1. BEE PRODUCTS AND THEIR POTENTIAL USE
IN MODERN MEDICINE
PRESENTED
BY IVAN KAHWA
(Msc. Pharmacognosy and Natural
Medicine Science)
Email: kivan@std.must.ac.ug
Tel: +256785458826(Whatsaap)
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2. HISTORY AND INTRODUCTION
The medical use of bee products, especially
honey, can be traced back thousands of years to
ancient Egypt, Greece and China.
Healing properties and nutritional benefits are
mentioned in many religious texts including the
Veda, Bible and Quran.
Over time bee products have lost their
importance and, today, bee products only play
marginal roles in modern Westernized medicine.
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3. CRITICAL QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED
Why did bee products disappear from
modern medicine?
What bee products are still being
reasonably used?
How, and which, bee products could be
reintroduced to modern medicinal
practice?
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5. HONEY
Honey is produced from the nectar of
plants mainly secreted by glands in
flowers.
Honey is composed primarily of fructose
and glucose but also contains fructo-
oligosaccharides and many amino acids,
vitamins, minerals and enzymes.
The composition of honey varies
depending on the plants on which the bee
feeds.
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6. Honey cont’d
Natural honey contains about 200
substances, including amino acids,
vitamins, minerals and enzymes, but it
primarily contains sugar and water.
Sugar accounts for 95–99% of honey dry
matter. The principal carbohydrate
constituents of honey are fructose (32.56
to 38.2%) and glucose (28.54 to 31.3 %),
which represents 85–95% of total sugars
that are readily absorbed in the
gastrointestinal tract.
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7. Honey cont’d
All natural honey contains flavonoids
(such as apigenin, pinocembrin,
kaempferol, quercetin, galangin, chrysin
and hesperetin), phenolic acids (such as
ellagic, caffeic, p-coumaric and ferulic
acids), ascorbic acid, tocopherols,
catalase).
Most of those compound works together
to provide a synergistic antioxidant effect.
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8. Traditional uses of honey
In Ayurveda, it is used to treat weak
digestion, irritating cough, keeping gums
and teeth healthy, used for various eye
ailments, improving eye-sight, treatment
of insomnia, treatment of skin disorders
such as wounds and burns, cardiac pain
and palpitation, all imbalances of the
lungs and anemia, and honey is regarded
as useful in the prevention of cataract.
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9. Traditional uses of honey cont’d
In ancient Egypt, honey was used for
embalming the dead. It was also utilized
for its antibacterial properties that helped
heal infected wounds. Honey was used as
a topical ointment.
In ancient Greece, honey is used as a
folk remedy for gout and certain nervous
disorders, Hippocrates, the great Greek
scientist, prescribed a simple diet,
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10. Traditional uses of honey cont’d
favoring honey given as oxymel (vinegar
and honey) for pain, hydromel (water and
honey) for thirst, and a mixture of honey,
water and various medicinal substances for
acute fevers. Also he utilized honey for
baldness, contraception, wound healing,
laxative action, cough and sore throat, eye
diseases, topical antisepsis, prevention and
treatment of scars.
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11. Traditional uses of honey cont’d
In Islamic medicine, honey is considered
a healthy drink. The holy Qur'an vividly
illustrates the potential therapeutic value of
honey, the Muslim prophet Mohammad
recommended the use of honey for the
treatment of diarrhea . Avicenna, the great
Iranian scientist and physician, almost 1000
years ago, had recommended honey as one
of best remedies in the treatment of
tuberculosis.
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12. Honey in modern medicine
Antibacterial activity
Wound healing
Treatment of gastrointestinal tract
diseases
Fungal infections
Treatment of ophthalmological conditions
Source of carbohydrates
Treatment of diabetes type 2
Preservative and probiotic
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13. Adverse effects of honey
Topical application of honey may lead to
transient stinging sensation.
Allergy to honey is rare, but there could
be an allergic reaction to either pollen or
bee proteins in honey.
Excessive application of honey may lead
to dehydration of tissues which can
however be restored by saline packs.
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14. Adverse effects of honey cont’d
Theoretical risk of rise in blood glucose
levels may always be there when applied
to large open wound in diabetics.
Risk of wound botulism, due to presence
of spores of Clostridia, can be minimized
by gamma irradiation which will kill the
spores of clostridia without any loss of
antibacterial activity.
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15. BEE POLLEN
Bee pollen is a raw material from which
bees produce bee bread. They collect
pollen from plant anthers, mix it with a
small dose of the secretion from salivary
glands or nectar, and place it in specific
baskets (corbiculae) which are situated on
the tibia of their hind legs.
The color of the pollen is varied ranging
from bright yellow to black.
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16. CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF BEE POLLEN
The major components include proteins
(5–60%), essential amino acids, reducing
sugars (13–55%), lipids (4–7% ), nucleic
acids (especially RNA), and crude fibre
(0.3–20%).
Polyphenols, mainly flavonoids such as
catechins, kaempferol, quercetin, and
isorhamnetin are the most frequent.
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17. BEE POLLEN IN MODERN MEDICINE
Antioxidative effects (since ROS is
involved in development of numerous
diseases such as cardiovascular,metabolic
(diabetes), degenerative (arthritis,
Parkinsons’s disease, Alzheimer’s
disease), and neoplastic disorders).
Anti-inflammatory effects(Substantial
evidence suggests that pollen compounds
(e.g.polyphenols or flavonoids) may exert
beneficial effects on numerous cells).
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18. BEE POLLEN IN MODERN MEDICINE cont’d
Anticarcinogenic activity (Several
studies have shown that bee pollen has
greater or lesser antimutagenic properties
in certain types of cancer.The
anticarcinogenic activities may be derived
from its antioxidant properties, i.e.
suppression of oxygen reactive species
(ROS) formation and removal or
inactivation of oxygen reactive species.
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19. BEE POLLEN IN MODERN MEDICINE cont’d
Hepatoprotective and detoxifying
activity (In several studies on animals,
pollen bioactive substances improved liver
function)
Anti-atherosclerotic effect (Pollen
extracts are reported to have
hypolipidaemic activity by decreasing the
content of total lipids, triacylglycerol, and
cholesterol.Therefore, beneficial effects in
cardiovascular disease have been
reported).
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20. BEE POLLEN IN MODERN MEDICINE cont’d
Antibacterial and antifungal effects
(Certain antimicrobial effects of
commercial Spanish and Portuguese bee
pollen have been demonstrated, for
example against Staphylococcus aureus
and Candida glabrata)
Immune regulatory and anti-
allergenic effect (Bee pollen is reported
to strengthen the immune system)
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21. SIDE EFFECTS OF BEE POLLEN CONSUMPTION
Important risk factor concerning the
presence of contaminants (heavy metals,
pesticides, herbicides, mycotoxins,
bacteria, antibiotics). In general, it seems
that bacterial and mycotoxin
contamination is a greater problem.
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22. PROPOLIS
Propolis is a natural resinous mixture
produced by honeybees from substances
collected from parts of plants, buds, and
exudates. The word propolis is derived
from Greek, in which pro stands for “at
the entrance to” and polis for
“community”or “city,” which means this
natural product is used in hive
defense.Another name of propolis is bee
glue.
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23. PROPOLIS
Due to its waxy nature and mechanical
properties, bees use propolis in the
construction and repair of their hives—for
sealing openings and cracks and
smoothing out the internal walls and as a
protective barrier against external
invaders like snakes,lizards, and so forth,
or against wind and rain. Bees gather
propolis from different plants in different
temperate climatic zones.
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24. PROPOLIS
In general, raw propolis is composed of
around 50% resins, 30% waxes, 10%
essential oils, 5% pollen, and 5% of
various organic compounds.
The main chemical classes present in
propolis are flavonoids, phenolics and
other various aromatic compounds.
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25. TRADITIONAL USES OF PROPOLIS
General medicinal uses of propolis include
treatment of the cardiovascular and blood
systems (anemia), respiratory apparatus
(for various infections), dental care,
dermatology (tissue regeneration, ulcers,
eczema, wound healing— particularly burn
wounds, mycosis, mucous membrane
infections and lesions), cancer treatment,
immune system support and
improvement, digestive tracts (ulcers and
in-fections), liver protection and support
and many others
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27. INTERACTIONS, SIDE EFFECTS AND ADVERSE EVENTS OF PROPOLIS
If allergic to propolis, it may cause
redness of skin, de-velop rashes, swelling,
itching, fluid collection, fever and may
even lead skin to crack (including a severe
allergic reaction called anaphylaxis). Apart
from that, it may also irritate the skin area
where it is applied on, cause eczema,
lesions, psoriasis or mouth sores.
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28. INTERACTIONS, SIDE EFFECTS AND ADVERSE EVENTS OF PROPOLIS
Propolis may interact with the following:
anticoagu- lants, H. pylori agents,
antibiotics, anti-cancer agents (anti-
neoplastics), antifungals, anti-
inflammatories, infertility agents, anti-HIV
agents (antiretrovirals), immunosuppres-
sants, and osteoporosis agents.
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29. ROYAL JELLY
Royal jelly is secreted hypopharyngeal
gland (sometimes called the brood food
gland) of young worker (nurse) bees, to
feed young emergence larvae and the
adult queen bee.
Royal jelly is always fed directly to the
queen or the larvae as it is secreted, it is
not stored.
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30. ROYAL JELLY AND MODERN MEDICINE
It has been used to strengthen the
immune system and to boost energy. In
addition, very preliminary evidence that it
may have the ability to promote some
antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, wound
healing and anti-cancer effects.
It has also shown antioxidant, antitumor,
antiaging and neurotropic properties
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31. BEES WAX
Bee wax is produced from the bee’s own
body during the worm period. The bee
uses wax to build the comb cells in which
their broods are reared and also the cells
in which honey and pollen are stored.
It is a thin scale produced by glands of
12-17 days old worker bees on the ventral
(stomach) surface of the abdomen.
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32. BEES WAX AND MODERN MEDICINE
It is used as an ingredient in human food.
Used as a coating for drugs or pills.
Facilitates ingestion
Can also be used to make drugs to release
a drug over a long period of time.
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33. BEE VENOM
Honeybee venom is produced by two
glands associated with the sting apparatus
of worker bees. One is lying in the
abdomen, rather long and known as acids
gland of the sting producing acid, while
the other gland is short, thick and known
as alkaline gland.
Its production increases during the first
two weeks of the adult worker's life and
reaches a maximum when the worker bee
becomes involved in hive defense and
foraging.
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34. BEE VENOM
It diminishes as the bee gets older. The
queen bee's production of venom is
highest on emergence, probably because
it must be prepared for immediate battles
with other queens.
Bee venom therapy uses the stings of live
bees to relieve symptoms of many
syndromes such as pain, loss of
coordination and muscle weakness.
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35. BEE VENOM
Stinging is not limited to any specific area
of the body, as stings in different places
seem to produce different results.
Apitherapy researchers suggest that
certain compounds in bee venom, namely
melittin, apamin, phospolipaseA2 and
adolapin, help reduce inflammation and
pain and that the combination of all the
"ingredients" in bee venom somehow
helps the body to release natural healing
compounds in its own defense.
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36. BEE VENOM
In the modern world honey bee venom
has found wide uses in treating arthritis
and other inflammatory and degenerative
diseases.
There is no standardized practice for the
administration of bee venom. Some
reports suggest that the location of the
sting is important, with the sting acting as
a sort of acupuncture in combination with
the effects of the venom, while others
report the location is not important.
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37. BEE VENOM IN MODERN MEDICINE
The most interesting application of bee
venom in humans is its application to the
treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Therapy has been combined with
acupuncture and is referred to as
apipuncture.
Another promising application of bee
venom may be against multiple sclerosis.
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38. BEE VENOM IN MODERN MEDICINE
Bee venom may also have some potential
in the treatment and prevention of cancer.
Beekeepers have been reported to have a
slightly lower cancer incidence and a
significantly lower incidence of lung cancer
compared to the general population.
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39. GENERAL CONCLUSION ON BEE PRODUCTS
AND MEDICINE
If bee products are to be used in modern
medicine they will have to fulfil the same
requirements regarding safety and
efficacy as normal allopathic drugs. The
problems which will have to be solved can
be summarized as follows;
1. There are no standards for bee products
with regard to their biologically active
substances.
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40. GENERAL CONCLUSION ON BEE PRODUCTS
AND MEDICINE
2. There are very few pharmacological
studies which include dose response
relationships for bee products and their
components.
3. Knowledge on the biological and
pharmacological action of bee products has
to be improved.
4. Many biologically active substances in the
products are yet to be identified.
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41. GENERAL CONCLUSION ON BEE PRODUCTS
AND MEDICINE
5. The biological activities of honey, pollen
and propolis depend on their botanical
origin.
6. The production methods for the bee
products also have to fulfil certain criteria in
order to guarantee optimal pharmaceutical
quality.
7. Improper processing methods are
sometimes used (e. g. honeyheating,
filtration).
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42. REFERENCES:
Ghisalberti, E.L., 1979. Propolis: a
review. Bee world, 60(2), pp.59-84.
Eteraf-Oskouei, T. and Najafi, M., 2013.
Traditional and modern uses of natural
honey in human diseases: a
review.Iranian journal of basic medical
sciences, 16(6), p.731.
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43. REFERENCES:
Pasupuleti, V.R., Sammugam, L., Ramesh,
N. and Gan, S.H., 2017. Honey, propolis,
and royal jelly: a comprehensive review of
their biological actions and health
benefits. Oxidative medicine and cellular
longevity, 2017.
Shruthi, E. and Suma, B.S., 2012. Health
from the hive: potential uses of propolis in
general health.
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44. REFERENCES:
Basa, B., Belay, W., Tilahun, A. and
Teshale, A., 2016. Review on medicinal
value of honeybee products:
Apitherapy.Advances in Biological
Research, 10(4), pp.236-247.
Münstedt, K. and Bogdanov, S., 2009. Bee
products and their potential use in modern
medicine. Journal of ApiProduct and
ApiMedical Science, 1(3), pp.57-63.
27/06/2021 44
45. REFERENCES:
Wagh, V.D., 2013. Propolis: a wonder
bees product and its pharmacological
potentials. Advances in pharmacological
sciences, 2013.
Denisow, B. and Denisow‐Pietrzyk, M.,
2016. Biological and therapeutic
properties of bee pollen: a review. Journal
of the Science of Food and
Agriculture, 96(13), pp.4303-4309.
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