This study aims to determine the diversity of melliferous plants and to recognize the state of beekeeping in the Fez-Meknes region in Morocco. We conducted a questionnaire for beekeepers that set up ...their hives in the prefectures and provinces of the region, and we have studied the pharmacological evidence of the most preferred plants by beekeepers to assess its medicinal values. The results indicate that honey, bee pollen, bee bread, royal jelly, propolis, bee wax, bee venom, and bee queens are produced in this region with different percentages, and 102 plants belonging to 32 families were obtained in the inventory of melliferous plants; the most represented families were Asteraceae and Lamiaceae (13.73% each) followed by Rosaceae (8.82%). Among these 102 plants identified, 79 plants provide nectar and pollen for bees, 16 plants provide only pollen, 3 plants provide only nectar, 35 plants are resinous, and 6 plants provide honeydew for bees. The outcome of this study will contribute to the valuation of melliferous plants and help to establish a practical guide for the development of the beekeeping sector as an agricultural economic approach.
•Royal jelly improve sperm cryopreservation.•Royal Jelly improves in vitro fertility.•Royal jelly improves in vivo fertility.•Royal jelly might protect sperms against oxidative stress.
Two ...experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of royal jelly (RJ) on post-thaw sperm quality, in vitro and in vivo fertility rate of cryopreserved buffalo bull sperm. The semen was collected from three mature regular donor buffalo bulls, ejaculates were pooled and semen evaluated initially. In Experiment 1, the ejaculates were extended in tris-citric acid diluter supplemented with different RJ concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 or 0.4%). The diluted semen was cooled to 4°C, packaged into 0.5mL straws and frozen using standard procedure. The straws were thawed and assessed for sperm progressive motility, viability, plasma membrane, acrosome, and chromatin integrity. The results indicated that sperm progressive motility was significantly greater (P<0.05) in 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3% RJ than 0.4% RJ supplemented and control groups. The sperm viability, plasma membrane and acrosome integrity were significantly improved (P<0.05) in 0.1% RJ supplemented group the compared to other treatment groups.
In Experiment 2, cryopreserved sperm with 0.1% RJ supplementation and control (without RJ supplementation) were used to observe the in vitro fertilizing potential and in vivo fertility. In vitro fertilization method was applied to assess the cleavage rate; whereas, AI was performed in buffalo during in vivo fertility trial. The buffaloes were inseminated 12h after standing estrus and pregnancy diagnosis was performed through ultrasonography. The results revealed that the cleavage rate was higher (P<0.05) in 0.1% RJ as compared to control group. However, the pregnancy rate was similar (P>0.05) between 0.1% RJ supplemented and control groups. It is concluded that supplementation of RJ in freezing extender can improve the cryosurvival rate and in vitro fertilizing capacity of buffalo bull sperm.
Relapse of leukemia and drug resistance are still the major obstacles to therapy due to leukemia-initiating stem/progenitor cells (LICs); thus, targeting them using safe compounds is crucial. Here, ...we evaluated the anti-leukemic effect of royal jelly (RJ) components, which had a higher safe concentration (EC
100
values) than the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (DOX). The RJ-protein fraction 50 (PF
50
, precipitated at 40-50% ammonium sulfate saturation) and its constituents, major RJ protein (MRJP) 2 and its isoform X1, exhibited the highest growth inhibitory effect against myeloid NFS-60 and lymphoid Jurkat cell lines. MRJP2 has a nanosize, which may be the reason for its higher anti-leukemic activity than its isoform. These RJ proteins, particularly MRJP2, suppressed LIC-associated oncogenes (GATA2 and Evi-1) and eliminated CD34
+
LICs, in contrast to the low anti-LIC efficacy of DOX. MRJP2 demonstrated higher apoptotic activity than its isoform by upregulating p53 and p21-mediated cell cycle arrest. This study also reported the potent inhibitory effect of RJ-proteins on matrix metallopeptidase 10 (metastatic marker) and histone deacetylase 8 (mediates LIC survival) activities. Thus, MRJP2 can be considered a promising novel therapeutic agent for both myeloid and lymphoid leukemia.
Apis mellifera
major royal jelly protein 2 suppressed leukemia-initiating stem cell (LIC)-related oncogenes, MMP10 and HDAC8 activities, as well as CD34
+
LICs in myeloid and lymphoid leukemia cells, resulting in their cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.
Dendritic cells (DCs), in response to the biomaterials, utilize toll‐like receptors (TLRs) to become mature or tolerogenic through TLRs‐dependent signaling pathways, especially TLR4. Regarding the ...physicochemical properties of biomaterials, some of such signaling pathways are activated. Unsaturated fatty acids have been explored as an antagonist for TLRs and lead to the tolerogenic phenotype of DCs. Here we showed that, although cultured DCs on both chitosan and Alginate‐polyethyleneimine (Alg‐PEI) films became fully mature, 10‐hydroxy‐2‐decanoic acid (10‐HDA), an unsaturated fatty acid found in royal jelly, led to the tolerogenic immunophenotype of DCs on both films. The cultured cells on the films possessed iDCs‐like morphology in the presence of 10‐HDA. Moreover, 10‐HDA expressed lower levels of CD80, CD83, CD86, and HLA‐DR, a higher level of IL‐10, and lower level of IL‐12 in the cultured DCs on both films. Furthermore, HEK293T cells expressing only TLR4 (HEK‐TLR4 cells) were co‐cultured with LPS, a specific agonist for TLR4, and 10‐HDA. The 10‐HDA significantly reduced the expression of tumor necrosis factor‐a (TNF‐α) in the HEK‐TLR4 cells compared to treated only with LPS. These findings indicate that the 10‐HDA acts as an antagonist of TLR4; therefore, potentially can be used in autoimmune diseases and preventing the rejection of biomaterials implantation and allograft transplantation.
Queen bee larva (QBL) is one kind of important edible insect that is harvested during royal jelly production process. QBL has many physiological functions; however, limited information is available ...regarding its antiaging effects. In this study, the antiaging function of freeze-dried QBL powder (QBLP) was investigated by combining the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model and transcriptomics. The administration of QBLP to C. elegans was shown to improve lifespan parameters. Additionally, QBLP improved the mobility of nematodes. Transcriptome analysis showed the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in Gene Ontology (GO) terms that were almost all related to the biological functions of cell metabolism and stress, which are associated with lifespan. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis suggested that the lifespan of C. elegans was related to the longevity regulating pathway-worm. The expression levels of the key genes sod-3, gst-6, hsp-12.6, lips-7, ins-8, and lips-17 were upregulated. sod-3, hsp-12.6, lips-7, and lips-17 are downstream targets of DAF-16, which is an important transcription factor related to lifespan extension. CF1038 (daf-16(mu86)) supplemented with QBLP did not show a life-prolonging. This indicates that the antiaging function of QBLP is closely related to daf-16. Thus, QBLP is a component that could potentially be used as a functional material to ameliorate aging and aging-related symptoms.
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignancies in the world. Lifestyle and eating patterns may have a significant impact on the prevention of this type of cancer. Bioactive food ingredients ...influence the gut microbiome and can have a protective effect. Bee products (honey, propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom) or pharmacologically active fractions obtained from them are widely used in many fields of medicine, pharmacy, and cosmetics. Some evidence suggests that bee products may have anti-cancer potential. The main bioactive components with anti-colon cancer potential from propolis and bee honey are polyphenols such as pinocembrin, galangin, luteolin, CAPE, Artepilin C, chrysin, caffeic, and p-coumaric acids. This review is focused on the new data on epidemiology, risk factors for colon cancer, and current reports on the potential role of bee products in the chemoprevention of this type of cancer.
In honey bees, the process of producing two female castes, including queens and workers, is nutritionally controlled by differential feeding royal jelly to newly emerged larvae. Although they have ...almost identical genetic blueprints, these castes show striking differences in their morphologies, longevities and reproductive capabilities. DNA methyltransferase 3 (Amdnmt3) gene is involved in the regulatory network for honeybee caste differentiation. Due to the role of two zinc fingers containing transcription factors, SP1 and SP3 in controlling mammalian Dnmts, this study aimed to determine a similar interaction of SPs with Amdnmt3 in the honeybee. We confirmed that the promoter region of Amdnmt3 contained multiple predicted SP1/SP3 binding sites and then investigated the role of AmSP3 in queen‐worker differentiation network. We observed that the expression level of Amsp3 was significantly higher in worker larvae than that in queen larvae at 48 h, 84 h and 120 h. Knockdown of Amsp3 expression by RNAi in worker larvae significantly reduced the expression level of Amdnmt3 and caused morphological changes in adult bees towards a queen‐like phenotype. However, the expression levels of Amsp3 and Amdnmt3 were repressed by juvenile hormone (JH). Our results suggest that AmSP3 is an important part of the queen‐worker differentiation network and supports the role of Amdnmt3 in determining the phenotypic outcome of developing larvae.
The global pandemic of sarcopenia, skeletal muscle loss and weakness, which prevails in up to 50% of older adults is increasing worldwide due to the expansion of aging populations. It is now striking ...young and midlife adults as well because of sedentary lifestyle and increased intake of unhealthy food (e.g., western diet). The lockdown measures and economic turndown associated with the current outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) are likely to increase the prevalence of sarcopenia by promoting sedentarism and unhealthy patterns of eating. Sarcopenia has multiple detrimental effects including falls, hospitalization, disability, and institutionalization. Although a few pharmacological agents (e.g., bimagrumab, sarconeos, and exercise mimetics) are being explored in different stages of trials, not a single drug has been approved for sarcopenia treatment. Hence, research has focused on testing the effect of nutraceuticals, such as bee products, as safe treatments to prevent and/or treat sarcopenia. Royal jelly, propolis, and bee pollen are common bee products that are rich in highly potent antioxidants such as flavonoids, phenols, and amino acids. These products, in order, stimulate larval development into queen bees, promote defenses of the bee hive against microbial and environmental threats, and increase royal jelly production by nurse bees. Thanks to their versatile pharmacological activities (e.g., anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antimicrobial, etc.), these products have been used to treat multiple chronic conditions that predispose to muscle wasting such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disorder, and cancer, to name a few. They were also used in some evolving studies to treat sarcopenia in laboratory animals and, to a limited degree, in humans. However, a collective understanding of the effect and mechanism of action of these products in skeletal muscle is not well-developed. Therefore, this review examines the literature for possible effects of royal jelly, bee pollen, and propolis on skeletal muscle in aged experimental models, muscle cell cultures, and humans. Collectively, data from reviewed studies denote varying levels of positive effects of bee products on muscle mass, strength, and function. The likely underlying mechanisms include amelioration of inflammation and oxidative damages, promotion of metabolic regulation, enhancement of satellite stem cell responsiveness, improvement of muscular blood supply, inhibition of catabolic genes, and promotion of peripheral neuronal regeneration. This review offers suggestions for other mechanisms to be explored and provides guidance for future trials investigating the effects of bee products among people with sarcopenia.
We reared the cross-bred FD lineage (F♀ × D♂) from inbred lines in pursuit of high royal jelly (RJ)-producing honeybee traits. The present study compared the new crossbred FD line to a high ...RJ-producing colony (HRC) and a low RJ-producing colony (LRC) by investigating the production of RJ, morphological characteristics, and age-dependent hypopharyngeal gland (HPG) development of the honeybees. The HRC exhibited the highest RJ production (416.46 ± 71.49 mg/cup), followed by the FD (369.29 ± 80.89 mg/cup), and the LRC (284.79 ± 38.54 mg/cup) colonies, respectively. The 10-HDA content was highest in the FD colony (2.38%), followed by the LRC (2.06%) and the HRC (1.91%). Compared to newly emerged bees, the body weight, fresh head weight, and HPG development increased until 9 days, and then decreased thereafter. Moreover, the length of the acini of the HPG at 9 days-old was almost twice as long than those of the bees at first emergence in all colonies. The acini diameters of the HPG in the HRC were significantly larger at all age stages. Compared to the LRC line, the acini in the FD line were significantly longer until 9 days after hatching. The abdominal length and forewing length were longer in the HRC, while the corbicular area, and head, proboscis, and glossa lengths were longer in the FD. The discriminant function analysis revealed that 78.1% of the individuals were classified correctly. Further assessements of wing geometric morphometrics are needed to clarify the morphological characteristics of the new hybrid FD line with high RJ-producing traits.
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•The cross-bred FD line was reared for high royal jelly-producing honeybee traits.•FD line showed the highest content of 10-HDA.•Hypopharyngeal gland increased until 9 days-old, and then decreased thereafter.•Proboscis and hindwing lengths, and corbicular area were longer in the FD.•78.1% of the individuals were classified correctly by the discriminant analysis.
Neuropeptides play vital roles in orchestrating neural communication and physiological modulation in organisms, acting as neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, and neurohormones. The highly evolved ...social structure of honeybees is a good system for understanding how neuropeptides regulate social behaviors; however, much knowledge on neuropeptidomic variation in the age-related division of labor remains unknown. An in-depth comparison of the brain neuropeptidomic dynamics over four time points of age-related polyethism was performed on two strains of honeybees, the Italian bee (Apis mellifera ligustica, ITb) and the high royal jelly producing bee (RJb, selected for increasing royal jelly production for almost four decades from the ITb in China). Among the 158 identified nonredundant neuropeptides, 77 were previously unreported, significantly expanding the coverage of the honeybee neuropeptidome. The fact that 14 identical neuropeptide precursors changed their expression levels during the division of labor in both the ITb and RJb indicates they are highly related to task transition of honeybee workers. These observations further suggest the two lines of bees employ a similar neuropeptidome modification to tune their respective physiology of age polyethism via regulating excretory system, circadian clock system, and so forth. Noticeably, the enhanced level of neuropeptides implicated in regulating water homeostasis, brood pheromone recognition, foraging capacity, and pollen collection in RJb signify the fact that neuropeptides are also involved in the regulation of RJ secretion. These findings gain novel understanding of honeybee neuropeptidome correlated with social behavior regulation, which is potentially important in neurobiology for honeybees and other insects.
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