significantly increased kit growth and their survival rate until weaning. Growth and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of kits from the treated does during 4-8 weeks of age were significantly better than growth of kits from the untreated does that administrated bee pollen during 4-12 weeks of age. Meanwhile, during the following period (8-12 weeks of age) growth and FCR of kits given bee pollen from the untreated does were significantly better than that of treated does. © 2010 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

OBJECTIVES: Fifty-five postmenopausal women with menopausal complaints were treated with the food supplement Melbrosia for 3 months. Menopausal symptom evaluation scales and psychological questionnaires were administered, and cardiovascular disease markers in blood were analyzed at the beginning and the end of the trial. SETTING: The perimenopausal care unit of Second Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Sofia, Bulgaria. DESIGN: The study was an open, multicenter, uncontrolled, prospective observation study. The subjective symptoms questionnaires administered before Melbrosia treatment and after 3 months of treatment were Kupperman Score, Zerssen Symptom List, Zung Depression Score, and Frankfurt Self-concept Scale (self-assessment test, problem-solving test, self-esteem test, and irritability test). The blood levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured in a subgroup of patients. RESULTS: Treatment of postmenopausal women with Melbrosia led to a statistically significant reduction in the Kupperman score, Zerssen's Symptoms List, and Zung Depression Score. The Frankfurt Self-concept Scale revealed significant improvement in problem-solving, no change in self-assessment and self-esteem, and worsening of irritability. Treatment with Melbrosia significantly reduced TC and LDL and significantly elevated HDL and TG. There were nonsignificant changes of serum VCAM-1 and CRP levels in patients treated with Melbrosia. CONCLUSIONS: The presented data suggest that Melbrosia may offer a potential alternative to hormone therapy for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. However, because of this study's uncontrolled, open- label methodology, no cause-and-effect inferences can be drawn until a larger, longer-term, blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial is performed.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of bee pollen (BP) and propolis (PRO) supplementation on rabbits' productive performance and serum metabolites through a meta-analysis. Sixteen peer-reviewed publications were included in the data set. The rabbit strains used in the studies included in the data set were New Zealand White, V-line, Rex, and V-line crosses. Weighted mean differences (WMD) between treatments supplemented with BP or PRO and control treatments were used to assess the magnitude of the effect. BP supplementation decreased (p < 0.001) daily feed intake (DFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR); however, increased (p < 0.001) average daily gain (ADG) and hot carcass yield (HCY). PRO supplementation reduced DFI (p = 0.041) and FCR (p < 0.001), and increased ADG (p < 0.001) and HCY (p = 0.005). In blood serum, BP supplementation increased total antioxidant capacity (TAC; p = 0.002) and decreased serum creatinine concentration (p = 0.049). Likewise, decreased serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were detected in response to BP supplementation (p < 0.05). PRO supplementation increased the TAC in blood serum (p = 0.018); however, decreased serum concentrations of AST, ALT, and MDA were observed (p < 0.05). In conclusion, BP or PRO supplementation can be used as a natural growth promoter in rabbits, and both can also improve rabbits' antioxidant status. However, BP or PRO supplementation does not affect rabbits' renal or hepatic health status.

BACKGROUND: Insect-vectored Leishmania are responsible for loss of more disability-adjusted life years than any parasite besides malaria. Elucidation of the environmental factors that affect parasite transmission by vectors is essential to develop sustainable methods of parasite control that do not have off-target effects on beneficial insects or environmental health. Many phytochemicals that inhibit growth of sand fly-vectored Leishmania-which have been exhaustively studied in the search for phytochemical-based drugs-are abundant in nectars, which provide sugar-based meals to infected sand flies. PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: In a quantitative meta-analysis, we compare inhibitory phytochemical concentrations for Leishmania to concentrations present in floral nectar and pollen. We show that nectar concentrations of several flowering plant species exceed those that inhibit growth of Leishmania cell cultures, suggesting an unexplored, landscape ecology-based approach to reduce Leishmania transmission. SIGNIFICANCE: If nectar compounds are as effective against parasites in the sand fly gut as predicted from experiments in vitro, strategic planting of antiparasitic phytochemical-rich floral resources or phytochemically enriched baits could reduce Leishmania loads in vectors. Such interventions could provide an environmentally friendly complement to existing means of disease control.

Bee products including propolis, bee wax, pollen and royal jelly (RJ) have been used as medicine from ancient times. A vast number of in-vivo and in-vitro studies as well as clinical trials have been conducted to investigate potential health related properties of RJ. A growing number of clinical trials have been performed to assess effects of RJ ingestion on different metabolic markers including glycemia, with diverse results. In the current meataanalysis, we aimed to evaluate effects of RJ ingestion on glycemic markers compared with placebo and set directions for future research. Electronic databases including Scopus, Pubmed, Scholar, Cochrane, Proquest, SID and Magiran were searched and 5 eligible studies were included in the quantitative analysis. Review Manager Software was used for statistical analysis and random effects model was used for pooling data. A total of 205 participants for FPG and 130 participants for HbA1c were included. The overall analysis revealed that RJ consumption reduced FPG by 0.95 mg/dl (95% CI: -5.83 to 3.87; p = 0.69; I2 = 0%; Tau2 = 0.00) and HbA1c by 0.32 (95% CI: -0.87 to 0.23; p = 0.25; I2 = 69 %; Tau2 = 0.16) which were not statistically significant. Funnel plot demonstrated no publication bias. In conclusion, RJ supplementation did not beneficially affect markers of glycemia. However, due to methodology issues and potential confounders like diet as well as diverse populations, we recommend future studies well designed and well controlled for major confounders so we can update these data to more precise results and more accurate conclusion.