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Effect of Royal Jelly on spatial learning and memory in rat model of streptozotocin-induced sporadic Alzheimer's disease

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It has been recently demonstrated that Royal jelly (RJ) has a beneficial role on neural functions. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with impairments of learning and memory. Therefore, the present study was designed to examine the effect of RJ on spatial learning and memory in rats after intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin (icv-STZ). Rats were infused bilaterally with an icv injection of STZ, while sham rats received vehicle only. The rats were feed with RJ-contained food (3% w/w) (lyophilized RJ mixed with powdered regular food) or regular food for 10 days. Then spatial learning and memory was tested in the rats by Morris water maze test. Results showed that in icv-STZ group latency and path length were increased as compared to sham group, also icv-STZ rats less remembered the target quadrant that previously the platform was located; however, these were protected significantly in STZ group that received RJ-containing food. Our findings support the potential neuroprotective role of RJ and its helpful effects in AD.
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Advanced Biomedical Research | April - June 2012 | Vol 1 | Issue 2 1
Background: It has been recently demonstrated that Royal jelly (RJ) has a beneficial role on neural functions.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with impairments of learning and memory. Therefore, the present study
was designed to examine the effect of RJ on spatial learning and memory in rats after intracerebroventricular
injection of streptozotocin (icv-STZ).
Materials and Methods: Rats were infused bilaterally with an icv injection of STZ, while sham rats received
vehicle only. The rats were feed with RJ-contained food (3% w/w) (lyophilized RJ mixed with powdered
regular food) or regular food for 10 days. Then spatial learning and memory was tested in the rats by
Morris water maze test.
Results: Results showed that in icv-STZ group latency and path length were increased as compared to
sham group, also icv-STZ rats less remembered the target quadrant that previously the platform was
located; however, these were protected significantly in STZ group that received RJ-containing food.
Conclusions: Our findings support the potential neuroprotective role of RJ and its helpful effects in AD.
Key words: Alzheimer’s disease, rat, Royal jelly, spatial learning and memory, streptozotocin
Address for correspondence:
Dr. Parham Reisi, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. E‑mail: p_reisi@med.mui.ac.ir
Received: 18‑01‑2012, Accepted: 13‑03‑2012
Abstract
Effect of Royal Jelly on spatial learning and memory in
rat model of streptozotocin‑induced sporadic Alzheimer’s
disease
Zohre Zamani, Parham Reisi1, Hojjatallah Alaei2, Ali Asghar Pilehvarian3
Applied Physiology Research Center, 1Department of Physiology, School of Medicine and Biosensor Research Center, 2Department of
Physiology, School of Medicine Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 3Department of Basic Sciences,
Isfahan Payame Noor University, Isfahan, Iran
Original Article
Access this article online
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Website:
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DOI:
10.4103/2277-9175.98150
ABR_24_12R9
INTRODUCTION
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a disorder with a deadly
outcome and unknown etiology in human that aficted
many people worldwide.[1] This disease is characterized
Copyright: © 2012 Zamani. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction
in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
How to cite this article: Zamani Z, Reisi P, Alaei H, Pilehvarian AA. Effect of Royal Jelly on spatial learning and memory in rat model of streptozotocin-induced
sporadic Alzheimer's disease. Adv Biomed Res 2012;1:26.
by a progressive and irreversible neurodegeneration in
various brain regions, especially in the hippocampus,
which is an important area for memory and cognition.[2,3]
The increased production and accumulation of amyloid‑β
peptide (Aβ) contribute to progressive neuronal
degeneration.[4,5] Therefore, Alzheimer’s is associated
with decits in cognitive abilities such as learning
and memory in human beings.[5] Currently, there isn’t
any conclusive treatment for AD and the common
treatments just slow the progression of the disease and
manage some of the symptoms.[3]
Royal jelly (RJ) is an essential food for the honey
bee young larva and the queen herself, it thought to
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Zamani, et al.: Effects of Royal jelly on spatial learning and memory in Alzheimer's rat
2 Advanced Biomedical Research | April - June 2012 | Vol 1 | Issue 2
play important nutritional roles in the queen.[6] It is
a viscous substance secreted by the hypopharyngeal
and mandibular glands of the worker honey bee of the
species, Apis mellifera. It has been reported to have a
variety of biological activities toward various types of
cells and tissues of animal models.[6]
RJ is composed of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids
(including sterols and fatty acids), and traces of
mineral salts and vitamins.[7] This material has been
determined to exhibit a variety of pharmacological
activities including antitumor, antimicrobial,
vasodilative, and hypotensive activities, as well
as growth stimulating and infection preventing,
antihypercholesterolemic and anti‑inflammatory
activities. Several studies have been shown the
antioxidant activity of RJ.[8] For these reasons, for
more than 30 years, RJ has been used commercially
in medical products, healthy foods, and cosmetics, to
a wide extent.[8]
In addition, RJ facilitates the differentiation of all
types of brain cells including neurons from cultured
neural stem/progenitorcells (NS/NPCs).[6] RJ or its
components would facilitate in vivo neurogenesis
in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG).[9] However,
there are no reports so far showing the effects of RJ
on cognition behaviorally, especially when there is a
background of neurodegenerative disease.
One of the relevant animal models of Alzheimer’s
disease is intracerebroventricular streptozotocin
(icv‑STZ) injection.[1,10] Streptozotocin is a diabetogenic
drug that used to induce diabetes mellitus,[11] and recent
evidence suggests that the intracerebroventricular
(icv) injection of streptozotocin (STZ) to rats in a
subdiabetogenic dose causes prolonged impairment
of memory and brain metabolic process, as a sporadic
dementia of the Alzheimer’s type (SDAT) that
comprises more than 90% of Alzheimer’s patients in
the world.[1,10] Therefore, the aim of this study was
to evaluate the effect of RJ on learning and memory
in rats after intracerebroventricular injection of
streptozotocin (icv ‑STZ).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Male Wistar rats (320 ± 20 g) were housed four per
cage and maintained on a 12 h light–dark cycle in an
air‑conditioned constant temperature (23 ± 1°C) room,
with food and water made available ad libitum. The
Ethic Committee for Animal Experiments at Isfahan
University approved the study and all experiments were
conducted in accordance with the National Institute
of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory
Animals (NIH Publications No. 80‑23) revised 1996.
Animals were divided into four groups (n = 9). The
rst group was the sham control (sham group), the
second group consisted of sham animals receiving
RJ‑contained food (sham‑RJ group), the third group
was the ICV‑STZ control (lesion group), and the
fourth group consisted of ICV‑STZ animals receiving
RJ‑contained food (lesion‑RJ). Rats in the control
groups received regular food.
Five days after surgical procedure, for recovery, rats
received RJ‑contained food for 10 days and then spatial
learning and memory was tested in the rats by Morris
water maze test.
RJ was administrated in the form of a mixed food
prepared by adding freeze‑dried RJ at 3% (w/w) in
regular food powder. The mixture and pure regular
food were made into pellets with a small amount of
water and desiccated under vacuum overnight.[9,12]
Surgical procedure
The rats were anesthetized with chloral hydrates
(400 mg/kg, i.p.) and their heads were fixed in
a stereotaxic frame. A heating pad was used
to maintain body temperature at 36.5 ± 0.5°C.
The skull was exposed and two small holes were
drilled and injection canula was lowered into the
lateral ventricles (anterior‑posterior = ‑0.8 mm;
medial‑lateral = ±1.6 mm; and dorsal‑ventral =
‑4.2 mm with reference to bregma).[13] Injection
canula was connected to a Hamilton syringe attached
to a microinjector unit. The lesion group received
a bilateral ICV injection of STZ (1.5 mg/kg in 4 µl
per site) as in previous studies.[10] The sham group
underwent the same surgical procedures, but the same
volume of saline was injected instead of STZ.
Morris water maze test
The circular tank (180 cm in diameter) was lled with
water (22 ± 2°C) made opaque and was surrounded by
a variety of extra‑maze cues. The tank was divided into
four quadrants and four start positions were located at
the interactions of the quadrants. Data were recorded
using custom software (Radiab 1). Twenty‑four hours
before water maze testing, all rats were habituated to
the water and apparatus.
In the spatial acquisition phase, the rats learned to
nd a submerged platform using extra‑maze cues.
A transparent Lucite platform (10 × 10 cm) was
submerged 2 cm underneath the water in north‑east
quadrant of the tank, where it remained for all spatial
trials [Figure 1a]. Each rat participated in 16 trials,
which were organized into daily block of four trials
(1 trial/start position within a block) for 4 consecutive
days. For each trial, the rat was given a maximum time
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Zamani, et al.: Effects of Royal jelly on spatial learning and memory in Alzheimer's rat
Advanced Biomedical Research | April - June 2012 | Vol 1 | Issue 2 3
of 60 s to locate the platform, after which it remained
there for 30 s. If the rat did not locate the platform
within 60 s, it was guided to it by the experimenter.
The next trial started immediately after removal from
the platform. Escape latencies (s), swim distance (cm),
and swim speed (cm/s) were recorded.
In the retention phase, 1 day and 1 week after
the spatial acquisition phase, 60‑s probe trial was
conducted to examine how well the rats had learned
the exact location of the platform. During this trial, the
platform was removed from the tank. The quadrant
time (percent time spent in the training quadrant)
was recorded during the probe trial.[14] To test possible
decits in sensory–motor processes, rats were tested
in the water maze with a visible platform on a new
location on the nal day of training.[15]
Statistical analysis
Data were analyzed using the SPSS 16 for Windows.
Results are given as mean ± S.E.M. The escape
latencies, path length, and swim speed were analyzed
with three‑factor mixed ANOVA for between‑subjects
differences between sham and lesion (“ICV‑STZ”
effect), between non‑RJ and RJ (“RJ” effect), and
ICV‑STZ*RJ effect interaction and repeated measures
(within subjects) effects across block interval 1 to 4
(“BLOCK” effect). The probe trial data for percentage
of time spent in each of the four zones were analyzed
by multivariate ANOVA.
RESULTS
All rats except lesion group showed a reduction in
escape latencies (BLOCK effect, F(3,96) = 46.157,
P < 0.001) and a reduction in the distance swam to
locate the platform (BLOCK effect, F(3,96)=25.259,
P < 0.001) across blocks of trials, indicating spatial
acquisition. Sham groups found the platform more
quickly than lesion groups [28.9 ±1.8 s and 43.54 ± 1.6 s,
respectively; ICV‑STZ effect, F(1,32) = 36.265,
P < 0.001] and took shorter paths to the platform
[637.7 ± 48.1 cm and 958.6 ± 43.6 cm, respectively;
ICV‑STZ effect, F(1,32) = 24.46, P < 0.001]. The rats
that received RJ contained food, found the platform
more quickly than the rats that received regular food
[30.48 ± 1.85 s and 41.94 ± 1.58 s, respectively; RJ
effect, F(1,32) = 22.2, P < 0.001] and took shorter paths
to the platform [687.4 ± 49.4 cm and 908.86 ± 42.9 cm,
respectively; RJ effect, F(1,32) = 11.65, P <0.01]. Also,
RJ contained food maintained both the escape latencies
[ICV‑STZ*RJ effect interaction, F(1,32) = 0.22,
P = 0.64] and the pathlengths [ICV‑STZ*RJ effect
interaction, F(1,32) = 0.06, P = 8] in lesion rats
[Figures 1b and 1c].
Swim speed did not show any change during
continuous day [BLOCK effect, F(3,96) = 2.01,
P = 0.118] and there wasn’t any difference between
the groups [Figure 1d].
Results from the probe trial as measured by the
mean percentage (%) time spent in each of the four
zones indicated that 1 day after acquisition phase the
sham groups spent more time in zone 1, where the
platform was previously located, than the ICV‑STZ
groups [38.14 ± 2.58% and 23.41 ± 2.33%, respectively;
ICV‑STZ effect, F(1,32) = 31.02, P < 0.001]. The
mean percentage (%) time spent in zone 1 was not
signicantly different between the rats that received
RJ‑contained food and the rats that received regular
food [36.71 ± 2.65% and 24.83 ± 2.26%, respectively;
RJ effect, F(1,32) = 3.564, P = 0.068]; however,
RJ‑contained food maintained that in lesion rats
[ICV‑STZ*RJ effect interaction, F(1,32) = 0.85,
P = 0.36] [Figure 2a].
One week after acquisition phase, the sham groups
spent more time in zone 1 than the ICV‑STZ groups
[38.19 ± 2.05% and 22.78 ± 1.86%, respectively;
ICV‑STZ effect, F(1,32) = 17.94, P < 0.001]. The rats
that received RJ‑contained food spent more time
in zone 1 than the rats that received regular food
[33.1 ± 2.1% and 27.87 ± 1.8%, respectively; RJ effect,
F(1,32) = 11.67, P < 0.01]; also, RJ‑contained food
maintained that in lesion rats [ICV‑STZ*RJ effect
interaction, F(1,32) = 0, P = 0.99) [Figure 2b].
DISCUSSION
The present results showed that use of RJ is effective
in signicant improvement of learning and memory
defects that induced with icv‑STZ in rats.
Like previous studies, our results demonstrated that
ICV‑STZ causes impairment of learning and memory in
rats.[16] The study has been shown that the application
of STZ in a subdiabetogenic dose in rats brain leads to
damage to glucose’s metabolism and causes reduction in
adenosine triphosphate (ATP/ADP ratio). This may be
calculated by the imbalance between intake and output
of energy.[17] It has been shown that acetylcholine is
necessary to formation and improvement of memory;
its synthesis needs to glucose metabolism and insulin
in order to control choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)
activity.[1] Previous researches have demonstrated that
icv‑STZ causes reduced energy metabolism/oxidative
stress leading to cognitive dysfunction by inhibiting the
synthesis of acetyl‑CoA and therefore acetyl‑choline
synthesis. Also, streptozotocin causes reduced ChAT
activity in hippocampus and increased cholinesterase
(ChE) activity in the rat’s brains.[1]
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Zamani, et al.: Effects of Royal jelly on spatial learning and memory in Alzheimer's rat
4 Advanced Biomedical Research | April - June 2012 | Vol 1 | Issue 2
In addition, like in AD, icv‑STZ through prolonged
impairment of brain energy metabolism and oxidative
damage increases the inammatory cytokines, such
as interleukin‑8 (IL‑8) and interleukin‑1 (IL‑1). This
inammatory cytokines and severe oxidative stress
lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and increase the
risk of cell apoptosis in the brain, particularly in the
hippocampus.[18,19]
As a secondary observation, our results demonstrated
that use of RJ in rats enhanced learning and
memory performance. Previous studies showed that
RJ stimulates production of neurotrophic factors,
such as glial cell line‑derived neurotrophic factor
(GDNF), and has neuroprotective effects in the adult
brain, especially in hippocampus.[6] These studies
are compatible with the results from our behavioral
study.
One of unique components in RJ is 10‑hydroxy‑
trans‑2decanoic acid (HDEA), an unsaturated fatty
acid. Because HDEA is a small unsaturated fatty
Figure 1: Effects of Royal jelly (RJ) contained food on performance during the spatial acquisition of Morris water maze test in rats with
intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin. Schematic diagram of tank and site of the platform (a). The escape latencies (b), the path length
(c), and the swim speed (d) at different days to reach the platform. Each point represents the day mean ± SEM of 4 swims. For latency and path
length, lower numbers indicate better performance (*P < 0.05 and **P < 0.01 with respect to the sham group, †P < 0.05 signicant difference
between the lesion and the lesion-RJ groups; n = 9).
d
c
b
a
Figure 2: Effects of Royal jelly (RJ) contained food on performance during the probe trial in rats with intracerebroventricular injection of
streptozotocin, quadrant time, as measured by mean percentage (%) time spent in each of the four zones, 1 day (a) and 1 week (b) after spatial
acquisition phase. Zone 1 was the training quadrant that previously platform was located (*P < 0.05 and **P < 0.01 with respect to the sham
group, †P < 0.05 signicantly difference between the lesion and the lesion-RJ groups; n = 9).
b
a
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Zamani, et al.: Effects of Royal jelly on spatial learning and memory in Alzheimer's rat
Advanced Biomedical Research | April - June 2012 | Vol 1 | Issue 2 5
acid, it can pass through blood–brain barrier. It has
been demonstrated that HDEA mimics the effects
of brain‑derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and
probably stimulate neurogenesis in the mature
brain.[20] Other active component in RJ is adenosine
monophosphate (AMP) N1‑oxide that is effective in
neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells.[7,20]
One of the factors which play an effective role in
pathogenesis of ageing and neurodegenerative
diseases is oxidative stress, which is an imbalance
between free radicals and antioxidant system.[21,22]
Oxygenate radicals can attack to proteins, nucleic
acids, and lipid membranes and accordingly interrupt
the integrity and performance of the cell.[23] The
brain tissue contains a lot of unsaturated fatty acids
which are especially vulnerable for free‑radical
attacks.[24] Therefore, antioxidant substances can
play an important role in prevention and cure of
neurodegenerative diseases.[10,16] Recently, studies
have suggested that RJ has free‑radical scavenging
capacity and is a highly efcient antioxidant.[25,26] RJ
has been shown that inhibits lipid proxidation both
in vitro and in vivo.[27]
RJ has a potent ability to improve insulin resistance
and this is a valuable effect in AD.[28] Same to AD or
ageing brain, ICV‑STZ in rats causes desensitization
of insulin receptors[29] and it has demonstrated
that ICV‑STZ through damage of the neuronal
insulin receptor induces progressive deteriorations
in the mental capacities of learning, memory, and
cognition.[1]
In conclusion, our ndings show that RJ protects
spatial learning and memory performance in AD and it
has positive effects on neural functions and cognition.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was supported by the Applied Physiology
Research Center of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences,
Isfahan, Iran. Also, the authors wish to thank Isfahanhoney.
com Corporation for preparation and standardization of
royal jelly.
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... 9,10 These constituents endow RJ with a variety of pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammation, antioxidant, anti-aging, and neuroprotection/neuromodulation. [11][12][13][14][15] Indeed, RJ improved cognitive impairments in different animal models, such as trimethyltin-treated mice and streptozotocin-induced sporadic AD rat models, and alleviated amyloid-β toxicity in C. elegans. [15][16][17] The bioactive compound of RJ, 10-HDA, has also been reported to induce antibiotic, immunomodulatory, anti-tumor, estrogenic, and neurogenic activity. ...
... [11][12][13][14][15] Indeed, RJ improved cognitive impairments in different animal models, such as trimethyltin-treated mice and streptozotocin-induced sporadic AD rat models, and alleviated amyloid-β toxicity in C. elegans. [15][16][17] The bioactive compound of RJ, 10-HDA, has also been reported to induce antibiotic, immunomodulatory, anti-tumor, estrogenic, and neurogenic activity. 18 The present study evaluated the effect of IRJ on learning and memory in OKA-induced memory deficit rats, a well-validated animal model of AD. 19 Further assessed the involvement of IRJ on oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and acetylcholine (ACh) regulation and to elucidate the mechanism of action of IRJ, we tested the hypothesis of 10-HDA in regulating the key tau protein kinases viz. ...
... However, different types of RJ have shown different pharmacological profiles. 15,37,38 While the escape latency in ICV-OKA rats during the acquisition trial in the MWM test from day 1 to day 4 did not decrease significantly, IRJ significantly reduced the escape latency in ICV-OKA-administered rats. The loss of spatial working memory is one of the early signs of AD. ...
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Background Royal jelly is an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective bee product. There are several sources for royal jelly and one of them is Indian Royal Jelly (IRJ). However, the neuroprotective actions of IRJ and the underlying molecular mechanisms involved are not well known. Objective To evaluate the neuroprotective effect of IRJ in the okadaic acid (OKA)-induced Alzheimer's disease (AD) model in rats. Methods In male Wistar rats, OKA was intracerebroventricularly (ICV) administered, and from day 7, they were treated orally with IRJ or memantine for 21 days. Spatial and recognition learning and memory were evaluated from days 27–34; employing the Morris water maze (MWM) and the novel object recognition tests (NORT), respectively. In vitro biochemical measurements were taken of the cholinergic system and oxidative stress markers. In silico docking was used to find the role of tau protein kinase and phosphatase in the pharmacological action. Results In OKA-induced rats, IRJ decreased the escape latency and path length in MWM and increased the exploration time for novel objects and the discrimination index in NORT. ICV-OKA rats had higher free radicals and cytokines that caused inflammation and their level of free radical scavengers was back to normal with IRJ treatment. IRJ increased the level of acetylcholine and inhibited acetylcholinesterase. Moreover, the in silico docking study revealed the strong binding affinity of 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA), a bioactive constituent of IR, to the tau protein kinases and phosphatases. Conclusion IRJ may serve as a nootropic agent in the treatment of dementia, and owing to its capacity to prevent oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, and increase cholinergic tone; it has the potential to be explored as a novel strategy for the treatment of dementia and AD. More studies may be needed to develop 10-HDA as a novel drug entity for AD.
... It also contains elements like P, S, W, V, Ni, Na, Mg, Ca, Cu, Zn, Fe, Al, Sr, Pb, Hg, Ba, Bi, Cd, Sn, Cr, Mn, and Mo, with mineral salts making up about 1.5 % of its composition [34]. RJ is rich in acetylcholine, crucial for cognitive function and memory, regulated by choline acetyltransferase activity influenced by glucose and insulin metabolism, potentially preventing cognitive dysfunction [35,36]. RJ also contains nucleotides, free bases, phosphates, ADP, ATP, and AMP, which are essential for energy production and enzymatic actions [37]. ...
... According to Halloran et al. (2012), aging is a major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases [59], notably Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is characterized by progressive loss of working and situational memory [60]. Previous studies reported that RJ can protect spatial memory in rats modeled with sporadic AD through an intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin (icv-STZ) by enhancing hippocampal neurogenesis and reducing oxidative stress and neurodegeneration [36,61] (Fig. 7). ...
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Royal jelly (RJ), a secretion produced by honeybees, has garnered significant interest for its potential as a therapeutic intervention and functional food supplement. This systematic review aims to synthesize current research on the health benefits, bioactive components, and mechanisms of action of RJ. Comprehensive literature searches were conducted across multiple databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, focusing on studies published from 2000 to 2024 (April). Findings indicate that RJ exhibits a wide range of pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-aging effects. Beneficial biological properties of RJ might be due to the presence of flavonoids proteins, peptides, fatty acids. Both preclinical and clinical studies have reported that RJ improves the immune function such as wound healing, and also decreases the severity of chronic diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. The molecular mechanisms underlying these effects involve modulation of signalling pathways such as NF-κB, MAPK, and AMPK. Despite promising results, the review identifies several gaps in the current knowledge, including the need for standardized dosing regimens and long-term safety assessments. Furthermore, variations in RJ composition due to geographic and botanical factors necessitate more rigorous quality control measures. This review underscores the potential of RJ as a multifunctional therapeutic agent and highlights the necessity for further well designed studies to fully elucidate its health benefits and optimize its use as a functional food supplement.
... Royal jelly has excellent antioxidant properties that have been investigated for both the prevention and therapy of a variety of chronic and degenerative diseases. In one such study, evidence regarding the neuroprotective properties of royal jelly was reported, where the administration of royal jelly reduced oxidative stress, neuronal death, and biological markers of Alzheimer's disease while improving cognitive impairments in rodent models [49]. Interestingly, 10hydroxy-trans-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA), a bioactive component found in royal jelly, has been found to stimulate the fibroblast's production of collagen. ...
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The field of biomedical engineering highly demands technological improvements to allow the successful engraftment of biomaterials requested for healing damaged host tissues, tissue regeneration, and drug delivery. Polymeric materials, particularly natural polymers, are one of the primary suitable materials employed and functionalized to enhance their biocompatibility and thus confer advantageous features after graft implantation. Incorporating bioactive substances from nature is a good technique for expanding or increasing the functionality of biomaterial scaffolds, which may additionally encourage tissue healing. Our ecosystem provides natural resources, like honeybee products, comprising a rich blend of phytochemicals with interesting bioactive properties, which, when functionally coupled with biomedical biomaterials, result in the biomaterial exhibiting anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant effects. Bee pollen is a sustainable product recently discovered as a new functionalizing agent for biomaterials. This review aims to articulate the general idea of using honeybee products for biomaterial engineering, mainly focusing on describing recent literature on experimental studies on biomaterials functionalized with bee pollen. We have also described the underlying mechanism of the bioactive attributes of bee pollen and shared our perspective on how future biomedical research will benefit from the fabrication of such functionalized biomaterials.
... Because in EAE induction, most tissues of the peripheral and central nervous system are involved in inflammation and sensitivity, and in the present study, a higher doses of RJ caused an increase in CB1R expression, it seems that high doses of RJ have more favorable effects on improving nervous system function. In line with this finding, the studies showed that RJ increased neurotrophins and improved spatial learning and memory in Alzheimer's rats [37]. Studies also showed that 3 months of RJ treatment substantially ameliorated behavioral deficits of Alzheimer's disease and its pathology mechanisms [38]. ...
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Cannabinoid-1-receptors (CB1R) are therapeutic targets for both the treatment of autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), and some related symptoms such as pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of aerobic training and two dosages of royal jelly (RJ) on hippocampal CB1R and pain threshold (PT) in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model. To this end, 56 female Sprague-Dawley rats with EAE were randomly assigned to one of the following eight conditions: (1) EAE; (2) sham ; (3) 50 mg / kg RJ (RJ50); (4) 100 mg / kg RJ (RJ100); (5) exercise training (ET); (6) ET + RJ50; (7) ET + RJ100; and (8) not EAE or healthy control (HC). ET was performed for five weeks, four sessions per week at a speed of 11-15 m/min for 30 minutes, and RJ was injected peritoneally at doses of 50 and 100mg/kg/day). One-way analysis of variance and Tukey's post-hoc-tests were performed to identify group-related differ-ences in pain threshold (PT) and CB1R gene expression. Endurance training had no significant ef-fect on PT and hippocampal CB1R in rats with EAE. CB1R gene expression levels in the RJ100 group were higher than in the EAE group. Further, PT levels in the ETRJ50 and ETRJ100 groups were higher than in the EAE group. The combination of ET and RJ50 had a higher impact on PT and CB1R, when compared to the ET and RJ50 alone. Next, there was a dose-response between RJ-induced CB1R gene expression and RJ-dosages: Higher dosages of RJ increased the CB1R gene expression. The overall results suggested that the combination of ET and increasing RJ dosages improved pain threshold of probably related to CB1R in an EAE model, while this was not ob-served for ET or RJ alone.
Article
Royal jelly is a yellowish to white gel-like substance that is known as a "superfood" and consumed by queen bees. There are certain compounds in royal jelly considered to have health-promoting properties, including 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid and major royal jelly proteins. Royal jelly has beneficial effects on some disorders such as cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes. Antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antitumor, and immunomodulatory properties have been ascribed to this substance. This chapter describes the effects of royal jelly on COVID-19 disease.
Article
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition in which inflammation and oxidative stress play a key role in the pathogenesis. Recently, several studies have suggested that Royal Jelly (RJ) has antioxidant effects. Nevertheless, there is no evidence of its effectiveness against epilepsy. Here, we evaluated its neuroprotective effects at different doses (100 and 200mg/kg) against pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures. Fifty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups: control, PTZ, RJ100 + PTZ, RJ200 + PTZ and RJ100. In order to establish epilepsy model, 45mg/kg of PTZ was injected intraperitoneally for 10 consecutive days. Seizure parameters were graded based on Racine's 7-point classification. Elevated-plus maze, Y maze and shuttle box tests were carried out to assess anxiety-like behavior, short-term memory, and passive avoidance memory, respectively. We used ELISA technique to measure the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress factors. Also, neuronal loss in the hippocampal CA3 region was determined using Nissl staining. Our findings showed that PTZ-treated rats had more seizure intensity, anxiety-like behavior, memory dysfunction, higher levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and oxidative markers. RJ could allay seizure severity and duration. It also improved memory function as well as anxiety level. In terms of biochemical assessment, RJ gave rise to a significant decrease in the level of IL-1β, TNF-α and MDA and it restored the activities of GPX and SOD enzymes. Hence, our study shows that RJ contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects which contribute to less neuronal damage in the PTZ-induced epilepsy model.
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This chapter emphasizes the profile and characteristics of bee products relevant to diabetes mellitus (DM) and their use in DM management. The chapter summarizes and analyses recent scientific data from both preclinical and clinical trials indicating the bee products’ potential in treating DM. Bee products have hypoglycemic, antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, antioxidant, and antiinflammatory properties, which are favorable factors for diabetics and their control. Bee products reduce oxidative stress, advanced glycation end products (AGE) build-up and adipose tissue inflammation, all of which contribute to insulin resistance and secretion abnormalities, which ameliorate diabetic complications, including nephropathy, retinopathy foot ulcers and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
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Background and Aim: Although exercise training and antioxidants improve brain health, interactive effect of resistance training and Royal jelly has not yet been well established. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of resistance training along with Royal jelly supplementation on hippocampal gene expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) and tyrosine kinase A (TrkA) receptor in rat model of Alzheimer's disease. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 42 male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected by Trimethyltin (8 mg/kg/body weight). Then, the rats were randomly divided into 7 equal groups including control, resistance training, resistance training+100 mg/kg Royal jelly supplementation, resistance training+200 mg/kg Royal jelly supplementation, 100 mg/kg Royal jelly supplementation, 200 mg/kg Royal jelly supplementation and sham groups. The resistance training protocol was performed for 8 weeks, three sessions per week at intensity to 30-100% of their body weight. Gene expression was assessed using Real-Time PCR and all primers were designed by Allele IDv7.8 software. Data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc tests at the p<0.05. Results: The resistance training induced a significant increase in NGF expression (p= 0.001). Moreover, 100 and 200 mg/kg Royal jelly supplementation, resistance training+100 and 200 mg/kg Royal jelly supplementation resulted in a significant increases in expression of NGF and TrkA receptor (p=0.001). In addition, the effect of royal jelly supplementation on NGF and TrkA receptor expression was dependent on its dosage, where the dose of 200 mg/kg was significantly higher than the dose of 100 mg/kg (p=0.001). Conclusion: Both resistance training and Royal jelly supplementation, alone and synergistically, can increase neurotrophins expression in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's rats; however higher dose of Royal jelly supplementation may induce more improvement.
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An inflammatory process has been involved in numerous neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease, stroke and Alzheimer's disease (AD). In AD, the inflammatory response is mainly located in the vicinity of amyloid plaques. Cytokines, such as interleukin-8 (IL-8) and interleukin-1α (IL-1α), have been clearly involved in this inflammatory process. Polymorphisms of several interleukin genes have been correlated to the risk of developing AD. The present study investigated the association of AD with polymorphisms IL-8 -251T > A (rs4073) and IL-1α-889C > T (rs1800587) and the interactive effect of both, adjusted by the Apolipoprotein E genotype. 199 blood samples from patients with AD, 146 healthy elderly controls and 95 healthy young controls were obtained. DNA samples were isolated from blood cells, and the PCR-RFLP method was used for genotyping. The genotype distributions of polymorphisms IL-8, IL-1α and APOE were as expected under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The allele frequencies did not differ significantly among the three groups tested. As expected, the APOE4 allele was strongly associated with AD (p < 0.001). No association of AD with either the IL-1α or the IL-8 polymorphism was observed, nor was any interactive effect between both polymorphisms. These results confirm previous studies in other populations, in which polymorphisms IL-8 -251T > A and IL-1α-889C > T were not found to be risk factors for AD.
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Trimethyltin (TMT) is a toxic organotin compound that induces acute neuronal death selectively in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) followed by cognition impairment; however the TMT-injured hippocampal DG itself is reported to regenerate the neuronal cell layer through rapid enhancement of neurogenesis. Neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/NPCs) are present in the adult hippocampal DG, and generate neurons that can function for the cognition ability. Therefore, we investigated whether royal jelly (RJ) stimulates the regenerating processes of the TMT-injured hippocampal DG, and found that orally administered RJ significantly increased the number of DG granule cells and simultaneously improved the cognitive impairment. Furthermore, we have already shown that RJ facilitates neurogenesis of cultured NS/NPCs. These present results, taken together with previous observations, suggest that the orally administered RJ may be a promising avenue for ameliorating neuronal function by regenerating hippocampal granule cells that function in the cognition process.
Article
Forty eight male Balb/c mice, each weighing 30–35 g, were used in the present study. The animals were divided into four equal groups. The first group served as the control group, and the second group was administered royal jelly at a dose of 50 mg/kg bw by gavage for a period of 7 days. The third group received 200 ppm fluoride, as sodium fluoride, for a period of 7 days, in drinking water. Lastly, the fourth group was given 200 ppm fluoride in drinking water, in association with royal jelly at a dose of 50 mg/kg bw by gavage, for a period of 7 days. At the end of the seventh day, blood samples were collected from all groups into heparinised and dry tubes, and liver samples were taken concurrently. Erythrocyte and liver tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were evaluated in the blood and tissue samples obtained. Furthermore, serum cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, total protein and albumin levels, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alcaline phosphatase (ALP) activities were evaluated. In conclusion, fluoride was determined to cause adverse effects in mice, and the administration of royal jelly to these animals alleviated the adverse effects of fluoride.
Article
Royal jelly peptides (RJPx) isolated from hydrolysates of water-soluble royal jelly proteins prepared with protease P exhibited significantly stronger hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity (p<0.001), and antioxidant activity against lipid peroxidation (LPO, p<0.001), than did water-soluble royal jelly protein (WSRJP) in vitro. We also investigated the in vivo antioxidant activity of RJPx against ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA)-induced LPO. Male Wistar rats were divided into a control group (Group C), an Fe-NTA group (Group Fe), and an Fe-NTA with RJPx group (Group Fe+R). Rats in Group Fe+R were fed RJPx (2 g/kg body weight) daily for 5 wk. Fe-NTA (8 mg Fe/kg body weight) was then intraperitoneally injected, and serum lipid levels were examined 2 h later. Serum total cholesterol (TC) levels were lower (p<0.05) while low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and LPO were significantly higher (p<0.01) in Group Fe than in Group C. TC (p<0.05) and LPO levels (p<0.01) were lower in Group Fe+R than in Group Fe. Our data suggest that RJPx may inhibit LPO both in vitro and in vivo.
Article
The aim of this study was to investigate if preadministration with Ganoderma lucidum spore (GLS) could (1) alleviate oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in rat hippocampus of intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of streptozotocin (STZ), (2) protect neurons from apoptosis, and (3) improve cognitive dysfunction. Three groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were preadministrated with GLS at doses of 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0g/kg, respectively, for 3 weeks before the ICV STZ injury. Thereafter the rats were operated with ICV STZ (1.5mg/kg) bilaterally on days 1 and 3. The behavioral alterations, oxidative stress indexes, ATP, cytochrome oxidase (CytOx), and histopathology of hippocampal neurons were studied. The results showed that ICV STZ model rats exhibited a significant increase of malondialdehyde (MDA), a significant decrease of glutathione reductase (GR), reduced glutathione (GSH), ATP and CytOx, accompanied with marked impairments in spatial learning and memory, and severe damage of hippocampal neuron. In conclusion, preadministration with GLS at dose of 8.0g/kg in ICV STZ rats significantly reversed these abnormalities. In conclusion, preadministration with GLS might protect hippocampus from oxidative impairment and energy metabolism disturbance of ICV STZ. This may also provide useful information for future research on the pathogenesis and prevention of Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Article
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by a decline in cognitive function and severe neuronal loss in the cerebral cortex and certain subcortical regions of the brain including nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) that play an important role in learning and memory. There are few therapeutic regimens that influence the underlying pathogenic phenotypes of AD, however, of the currently available therapies, exercise training is considered to be one of the best strategies for attenuating the pathological phenotypes of AD for people with AD. Here, we sought to investigate the effect of treadmill running on spatial memory in Alzheimer-induced rats. Male Wistar rats were split into two groups namely shams (n=7) and lesions with the lesion group subdivided further into the lesion-rest (n=7) and lesion-exercise (n=7). The lesion-exercise and shams were subjected to treadmill running at 17 meters per minute (m/min) for 60 min per day (min/day), 7 days per week (days/wk), for 60 days. Spatial memory was investigated using the Morris Water Maze test in the rats after 60 days of Alzheimer induction and the exercise. Our data demonstrated that spatial memory was indeed impaired in the lesion group compared with the shams. However, exercise notably improved spatial memory in the lesion-exercised rats compared to lesion-rested group. The present results suggest that spatial memory is affected under Alzheimer conditions and that treadmill running improves these effects. Our data suggested that treadmill running contributes to the alleviation of the cognitive decline in AD.
Article
The present study was undertaken to investigate possible mechanism of pioglitazone-induced beneficial effect in memory deficits associated with experimental dementia. Dementia was induced in Swiss albino mice by administration of streptozotocin (STZ; 3 mg/kg administered intracerebroventricularly on 1st & 3rd day). Morris Water-Maze test was employed to assess learning and memory of the animals. Brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was measured by Ell Mann's method. Brain thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) levels and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels were measured by Ohokawa's and Beutler's method respectively to assess total oxidative stress. Blood glucose level was also measured. Streptozotocin (STZ) produced a significant decrease in water-maze performance of mice hence reflecting loss of learning and memory. Pioglitazone (20 mg/kg p.o. daily for 14 days) successfully attenuated STZ-induced memory deficits, without any significant per se effect on blood glucose levels. Higher levels of brain AChE activity, TBARS and lower levels of GSH were observed in STZ treated animals, which were significantly attenuated by pioglitazone. Further, the noted beneficial effect of pioglitazone on STZ-induced dementia was significantly abolished by pre-treatment of nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor L-NAME (3 mg/kg i.p.) manifested in the terms of decrease in water-maze performance and increase in brain AChE activity as well as oxidative stress. It is concluded that anti-dementic effect of pioglitazone may involve central cholinergic, oxidative and NO pathways.
Article
It has been demonstrated that exercise has neuroprotective effects in the central nervous system (CNS), especially in hippocampus. Previous studies have indicated that diabetes mellitus affects synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus leading to impairments in learning and memory. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of treadmill running on synaptic plasticity at dentate gyrus (DG) of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Experimental groups were the control, the diabetes and the diabetes-exercise groups. Long-term potentiation (LTP) in perforant path-DG synapses was assessed (by 400Hz tetanization) in order to investigate the effect of exercise on synaptic plasticity. Field excitatory post-synaptic potential (fEPSP) slope and population spike (PS) amplitude were measured. With respect to the control group, fEPSP were significantly decreased in the diabetes group. However, there were no differences between responses of the diabetes-exercise group and the control. The present results suggest that LTP induction in the dentate gyrus is affected under diabetic conditions and that treadmill running prevents these effects. The data suggest that treadmill running protect against diabetes-induced decrease of learning ability and memory function of the hippocampus.