Low-dose Bee Venom as a Potential Therapeutic Agent Against Human Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia Cells

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Bee venom is secreted by a gland in the abdominal cavity of bees. The venom, especially that of honeybees, contains certain enzymes and peptides that, when administered in high doses, are effective against various diseases. Peptides such as melittin and phospholipase A2 can target various cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the antiproliferative effects of administering low-dose bee venom in K-562 chronic myeloid leukaemia cells. Our proteomic study revealed regional variation of the content of bee venom and high levels of melittin, apamin and secapin, as well as phospholipase A2 and hyaluronidase. In addition, eight new, previously unidentified proteins were identified. The effects of bee venom on cell viability and drug–cell interaction were investigated at 24, 48 and 72 h. According to the MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) results, the bee venom decreased K-562 cell viability dose-dependently at all time points. Cell viability decreased 48 and 72 h after bee venom administration but increased in the control group left untreated for 72 h. The inhibition percentages for the highest bee venom concentration (0.4 µM) at 24, 48 and 72 h were 55%, 80% and 92%, respectively. The cell–drug interactions indicated that the cell surfaces, which were smooth and clear before drug application, gradually deteriorated and started to shrink after the application. In conclusion, at increasing doses, bee venom was found to have a strong antiproliferative effect in K-562 chronic myeloid leukaemia cell lines.

Tanzanians urged to adopt bee venom as a natural alternative for boosting immunity

GEITA: TheTanzania Forestry Service (TFS) has urged Tanzanians to adopt bee venom as a natural alternative for boosting immunity against both infectious and non-infectious diseases.

TFS Senior Conservator from the Silayo Tree Plantation in Geita District, Mr Juma Mdoe made the recommendations recently in an exclusive interview with the ‘Daily News.’

Mr Mdoe said that scientific research has shown that bee venom contains various compounds that, when introduced into the human body, can help strengthen the immune system.

“Some major components of bee venom are melittin, apamin, hyaluronidase, phospholipase and histamine.

“When bee venom compounds are injected into the body, may stimulate, activate and boost the immune, which helps to fight diseases,” he said.

Manuka Honey May Help in the Prevention and Treatment of Breast Cancer

Medical Dialogues.

Video: Understanding apitherapy or bee venom therapy and how it works

 

NTV Kenya

Propolis Alleviates Acute Lung Injury Induced by Heat-Inactivated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus via Regulating Inflammatory Mediators, Gut Microbiota and Serum Metabolites

Propolis has potential anti-inflammatory properties, but little is known about its efficacy against inflammatory reactions caused by drug-resistant bacteria, and the difference in efficacy between propolis and tree gum is also unclear. Here, an in vivo study was performed to study the effects of ethanol extract from poplar propolis (EEP) and poplar tree gum (EEG) against heat-inactivated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice. Pre-treatment with EEP and EEG (100 mg/kg, p.o.) resulted in significant protective effects on ALI in mice, and EEP exerted stronger activity to alleviate lung tissue lesions and ALI scores compared with that of EEG. Furthermore, EEP significantly suppressed the levels of pro-inflammatory mediators in the lung, including TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IFN-γ. Gut microbiota analysis revealed that both EEP and EEG could modulate the composition of the gut microbiota, enhance the abundance of beneficial microbiota and reduce the harmful ones, and partly restore the levels of short-chain fatty acids. EEP could modulate more serum metabolites and showed a more robust correlation between serum metabolites and gut microbiota. Overall, these results support the anti-inflammatory effects of propolis in the treatment of ALI, and the necessity of the quality control of propolis.

Bee Venom Therapy in Mexico

NACO, Sonora, Mexico — The throngs of people waiting to get stung by bees here outside Jose Miguel Sobarzo’s home office are buzzing with anticipation.

The patients — or clients — come from his hometown here in Naco, Sonora, from as far away as California and Colorado for the chance to get a bee placed on their back, neck or arm so they can feel the relief released from the insect’s toxins.

Sobarzo’s patients swear by the ancient therapy. They say it helps with everything from arthritis, to diabetes, to lack of memory and energy.

Honey Has Protective Effect in Cerebrovascular Diseases

Apitherapy in Post-Ischemic Brain Neurodegeneration of Alzheimer’s Disease Proteinopathy: Focus on Honey and Its Flavonoids and Phenolic Acids

Molecules 2023, 28(15), 5624

Neurodegeneration of the brain after ischemia is a major cause of severe, long-term disability, dementia, and mortality, which is a global problem. These phenomena are attributed to excitotoxicity, changes in the blood–brain barrier, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, vasoconstriction, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and ultimately neuronal death. In addition, genetic factors such as post-ischemic changes in genetic programming in the expression of amyloid protein precursor, β-secretase, presenilin-1 and -2, and tau protein play an important role in the irreversible progression of post-ischemic neurodegeneration. Since current treatment is aimed at preventing symptoms such as dementia and disability, the search for causative therapy that would be helpful in preventing and treating post-ischemic neurodegeneration of Alzheimer’s disease proteinopathy is ongoing. Numerous studies have shown that the high contents of flavonoids and phenolic acids in honey have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-amyloid, anti-tau protein, anticholinesterase, serotonergic, and AMPAK activities, influencing signal transmission and neuroprotective effects. Notably, in many preclinical studies, flavonoids and phenolic acids, the main components of honey, were also effective when administered after ischemia, suggesting their possible use in promoting recovery in stroke patients. This review provides new insight into honey’s potential to prevent brain ischemia as well as to ameliorate damage in advanced post-ischemic brain neurodegeneration.

Australian Beekeepers Look to Untapped Health Potential of Propolis - #ABCNewsAustralia

ABC News

A by-product of honey production largely discarded in Australia could provide an alternative income source for beekeepers across the country.

Hidden within the walls of their hives, bees blend up a unique mix of materials that scientists believe holds untapped potential in Australia.

Propolis is a sticky, resinous substance that's sometimes referred to as "bee glue."

UK Launches First Apitherapy Center

The UK’s first ‘bee therapy’ retreat just launched in Perthshire, with sounds, vibrations and aromas to help visitors de-stress and chill out. I was buzzing to check it out. Here’s how I got on.

The Courier.

Oxymel Honey-Vinegar Combo Boosts Wound Healing

Oxymel: Scientists say honey and vinegar is a wound-healing power couple

BODY+SOUL

A combination of honey and vinegar has shown promise as a treatment for wound infections, researchers in the UK have discovered.

Our ancestors were onto something when they used honey and vinegar to heal and clean wounds.

Like so many things, these remedies got lots amongst modern practices, but now Warwick University in the UK has discovered the true power behind these natural foods as topical medicines.

In the university’s Sweet and Sour Synergy study, researchers underwent the first comprehensive study of its kind, and what they found was that yes, elements of honey and vinegar have incredible wound healing properties, but when combined in low doses, are even more powerful. This combination is called oxymel.

Video: Bee Venom Therapy Popular in Kenya

Murang'a residents turn to apitherapy; testify to being healed after getting stings

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Propolis and its constituents exhibit anti-obesity, anti-hypertension, anti-dyslipidemic, anti-atherosclerosis, and anti-diabetic effects

Propolis and its constituents against cardiovascular risk factors including obesity, hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes, and dyslipidemia: A comprehensive review

Review Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2023;26(8):853-871

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are some of the major causes of death worldwide. The modern lifestyle elevates the risk of CVDs. CVDs have several risk factors such as obesity, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and diabetes. 

Using herbal and natural products plays a pivotal role in the treatment of different diseases such as CVDs, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Propolis, a natural resinous mixture, is made by honey bees. Its main components are phenolics and terpenoid compounds such as caffeic acid phenethyl ester, chrysin, and quercetin. 

In this review, multiple studies regarding the pharmacological impacts of propolis and its constituents with their related mechanisms of action against mentioned CVD risk factors have been discussed in detail. Here, we used electronic databases or search engines such as Scopus, Web of Science, Pubmed, and Google Scholar without time limitations. 

The primary components of propolis are phenolics and terpenoid compounds such as caffeic acid phenethyl ester, chrysin and quercetin. Propolis and its constituents have been found to exhibit anti-obesity, anti-hypertension, anti-dyslipidemic, anti-atherosclerosis, and anti-diabetic effects. 

The vast majority of studies discussed in this review demonstrate that propolis and its constituents could have therapeutic effects against mentioned CVD risk factors via several mechanisms such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, reducing adipogenesis, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory effect, inhibition of the ACE, increasing insulin secretion, NO level, etc.

Bee Air (Bienenluft) Therapy Part of Apitherapy Trend in Europe

Good vibrations can leave you buzzing at first bee therapy retreat

Saturday May 20 2023, The Times

Pet therapy, cat cafés and emotional support animals have all sought to enhance the bond between humans and nature for those in need of a bit of unconditional love. As therapy crazes go, insects have yet to be embraced.

However, tranquillity seekers are now being offered an hour cocooned with 60,000 honey bees whose wing vibrations create “a positive energising effect which calms and relaxes”, according to a new treatment centre.

The bees come and go beneath a wooden triangular structure, known as an apipod, in which clients lie on beds, taking in the pollen aromas and sound of activity from the six hives without fear of being stung.

Guests can relax, or even fall asleep, surrounded by the aromas of honey, propolis, nectar and pollen

The practice, known as apitherapy, is a fast-growing trend in eastern Europe....

Video: Some Syrians are Turning to Bee Venom Therapy as Alternative Medicine

 

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Beebread, Bee-Collected Pollen and Artificially Fermented Pollen Show Significant Antiviral Activity Against Influenza A Virus

Antiviral Activity of Beebread, Bee-Collected Pollen and Artificially Fermented Pollen against Influenza A Virus

Foods 2023, 12(10), 1978

Bee-collected pollen (BCP) and the naturally fermented BCP product known as bee bread (BB) are functional foods renowned for their nutritious, antioxidant, antibacterial and other therapeutic properties. This is the first study employed to assess the antiviral activity of BCP and BB against influenza A virus (IAV) H1N1 along with their proteinaceous, aqueous and n-butanol fractions. Additionally, artificially fermented BCP has been evaluated against IAV (H1N1). Antiviral activity was assessed in vitro by comparative real-time PCR assay. IC50 values ranged from 0.022 to 10.04 mg/mL, and Selectivity Index (SI) values ranged from 1.06 to 338.64. Artificially fermented BCP samples AF5 and AF17 demonstrated higher SI values than unfermented BCP, and proteinaceous fractions demonstrated the highest SI values. The chemical profile of BCP and BB samples, analyzed using NMR and LC-MS, revealed the presence of specialized metabolites that may contribute toward the antiviral activity. 

Overall, the significant anti-IAV activity of BB and BCP harvested in Thessaly (Greece) could be attributed to chemical composition (especially undiscovered yet proteinaceous compounds) and possibly to microbiome metabolism. Further research regarding the antiviral properties of BCP and BB will elucidate the mode of action and could lead to new treatments against IAV or other viral diseases.