Content uploaded by Otilia Bobis
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Otilia Bobis on Dec 22, 2014
Content may be subject to copyright.
A preview of the PDF is not available
Biological Activities of Royal Jelly -Review
Abstract
Royal jelly is a secretion product of the cephalic glands of nurse bees that has been used for centuries for its extraordinary properties and health effects. This bibliographic study aims to review many of the scientific findings and research that prove many of the remarkable various actions, effects and some uses of royal jelly. There are taken into consideration numerous biological properties and effects of royal jelly: antioxidant, neurotrophic, hipoglicemiant, hipocholesterolemiant and hepatoprotective, hypotensive and blood pressure regulatory, antitumor, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and anti-allergic, general tonic and antiaging. Royal jelly is one of the most studied bee products, but there still remains much to reveal about its biochemistry and biological activity in future research for our health and life benefit.
... This important peak was related to the RCO-OH groups, due to the presence of carboxylic acids (Medina-Torres et al., 2016). This peak could be strongly related to the presence of 10H2DA, benzoic acid, and gluconic acid in RJP, which were in high concentrations due to less moisture content and high solid content concentration in the RJP compared to the fresh royal jelly (Pavel et al., 2011). Furthermore, the amide groups in both samples were related to the proteins existing in fresh royal jelly and its powder. ...
... (Fratini et al., 2016). Antibacterial peptides have a positive charge due to the presence of arginine, histidine, and lysine deposits, which allow them to react with anionic phospholipids of the cell membrane and cause cell destruction (Pavel et al., 2011). ...
... Among those, sulfur and calcium could be found in higher concentrations. It seems that the main reason for effectiveness of royal jelly on the skeletal tissue of the body, bones, and teeth is related to its high calcium concentration, and due to that, RJP has been widely used in traditional oriental medicine (Guo et al., 2021;Pavel et al., 2011). ...
Royal jelly, due to its unique bioactive components, has special biological activities, but a great extent of its nutritional value is lost during processing and storage. Lyophilization, an effective preservation technique, can feasibly preserve the main bioactive compounds present in royal jelly. In this study, fresh royal jelly was subjected to the freeze‐drying process at a pressure and temperature of 100 Pa and − 70°C, respectively, for 40 h. The results obtained indicated that the pH, turbidity, total phenol content, and antioxidant activity of the royal jelly powder (RJP), during 3 months of storage at ambient temperature (30°C), were constant with values of 4.30, 1.634 (%A.U.), 0.617 (g/L), and 28.7 (%), respectively. Moisture content of the prepared RJP was less than 1%, while that of the fresh royal jelly was 70%. Furthermore, for the fresh royal jelly, the mentioned parameters were significantly (p < .05) decreased after 2 months of storage at freezer temperature (−20°C). GC–MS analysis indicated that the amount of 10‐hydroxy‐2‐decanoic acid (10H2DA) in RJP was 3.85 times more than that of fresh royal jelly. The obtained results also indicated that prepared RJP had a high bactericidal effect toward Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with clear zone diameters of 12 and 15 mm, respectively. The present study provides a foundation for research on the potential application of prepared RJP and the development of dietary supplements and functional foods.
... The anti-tumor effects of Mag against different a log P (o/w) value of 1.847, is soluble in organic solvents, including methanol and chloroform. Based on many studies, HDA has been found to be responsible for most of the pharmacological effects of RJ, including; anti-inflammatory, wound healing, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, anti-allergic, anti-fatigue, anti-hypercholesterolemia, anti-aging, general tonic and insulin-like properties [20][21][22][23]. Due to its promising beneficial effects on the skin, it was used, in this work, as a potential novel multi-functional carrier, instead of OA in the preparation of novel fatty acid vesicles. ...
... HDA, with a log P (o/w) value of 1.847, is soluble in organic solvents, including methanol and chloroform. Based on many studies, HDA has been found to be responsible for most of the pharmacological effects of RJ, including; anti-inflammatory, wound healing, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, anti-allergic, anti-fatigue, anti-hypercholesterolemia, anti-aging, general tonic and insulin-like properties [20][21][22][23]. Due to its promising beneficial effects on the skin, it was used, in this work, as a potential novel multi-functional carrier, instead of OA in the preparation of novel fatty acid vesicles. ...
10-hydroxy decanoic acid (HDA), a naturally derived fatty acid, was used for the preparation of novel fatty acid vesicles for comparison with oleic acid (OA) ufasomes. The vesicles were loaded with magnolol (Mag), a potential natural drug for skin cancer. Different formulations were prepared using the thin film hydration method and were statistically evaluated according to a Box-Behnken design in terms of particle size (PS), polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential (ZP), and entrapment efficiency (EE). The ex vivo skin permeation and deposition were assessed for Mag skin delivery. In vivo, an assessment of the optimized formulae using 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced skin cancer in mice was also conducted. The PS and ZP of the optimized OA vesicles were 358.9 ± 3.2 nm and -82.50 ± 7.13 mV compared to 191.9 ± 6.28 nm and -59.60 ± 3.07 mV for HDA vesicles, respectively. The EE was high (>78%) for both types of vesicles. Ex vivo permeation studies revealed enhanced Mag permeation from all optimized formulations compared to a drug suspension. Skin deposition demonstrated that HDA-based vesicles provided the highest drug retention. In vivo, studies confirmed the superiority of HDA-based formulations in attenuating DMBA-induced skin cancer during treatment and prophylactic studies.
... In contrast to R.J. 's characterization as a mixture of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and phenols, which has received much study, its volatile portion has received less attention [4]. In addition, R.J. has been shown to possess some pharmacological effects, including antioxidant [19], anti-inflammatories [25,36], antiaging, neuroprotective [25], antimicrobial [25,26], anti-allergic, and antitumoral properties [25]. These qualities have led to the usage of R.J. in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries [27]. ...
Background
Honeybees provide a wealth of valuable natural products containing health-promoting bioactive compounds, including honey, bee bread, bee venom, bee pollen, propolis, and royal jelly. In the present study, we investigated the chemical composition of four honeybee products (bees, honey, royal jelly, and bee bread) derived from three medicinal plants (marjoram, trifolium, and citrus) using headspace GC-MS.
Results
GC-MS analysis coupled with the headspace method resulted in identification of 24 volatile compounds in marjoram honey, 14 volatile compounds in trifolium honey, and 25 volatile compounds in citrus honey, e.g., some of these compounds appeared in all three types of honey aroma, which are 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one, 2-furancarboxaldehyde, 5-(hydroxymethyl) and other unique compounds specific for each type where 23 compounds were from marjoram bees, 38 compounds from trifolium bees, and about 37 compounds were identified in citrus bees where 2,4-decadienal, (E, E) and methyl N-methyl anthranilate were common in all. Furthermore, the volatile compounds of all three types of royal jelly aroma were acetic acid, 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one, 8-nonen-2-one and furfural where one compound appeared in both marjoram and trifolium royal jelly that is 2-furancarboxaldehyde,5-(Hydroxymethyl) and the volatile compounds in marjoram and citrus are 2,3-butanediol and 5-methylfurfural also only one volatile compound appear in both trifolium and citrus royal jelly that is furfur alcohol, Finally, 3 compounds from marjoram bee bread, 30 volatile compounds from trifolium bee bread, and 3 volatile compounds in citrus bee bread were identified.
Conclusions
A detailed metabolomic analysis of the four honey product groups revealed an intriguing chemical diversity, with each sample exhibiting its own chemical fingerprint.
... Depending on how long it's been stored, its colour may change from white to a bright yellow and when it comes to flavour, it is acidic yet sweet at the same time [5]. ...
... Proteins in the composition of royal jelly have antioxidant properties, therefore, positive results have been reported in studies aimed at delaying aging, protecting the liver and reducing the negative effects of radiation (Apan et al., 2021;Akyol, 2015;Ramadana and Al-Ghamdi, 2012;Silici et al., 2011). Antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-aging, immunomodulatory effects, success in respiratory system diseases such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, biological effects such as anti-ulcer, accelerated fracture healing, hair growth agent, aphrodisiac, spermatogenesis enhancing quality, cardioprotective and growth promoting effects have been described (Sorucu, 2019;Morita et al., 2012;Silici et al., 2011;Pavel et al., 2011;Çavuşoğlu et al., 2009;Viuda-Martos et al., 2008). Generally, free amino acids, carbohydrates (fructose, glucose) and lipids are found in royal jelly (Parlakpınar and Polat, 2021;Silici, 2019). ...
Honey, bee venom, royal jelly, pollen, propolis and other bee products are natural products that are used to protect and maintain human health, to create a strong and dynamic health condition, and used as a ethnopharmacological medicine in the therapy of some illness. The use of different bee products to strengthen the immune system is still very common today. In this study, it was aimed to determine the in vitro effects of royal jelly samples collected from Sivas province in HUVEC cell culture conditions by determining the healing endothelial damage. In this context, royal jelly samples were obtained from the province of Sivas, where beekeeping is carried out intensively and successfully, in the 2022 harvest period. The effect of royal jelly extracts on the cell proliferation of endothelial cell culture was investigated. Repair of endothelial cell damage, cell growth and development and migration values were measured using the HUVEC cell line, and the data were evaluated with SPSS, GraphPad, ImageJ programs. Although there were significantly important increases in cell growth, development and cell viability values in HUVEC cells treated with different doses of royal jelly at the end of 24 and 48 hours, no statistically significant difference was found in terms of cell migration ratio compared to the control group.
... Beyond being an antioxidant and antimicrobial agent, RJ possesses anti-lipidemic, antiproliferative, neuroprotective, antiaging, and estrogenic activity [7]. It also exhibits vasodilatory, hypotensive, hepatoprotective activity and modulates blood glucose with insulin-like peptides [8]. RJ is usually used in enhancing the immune system and the treatment of various diseases. ...
Royal Jelly (RJ) is a unique functional food having rich nutrient composition. Due to its extremely sensitive and perishable nature, the cold chain is inevitable to maintain the biological properties of RJ. Microencapsulation is considered as an alternative technology for commercial RJ forms, owing to the elimination of cold-chain requirements. The objective of the study is to evaluate the microencapsulation of RJ and its protective effect on the 10-HDA content as well as on the antimicrobial activity during a defined storage period. Microcapsules were formed by utilizing alginate cross-linking technique in the encapsulator (Buchi B-390, Flawil, Switzerland) under 450 mbar. The antibacterial and antifungal activity of fresh and microencapsulated royal jelly (MRJ) was examined, comparatively. The possible changes in antimicrobial activity in the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months were evaluated considering the changes in 10-HDA levels. The antimicrobial efficiency of RJ on test bacteria (Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus epidermis, Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia coli) and yeast (Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis) was maintained throughout the storage period. On the other hand, antifungal activity on test molds (Penicillium digitatum, Aspergillus flavus) slightly decreased from the 3rd month. No significant difference between 10-HDA contents was observed until the end of storage (p˃0.05). The results indicate that microencapsulation retains the 10-HDA content of RJ for six months and is a promising method enabling storage at room temperature. HIGHLIGHTS • Microencapsulation maintained 10-HDA content and the antimicrobial activity of RJ for six months. • A correlation was found between the antimicrobial activity and 10-HDA content. • Microencapsulation of RJ is a promising technique enabling storage at room temperature. • Innovative RJ products can be developed by advanced formula and microencapsulation.
... Arı Sütü: Arı sütü, bakıcı arıların sefalik bezlerinin salgı ürünüdür, bal arısı larvalarının ilk 2-3 günlerinde diyet görevi görür ve kraliçe arının tüm yaşam dönemi için özel bir besindir (Pavel et al., 2011). Antioksidan, antienflamatuvar, hipoglisemik, antibiyotik, antitümör, antialerjik, antiaging, immünomodülatör, nörotrofik, hipokolesterolemik, hepatoprotektif, hipotansif ve kan basıncını düzenleyici aktiviteleri nedeniyle ilaçlarda ve bir besin takviyesi olarak yaygın olarak kullanılmaktadır (Izuta et al., 2009;Nagai et al., 2006). ...
Cancer is still a primary public health problem all over the world today. Around 19.3 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed worldwide in 2020. Chemotherapy, which cause serious
side effects, which is pharmacological method often used to treat cancer. Oral mucositis is one of the most significant side effects of chemotherapy; It is a solemn symptom characterized by the presence of ulcers in the oral mucosa that causes pain, bleeding, and difficulty in swallowing liquid and solid foods or speaking. The incidence of oral mucositis in cancer patients ranges from 40% to 100%. The type of tumor and treatment methods, the
patient's age, nutritional status, and oral hygiene is associated with the development of oral mucositis. Ulcerations that require the use of local analgesics in the oral mucosa are quite painful, cause eating difficulties and malnutrition, increase the risk of developing sepsis, the need for enteral/parenteral nutrition, and the need for systemic analgesics. This adversely affects the quality of life of cancer patients, delays chemotherapy, and consequently increases repeated hospitalizations and health expenditures. However, natural products such as Aloe
vera, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Camellia sinensis, and Calendula officinalis, which are nonpharmacological methods with lower costs, and honey bees have antimicrobial, antiviral, antiinflammatory, analgesic, and wound healing properties. For this reason, it is considered that the properties of these nonpharmacological products can also be used in the management of oral mucositis. In this review, the use of pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods
in the management of oral mucositis in cancer patients will be discussed in light of the literature.
Keywords: Pharmacological methods, Non-pharmacological methods, Oral Mucositis.
... Royal jelly is also one of the most effective and useful medicines for humans, and due to its complex combination (natural antibiotics, oligo-elements, water, hormones, enzymes, vitamins, mineral salts, amino acids, protein, carbohydrates, lipids), it is a controversial medicine and a food supplement. Some of the medicinal activities of RJ include antioxidant, neurotrophic, hypoglycemic, hypo cholesterol and liver protective properties, lowering blood pressure and regulating blood pressure, anti-tumor, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, immune modulator, and anti-allergic, anti-aging, wound healing effects, etc. (Figure 1) (17). The main RJ proteins or MRJPs form about 90% of the overall RJ protein (18). ...
Highlights Graphical Abstract Article Info Abstract *Corresponding author: ravichandran.23324@lpu.co.in (S. Ravichandran)
This study was carried out to investigate the protective properties of royal jelly on the testicular tissue of rats with testicular damage by giving fluoride. Sperm motility, epididymal sperm density and abnormal sperm ratios were examined and visualized with a light microscope. Expression levels of Caspase-3, Bcl-2, Nrf-2, NF-κB, COX-2, TNF-α and IL1-α proteins in testis tissue were determined by western blot technique. As a result of the study, MDA level, expression level of Bcl-2, NFҡB, COX-2, TNF-α and IL1-α proteins, abnormal sperm rates were found higher in Fluoride-50 and Fluoride100 groups compared to other groups. In addition GSH, Catalase enzyme levels, expression levels of Caspase-3 and Nrf-2 proteins were found to be higher in Fluoride + Royal Jelly groups compared to Fluoride-50 and Fluoride-100 groups. In addition, lower degeneration of testicular tissue was found in the histological evaluation in the Fluoride + Royal Jelly groups compared to the other groups. When the data are evaluated royal jelly provides effective protection against testicular damage. From this point of view, we hope that similar results will be obtained when royal jelly is tested on humans.
İşçi bal arılarının hipofaringeal ve mandibular bezlerinden salgılanan arı sütü beyazımsı renkte, kendine özgü kokuda, ekşimsi tatlı bir tatta ve viskoz yapıda olan doğal bir arıcılık ürünüdür. Yapısında çeşitli karbonhidratlar, proteinler, esansiyel aminoasitler, lipitler, yağ asitleri, B grubu vitaminleri ile A, C, D ve E vitaminleri, potasyum, kalsiyum, sodyum, magnezyum gibi mineraller ve fenolik bileşikler bulunması nedeniyle arı sütünün besin değeri yüksektir. Arı sütünün sahip olduğu bu zengin biyoaktif bileşik içeriği sayesinde antimikrobiyal, antioksidan, antiinflamatuar, antidiyabetik, antikanser ve antihipertansif etkiler ile bağışıklık, sinir ve sindirim sistemleri üzerine birçok olumlu etkileri bulunmaktadır. Bu nedenle toplumun farklı kesimleri tarafından doğrudan arı sütü şeklinde veya bal, polen veya propolis karışımları halinde takviye gıda olarak tüketimi tercih edilmektedir. Bu çalışma arı sütünün bazı fiziksel, duyusal ve kimyasal özellikleri, sağlık üzerine etkileri ve gıda olarak tüketimi ile ilgili bilgilerin derlenmesi amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir.
Al-Mufarrej, S.I. and El-Sarag, M.S.A. 1997. Effects of royal jelly on the humoral antibody response and blood chemistry of chickens. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 12: 41–47.The effects of royal jelly (RJ) on primary and secondary antibody responses against sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and on blood chemistry were studied in 40 chickens of either sex. The birds were divided into 4 equal groups A, B, C and D, each consisting of 5 male and 5 female birds. At 8 weeks of age, the birds of groups B and C were treated each with 200 mg RJ, given orally or subcutaneously, respectively. Simultaneously, both groups, as well as group A were immunized each with 0.2 ml of 10% SRBC suspension in PBS and re- immunized 10 days later with a second similar dose. Group D served as non-immunized control. Treatment witu RJ increased antibody production against SRBC in groups B and C, as compared to group A, while non-significant changes in concentrations of electrolytes and other blood constituents were recorded in the RJ-treated birds, apart from a decrease in K and cholesterol concentrations. Further studies on these lines have been recommended.
We investigated the effects of water-soluble derivative of propolis (WSDP), caffeic acid, honey, royal jelly and bee venom on tumour development and metastasis in murine tumour models. Transplantable murine tumours were used: a spontaneous mammary carcinoma (MCa) and a methylcholanthrene–induced fibrosarcoma (FS) of CBA mouse. Metastases in the lung were generated by injecting 105 or 2 × 105 viable tumour cells intravenously. Tumours in the hind leg were generated by subcutaneous injection of 104 or 105 mammary carcinoma cells. Oral application of WSDP or caffeic acid significantly reduced subcutaneous tumour growth and prolonged survival of mice. Honey also exerted a pronounced antimetastatic effect (p < 0.01 or p < 0.001) when applied before tumour cell inoculation (2 g kg−1 orally once a day for 10 consecutive days). Royal jelly did not affect the formation of metastases when given intraperitoneally or subcutaneously. However, synchronous application of tumour cells and royal jelly intravenously significantly (p < 0.001) inhibited the formation of metastases. When bee venom was injected intratumourally, tumours decreased in size. These findings demonstrated that honey-bee products given orally or systemically may have an important role controlling tumour growth and metastasis. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry
Royal jelly was fractionated by ion-exchange chromatography and a protein (DIII protein) that had growth stimulating activity to the U-937 human myeloid cell line was obtained. The molecular weight of the DIII protein was 58 kDa on SDS-PAGE. The growth stimulating activity of the DIII protein was shown to be relatively heat and pH stable.
Exposure of male rabbits to heat stress during summer adversely affects their fertility leading to major production losses. A total number of 24 male rabbits were randomly divided into four experimental groups exposed to temperatures ranging from a high of 32 degrees C to a low of 23 degrees C. Animals of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th group were individually orally given 200, 400, or 800 mg royal jelly (RJ)/kg body weight once a week to evaluate the ability of RJ feeding to counteract "summer infertility" in bucks and enhance their physiological status. Royal jelly treatments significantly boosted testosterone level to 133, 143 and 124% of basal, increased ejaculated volume by 36, 31 and 18%, increased seminal plasma fructose to 122, 124, and 111%, improved sperm motility by 15, 18 and 5%, increase sperm total output by 65, 63 and 35%, reduced abnormal sperm by 24, 24 and 15% and dead sperm by 27, 25 and 17% compared to the heat stressed control animals. Serum total protein, albumin and globulin increased while serum total lipids, cholesterol and triglycerides decreased with RJ treatments. Creatinine was reduced by 5, 13 and 8% and uric acid by 4, 7 and 4%, respectively for the three doses of RJ compared to control. Alkaline phosphatase has significantly increased to reach 114, 118, and 108% of heat stressed level with the three doses of RJ, indicating the occurrence of active bone deposition. Glucose level increased significantly to reach 105, 112, and 116% of heat stressed control and both calcium and phosphorus increased significantly with RJ treatments. It was concluded that royal jelly administration to heat stressed male rabbits can counteract their "summer infertility" and improve their physiological status.
In order to study a possible immunomodulatory effect of the royal jelly (RJ) secreted by mandibular and hypopharingeal glands of the worker honeybee (Apis mellifera Linne.) we have used a well established rodent model. The CBA mice were given s.c. 0.1 ml of RJ, 7 days before, or immediately after, the immunization with sheep red blood cells (SRBC). The Y59 rats received i.m. 0.4 ml or i.v. 0.025 ml of RJ once or twice at 7 day intervals. Serum levels of total proteins and immunoglobulins in the rats that received RJ once or twice within a 2-week-period were significantly lower (P ≤ 0.05) as compared with the nontreated animals. In mice which were immunized with 4 x 108 of SRBC 7 days after the application of RJ the number of plaque forming splenocytes was significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) than that in the controls. Both the weight of inguinal lymph node and the number of peripheral blood lymphocytes were increased (P ≤ 0.05) in RJ-treated mice 3 or 5 days after the immunization, respectively. Neutrophils were decreased (P ≤ 0.05) in the mice that were killed 5 or 10 days after the RJ treatment. Overall these results indicate that RJ exhibited immunomodulatory properties by stimulating antibody production and immunocompetent cell proliferation in mice or depressing humoral immune functions in rats. Both phenomena, though species-related in this model, could probably be reversed by changing the dose or the route of RJ application.
The growth stimulating effects of a royal jelly protein (DIII protein) were studied. The DIII protein stimulated the growth of five human lymphocytic cell lines in serum-free conditions. Cell cycle analysis showed that U-937 cells cultured with the DIII protein did not arrest to the G1 phase. Furthermore, a binding assay using europium-labeled DIII protein showed U-937 cells had a large number of low affinity receptors on the cell surface.
Water extract (WSR) and an alkaline extract (ASR) were prepared from fresh royal jelly from Chinese bees. The yields were about 8.3 and 6.3% on a dry weight basis, respectively. On SDS–PAGE analysis, the protein patterns of the two extracts were very similar, but not identical. Antioxidant activities, in both extracts, increased, depending on the concentration of the sample. The scavenging activities, against superoxide radical of WSR and ASR were high, and the activities at 100 mg/ml were the same as that of 5 mM ascorbic acid. Although the activities of WSR and ASR, at 50 and 100 mg/ml, did not match that of 1 mM tocopherol, the samples scavenged hydroxyl radical to about 50–60%. This shows that the protein fractions in royal jelly have high antioxidative activity and scavenging ability against active oxygen species. Royal jelly seems applicable in both health food and medicine.
The influence of natural royal jelly (RJ) paste and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) on reproductive responses of Awassi ewes was evaluated. In May 1998, 20 Awassi ewes (aged 2–5 years and weighing 52 kg) were treated with 40 mg fluorogestone acetate (FGA) impregnated intravaginal sponges for a period of 12 days. Half of the ewes were administered orally a total of 3 g RJ paste in 12 equal doses of 250 mg per day starting at FGA sponge insertion while the remaining half received no RJ paste. Ewes were exposed to two fertile Awassi rams from the time of FGA sponge removal (0 h, 0 day). Blood samples were drawn on alternate days from days 0 to 19. Five ewes per group (RJ and control) were randomly selected to receive a 50 μg GnRH injection 28 h post-sponge removal. No interactions were detected between RJ and GnRH. Incidence of estrus was greater (8/10 versus 4/10) in RJ-treated than in control ewes and intervals from 0 h to detected estrus were similar (45±4.1 h versus 55±6.7 h, respectively). Progesterone concentration increased on days 5–7 in all ewes and remained elevated through day 19 in 60% of the RJ-treated and 20% of the control ewes. These ewes lambed on average 149 days later and the number of lambs born was similar between the two groups of ewes. Regardless of RJ treatment, GnRH administration decreased (P<0.05) the interval from cessation of treatment to estrus. The first rise in plasma progesterone occurred on day 5 in GnRH-treated compared with day 7 for non-GnRH-treated ewes (P<0.05). The results demonstrate that RJ treatment in conjunction with a source of exogenous progesterone can be used to induce estrus and increase first service conception rate in sheep. Administration of GnRH reduced the interval to estrus and advanced plasma progesterone elevation.
1.1. Partially purified extracts from bees (Apis mellifera) and their separated heads cross-reacted in a porcine insulin radioimmunoassay whereas the decapitated bodies were devoid of activity.2.2. The active extracts displaced porcine insulin from rat liver insulin receptors and showed insulin-like activity with rat adipocytes which could be abolished with bovine insulin antiserum.3.3. The presence of insulin in bee royal jelly was demonstrated.4.4. Thus an insulin of close similarity to mammalian is present in the head of the bee, indicating high evolutionary conservation of the molecule.