1
|
Valivand N, Aravand S, Lotfi H, Esfahani AJ, Ahmadpour-Yazdi H, Gheibi N. Propolis: a natural compound with potential as an adjuvant in cancer therapy - a review of signaling pathways. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:931. [PMID: 39177837 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09807-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Propolis is a natural product used in cancer treatment, which is produced by bees via different sources. The chemical composition of Propolis is determined based on the climatic and geographical conditions, as well as harvesting time and method. This compound has been the subject of numerous investigational endeavors due to its expansive therapeutic capacity which includes antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-viral, and anti-cancer effects. The growing incidence rate of different cancers necessitates the need for developing novel preventive and therapeutic strategies. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and stem cell therapy have proved effective in cancer treatment, regardless of the adverse events associated with these modalities. Clinical application of natural compounds such as Propolis may confer promise as an adjuvant therapeutic intervention, particularly in certain subpopulations of patients that develop adverse events associated with anticancer regimens. The diverse biologically active compounds of propolis are believed to confer anti-cancer potential by modulation of critical signaling cascades such as caffeic acid phenethyl ester, Galangin, Artepillin C, Chrysin, Quercetin, Caffeic acid, Nymphaeols A and C, Frondoside A, Genistein, p-coumaric acid, and Propolin C. This review article aims to deliver a mechanistic account of anti-cancer effects of propolis and its components. Propolis can prevent angiogenesis by downregulating pathways involving Jun-N terminal kinase, ERK1/2, Akt and NF-ƘB, while counteracting metastatic progression of cancer by inhibiting Wtn2 and FAK, and MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. Moreover, propolis or its main components show regulatory effects on cyclin D, CDK2/4/6, and their inhibitors. Additionally, propolis-induced up-regulation of p21 and p27 may result in cell cycle arrest at G2/M or G0/G1. The broad anti-apoptotic effects of propolis are mediated through upregulation of TRAIL, Bax, p53, and downregulation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Considering the growing body of evidence regarding different anti-cancers effects of propolis and its active components, this natural compound could be considered an effective adjuvant therapy aimed at reducing related side effects associated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nassim Valivand
- Student Research Committee, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Sara Aravand
- Student Research Committee, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Hajie Lotfi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Research Institute for Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Azam Janati Esfahani
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Research Institute for Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Hossein Ahmadpour-Yazdi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Research Institute for Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Nematollah Gheibi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Research Institute for Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Aziz RLA, Abdel-Wahab A, Abdel-Razik ARH, Kamel S, Farghali AA, Saleh R, Mahmoud R, Ibrahim MA, Nabil TM, El-Ela FIA. Physiological roles of propolis and red ginseng nanoplatforms in alleviating dexamethasone-induced male reproductive challenges in a rat model. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:72. [PMID: 38175282 PMCID: PMC10766727 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08991-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Red ginseng and propolis are well-known antioxidants that have been related to a reduction in oxidative stress. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the efficiency of red ginseng and propolis, either in powder or as nano-forms against dexamethasone-induced testicular oxidative challenges in adult male albino rats. METHODS Forty rats were divided into 8 equal groups including control negative group that was given vehicle (DMSO), control positive group that was administered dexamethasone in addition to the nano-propolis, nano-ginseng, nano-propolis + dexamethasone, nano ginseng+dexamethasone, propolis+dexamethasone and ginseng + dexamethasone groups. Serum, semen and tissue samples were obtained. RESULTS Lower testosterone levels, higher levels of MDA, and lower levels of total antioxidant capacity in serum, as well as impaired semen quality and a disturbed histopathological picture of both the testis and seminal glands, were all observed as significant negative effects of dexamethasone. These findings were confirmed by lower gene expression profiles of CYP11A1, StAR, HSD-3b, Nrf-2 and ACTB-3b in testicular and seminal gland tissues. The most powerful anti-dexamethasone effects were obtained with either propolis in nanoform or conventional ginseng. CONCLUSION Propolis nano-formulation and ginseng in conventional form could be considered excellent candidates to ameliorate the oxidative stress provoked by dexamethasone, however, neither nano-ginseng nor conventional propolis showed such effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rabie L Abdel Aziz
- Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62511, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Abdel-Wahab
- Physiology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Minia University, El-Minia, 61519, Egypt.
| | - Abdel-Razik H Abdel-Razik
- Department of Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni- Suef, 62512, Egypt
| | - Shaimaa Kamel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Ahmed A Farghali
- Materials Science and Nanotechnology Department, Faculty of Postgraduate Studies for Advanced Sciences, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Romaissaa Saleh
- Materials Science and Nanotechnology Department, Faculty of Postgraduate Studies for Advanced Sciences, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Rehab Mahmoud
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62511, Egypt
| | - Marwa A Ibrahim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
| | - Taghred M Nabil
- Department of Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni- Suef, 62512, Egypt
| | - Fatma I Abo El-Ela
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62511, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Banihani SA. Ameliorative effects of propolis upon reproductive toxicity in males. Clin Exp Reprod Med 2023; 50:12-18. [PMID: 36935407 PMCID: PMC10030207 DOI: 10.5653/cerm.2022.05785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Propolis is a sticky natural product produced by honeybees. Research studies have discussed the effectiveness of propolis, directly or indirectly, for ameliorating reproductive toxicity in males; however, this research has not yet been reviewed. The current paper presents an integrative summary of all research studies in Scopus and PubMed that investigated the effects of propolis on semen quality, and hence on male fertility, in conditions of reproductive toxicity. The consensus indicates that propolis ameliorates reproductive toxicity and enhances semen quality in vivo in test animals. These effects may be attributable to the ability of propolis to reduce testicular oxidative damage, enhance testicular antioxidant defense mechanisms, increase nitric oxide production, reduce testicular apoptotic injury, and boost testosterone production. However, to generalize these effects in humans would require further research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saleem Ali Banihani
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wieczorek PP, Hudz N, Yezerska O, Horčinová-Sedláčková V, Shanaida M, Korytniuk O, Jasicka-Misiak I. Chemical Variability and Pharmacological Potential of Propolis as a Source for the Development of New Pharmaceutical Products. Molecules 2022; 27:1600. [PMID: 35268700 PMCID: PMC8911684 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27051600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
This review aims to analyze propolis as a potential raw material for the development and manufacture of new health-promoting products. Many scientific publications were retrieved from the Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases via searching the word "propolis". The different extraction procedures, key biologically active compounds, biological properties, and therapeutic potential of propolis were analyzed. It was concluded that propolis possesses a variety of biological properties because of a very complex chemical composition that mainly depends on the plant species visited by bees and species of bees. Numerous studies found versatile pharmacological activities of propolis: antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, etc. In this review, the composition and biological activities of propolis are presented from a point of view of the origin and standardization of propolis for the purpose of the development of new pharmaceutical products on its base. It was revealed that some types of propolis, especially European propolis, contain flavonoids and phenolic acids, which could be markers for the standardization and quality evaluation of propolis and its preparations. One more focus of this paper was the overview of microorganisms' sensitivity to propolis for further development of antimicrobial and antioxidant products for the treatment of various infectious diseases with an emphasis on the illnesses of the oral cavity. It was established that the antimicrobial activity of different types of propolis is quite significant, especially to Gram-negative bacteria and lipophilic viruses. The present study could be also of interest to the pharmaceutical industry as a review for the appropriate design of standardized propolis preparations such as mouthwashes, toothpastes, oral drops, sprays, creams, ointments, suppositories, tablets, and capsules, etc. Moreover, propolis could be regarded as a source for the isolation of biologically active substances. Furthermore, this review can facilitate partially overcoming the problem of the standardization of propolis preparations, which is a principal obstacle to the broader use of propolis in the pharmaceutical industry. Finally, this study could be of interest in the area of the food industry for the development of nutritionally well-balanced products. The results of this review indicate that propolis deserves to be better studied for its promising therapeutic effects from the point of view of the connection of its chemical composition with the locality of its collection, vegetation, appropriate extraction methods, and standardization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nataliia Hudz
- Department of Drug Technology and Biopharmacy, Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, 79010 Lviv, Ukraine; (N.H.); (O.Y.)
- Department of Pharmacy and Ecological Chemistry, University of Opole, 45-052 Opole, Poland;
| | - Oksana Yezerska
- Department of Drug Technology and Biopharmacy, Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, 79010 Lviv, Ukraine; (N.H.); (O.Y.)
| | | | - Mariia Shanaida
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Medical Botany, I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University, 46001 Ternopil, Ukraine;
| | - Oleksii Korytniuk
- Department of Occupational and Facial Surgery and Dentistry, Ukrainian Military Medical Academy, 01015 Kyiv, Ukraine;
| | - Iza Jasicka-Misiak
- Department of Pharmacy and Ecological Chemistry, University of Opole, 45-052 Opole, Poland;
| |
Collapse
|