Consumption of bee pollen affects rat ovarian functions

Chemical Properties and Biological Activity of Bee Pollen

Pollen, a remarkably versatile natural compound collected by bees for its abundant source of proteins and nutrients, represents a rich reservoir of diverse bioactive compounds with noteworthy chemical and therapeutic potential. Its extensive biological effects have been known and exploited since ancient times. Today, there is an increased interest in finding natural compounds against oxidative stress, a factor that contributes to various diseases. Recent research has unraveled a multitude of biological activities associated with bee pollen, ranging from antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties to potential antiviral and anticancer applications. Comprehending the extensive repertoire of biological properties across various pollen sources remains challenging. By investigating a spectrum of pollen types and their chemical composition, this review produces an updated analysis of the bioactive constituents and the therapeutic prospects they offer. This review emphasizes the necessity for further exploration and standardization of diverse pollen sources and bioactive compounds that could contribute to the development of innovative therapies.

Bee Pollen: Current Status and Therapeutic Potential

Bee pollen is a combination of plant pollen and honeybee secretions and nectar. The Bible and ancient Egyptian texts are documented proof of its use in public health. It is considered a gold mine of nutrition due to its active components that have significant health and medicinal properties. Bee pollen contains bioactive compounds including proteins, amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and polyphenols. The vital components of bee pollen enhance different bodily functions and offer protection against many diseases. It is generally marketed as a functional food with affordable and inexpensive prices with promising future industrial potentials. This review highlights the dietary properties of bee pollen and its influence on human health, and its applications in the food industry.

Improving Reproductive Performance and Health of Mammals Using Honeybee Products

Honeybee products have positive effects on the reproductive performance of mammals. Many honeybee product constituents are biologically active, with antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antifungal, wound-healing, and cardio-protective properties. Honeybee products also improve male and female fertility rates by enhancing gamete cryopreservation, in vitro maturation and fertilization, and embryo development. Previously published studies confirmed their efficacy for alleviating reproductive toxicity caused by contaminants and lifestyle habits that impair overall health and well-being. However, high-dose oral administration of honeybee products may adversely affect the reproductive system, and unfavorable effects were alleviated by treatment cessation. For this reason, this review proposes that bioactive components from bee products can be used as a strategy for improving the reproductive performance and health of mammals.

Bee pollens originating from different species have unique effects on ovarian cell functions

CONTEXT

The species-specific differences and mechanisms of action of bee pollen on reproduction have not been well studied.

OBJECTIVE

We compared the effects of bee pollen extracts from different plants on ovarian cell functions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We compared the effects of pollens from black alder, dandelion, maize, rapeseed, and willow at 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, or 100 µg/mL on cultured porcine ovarian granulosa cells. Cell viability was assessed with a Trypan blue test, the cell proliferation marker (PCNA), and an apoptosis marker (BAX) were assessed by immunocytochemistry. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) release was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

Addition of any bee pollen reduced cell viability, promoted accumulation of both proliferation and apoptosis markers, and promoted IGF-I release. The ability of various pollens to suppress cell viability ranked as follows: rapeseed > dandelion > alder > maize > willow. The biological activity of bee pollens regarding their stimulatory action on ovarian cell proliferation ranked as follows: dandelion > willow > maize > alder > rapeseed. Cell apoptosis was promoted by pollens as follows: range > dandelion > alder > rapeseed > willow > maize. The ability of the pollens to stimulate IGF-I output are as follows: willow > dandelion > rapeseed > maize > alder.

DISCUSSION

Bee pollen can promote ovarian cell proliferation by promoting IGF-I release, but it induces the dominance of apoptosis over proliferation and the reduction in ovarian cell viability in a species-specific manner.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first demonstration of adverse effects of bee pollen on ovarian cell viability and of its direct stimulatory influence on proliferation, apoptosis, and IGF-I release. The biological potency of bee pollen is dependent on the plant species.

The effect of bee pollen on bone biomechanical strength and trabecular bone histomorphometry in tibia of young Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)

It has been demonstrated in numerous studies that bee pollen supplementation shows numerous positive effects on health. However, its impact on bones is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of bee pollen supplementation on the tibia biomechanical properties and bone morphometric measures using Japanese quail as an animal model. The experiment was arranged in a 2x2x2 factorial design, with sex, quail line (meat-type or egg-lying type), and bee pollen inclusion (0 or 10 g/kg of feed) as factors. The quails were one-day-old at the beginning of the experiment, they were euthanized after 42 days. Our study showed for the first time unfavorable effects of bee pollen on bones properties. Bee pollen supplementation negatively affected bone structure, irrespective of quails’ sex or line type. Bone length (P < 0.001), weight (P < 0.01), and mean relative wall thickness (P < 0.01) and mineralization (P < 0.05) were reduced by bee pollen treatment. For female quails, irrespective of line type, the decrease of yield load (P < 0.001), ultimate load (P < 0.01), yield stress (P < 0.001) and ultimate stress (P < 0.05) was noted. Analysis of growth plate in bone metaphysis showed that bee pollen supplementation slowed the process of bone maturation irrespective of sex (P < 0.05). On contrary, dietary bee pollen positively affected bone homeostasis of trabecular bone in bone metaphysis as bone mineral density increased in experimental groups (P < 0.05). In males, this was the result of the increase of trabecular thickness (P < 0.01), in females due to the reduction of trabecular space (P < 0.001). In conclusion, our results demonstrate that bee pollen (1.0%, 10 g/kg of feed) supplementation caused significant negative effects on the mechanical endurance of the tibia of quails, while showed beneficial effects on trabecular bone histomorphometry.

Bee Collected Pollen and Bee Bread: Bioactive Constituents and Health Benefits

Bee products were historically used as a therapheutic approach and in food consumption, while more recent data include important details that could validate them as food supplements due to their bioproperties, which support their future use as medicines. In this review data, data collected from bee pollen (BP) and bee bread (BB) essays will be discussed and detailed for their nutritional and health protective properties as functional foods. Dietary antioxidants intake derived from BP and BB have been associated with the prevention and clinical treatment of multiple diseases. The beneficial effects of BP and BB on health result from the presence of multiple polyphenols which possess anti-inflammatory properties, phytosterols and fatty acids, which play anticancerogenic roles, as well as polysaccharides, which stimulate immunological activity. From the main bioactivity studies with BP and BB, in vitro studies and animal experiments, the stimulation of apoptosis and the inhibition of cell proliferation in multiple cell lines could be one of the major therapeutic adjuvant effects to be explored in reducing tumor growth. Tables summarizing the main data available in this field and information about other bio-effects of BP and BB, which support the conclusions, are provided. Additionally, a discussion about the research gaps will be presented to help further experiments that complete the tree main World Health Organization (WHO) Directives of Efficiency, Safety and Quality Control for these products.

Ricinus communis L. stem bark extracts regulate ovarian cell functions and secretory activity and their response to Luteinising hormone

Ricinus communis L. has ethnopharmacological contraceptive reputation but its stem bark has unexplored mechanisms of action in female reproductive system. In the present study, the effect of methanolic and aqueous extracts from the stem bark of the plant was examined on basic porcine ovarian granulosa cell functions and its response to Luteinising hormone (LH)-the upstream hormonal regulator. Systemic treatment of methanolic and aqueous extracts stimulated cell proliferation (proliferating cell nuclear antigen, PCNA) and also promoted cell apoptosis (caspase-3). Aqueous extract has inverted the stimulatory effect of LH on PCNA but not on caspase-3. Methanolic extract stimulated as well as inhibited progesterone release and stimulated testosterone secretion. Whereas aqueous extract inhibited both steroid releases and suppressed the stimulatory effect of LH on progesterone release and promoted the inhibitory effect of LH on testosterone release. In conclusion, the present study unveils the mechanism of action of R. communis stem bark in in vitro condition. These suggest its possible contraceptive efficacy by exerting its regulatory role over LH and on basic ovarian cell functions and secretion activity.

Bee pollen and honey for the alleviation of hot flushes and other menopausal symptoms in breast cancer patients

Hot flushes, night sweats, pain during sexual intercourse, hair loss, forgetfulness, depression and sleeping disturbances are common problems among breast cancer patients undergoing antihormonal treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate whether bee pollen can alleviate menopausal symptoms in patients receiving tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors/inactivators. We compared a pollen-honey mixture with pure honey (placebo) in a prospective, randomized crossover trial in breast cancer patients receiving antihormonal treatment. The menopausal complaints were assessed using the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS). A total of 46 patients were recruited; 68.3% (28/41) of the patients reported an improvement in their symptoms while taking honey, compared with 70.9% (22/31) who reported an improvement with pollen (the difference was non-significant). The results were confirmed by significant improvements in the postmenopausal complaints in the two groups in a pre-post analysis in the MRS and its 3 subscales. This study provided evidence that honey and bee pollen may improve the menopausal symptoms of breast cancer patients on antihormonal treatment. Of note, honey, which was intended to be used as a placebo, produced similar effects as pollen and they both exceeded the extent of a placebo effect in this setting (~25%).

Cobalt-induced hormonal and intracellular alterations in rat ovarian fragments in vitro

The objective of this in vitro study was to examine dose-dependent changes in the secretion activity (progesterone, 17β-estradiol and insulin-like growth factor-I) of rat ovarian fragments after experimental cobalt (Co) administration including the apoptotic potential of Co on rat ovarian fragments by evaluating the expression of apoptotic markers Bax and caspase-3. Ovarian fragments were incubated with cobalt sulphate (CoSO4.7H2O) at the doses 90, 170, 330 and 500 μg.mL(-1) for 24 h and compared with control group without Co addition. Release of progesterone (P4) 17β-estradiol and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) by ovarian fragments was assessed by RIA, expression of Bax and caspase-3 by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Observations show that P4 release by ovarian fragments was significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited after cobalt sulphate addition at higher doses 170-500 μg.mL(-1) used in the study in comparison to control. However, cobalt sulphate addition did not cause any significant change in the release of 17β-estradiol by ovarian fragments at all the doses used in the study (90-500 μg.mL(-1)) in comparison to control. On the contrary, IGF-I release by ovarian fragments was significantly (P < 0.05) stimulated after cobalt sulphate addition at the lowest dose 90 μg.mL(-1) in comparison to control, while other doses did not cause any significant change. Also, addition of cobalt sulphate decreased the expression of both the apoptotic peptides Bax and caspase-3 at the higher doses 170, 330 and 500 μg.mL(-1), but not at the lowest dose 90 μg.mL(-1) used in the study. Obtained results suggest Co induced (1) inhibition in secretion of steroid hormone progesterone, (2) dose-dependent increase in the release of growth factor IGF-I, and (3) decrease in the expression of markers of apoptosis (Bax and caspase-3) of rat ovarian fragments.

Modulation of genotoxicity and endocrine disruptive effects of malathion by dietary honeybee pollen and propolis in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The present study aimed at verifying the usefulness of dietary 2.5% bee-pollen (BP) or propolis (PROP) to overcome the genotoxic and endocrine disruptive effects of malathion polluted water in Oreochromis niloticus (O. niloticus). The acute toxicity test was conducted in O. niloticus in various concentrations (0–8 ppm); mortality rate was assessed daily for 96 h. The 96 h-LC₅₀ was 5 ppm and therefore 1/5 of the median lethal concentration (1 ppm) was used for chronic toxicity assessment. In experiment (1), fish (n = 8/group) were kept on a diet (BP/PROP or without additive (control)) and exposed daily to malathion in water at concentration of 5 ppm for 96 h “acute toxicity experiment”. Protective efficiency against the malathion was verified through chromosomal aberrations (CA), micronucleus (MN) and DNA-fragmentation assessment. Survival rate in control, BP and PROP groups was 37.5%, 50.0% and 100.0%, respectively. Fish in BP and PROP groups showed a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the frequency of CA (57.14% and 40.66%), MN (53.13% and 40.63%) and DNA-fragmentation (53.08% and 30.00%). In experiment (2), fish (10 males and 5 females/group) were kept on a diet with/without BP for 21 days before malathion-exposure in water at concentration of 0 ppm (control) or 1 ppm (Exposed) for further 10 days “chronic toxicity experiment”. BP significantly (P < 0.05) reduced CA (86.33%), MN (82.22%) and DNA-fragmentation (93.11%), prolonged the sperm motility when exposed to 0.01 ppm of pollutant in vitro and increased the estradiol level in females comparing to control. In conclusion, BP can be used as a feed additive for fish prone to be raised in integrated fish farms or cage culture due to its potency to chemo-protect against genotoxicity and sperm-teratogenicity persuaded by malathion-exposure.