Proteome of thymus and spleen reveals that 10-hydroxydec-2-enoic acid could enhance immunity in mice

Preventive Effect of Royal Jelly and 10-HDA on Skin Damage in Diabetic Mice through Regulating Keratinocyte Wnt/β-Catenin and Pyroptosis Pathway

The objective of this study is to elucidate how Royal jelly (RJ) and 10-hydroxy-2-decanoic acid (10-HDA) prevents diabetic skin dysfunction by modulating the pyroptosis pathway. Type 2 diabetes models are induced by fat diet consumption and low dose of streptozotocin (STZ) in C57BL/6J mice and treated with RJ (100 mg kg-1 day-1) and 10-HDA, the major lipid component of royal jelly (100 mg kg-1 day-1) for 28 weeks. The results show that serum concentrations of glucose and triglyceride are significantly lower in the RJ group or 10-HDA than diabetes mellitus (DM) group. Compared to the control group, pyroptosis proteins, GSDMD, ASC, Caspase-1, and IL-1β are increased in the skin of the diabetic model, accompanied by the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway. Further evaluations by RJ exhibit superior improvement of skin damage, repress activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and attenuate keratinocyte pyroptosis, but 10-HDA cannot completely suppress the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway and pyroptosis, which shows a relatively weak protective effect on skin damage which shows that RJ is a better effect on skin injury after DM.

Royal jelly a promising therapeutic intervention and functional food supplement: A systematic review

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: Biological Action and Health Benefits

Royal jelly (RJ) is a highly nutritious natural product with great potential for use in medicine, cosmetics, and as a health-promoting food. This bee product is a mixture of important compounds, such as proteins, vitamins, lipids, minerals, hormones, neurotransmitters, flavonoids, and polyphenols, that underlie the remarkable biological and therapeutic activities of RJ. Various bioactive molecules like 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA), antibacterial protein, apisin, the major royal jelly proteins, and specific peptides such as apisimin, royalisin, royalactin, apidaecin, defensin-1, and jelleins are characteristic ingredients of RJ. RJ shows numerous physiological and pharmacological properties, including vasodilatory, hypotensive, antihypercholesterolaemic, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-aging, neuroprotective, antimicrobial, estrogenic, anti-allergic, anti-osteoporotic, and anti-tumor effects. Moreover, RJ may reduce menopause symptoms and improve the health of the reproductive system, liver, and kidneys, and promote wound healing. This article provides an overview of the molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of RJ in various diseases, aging, and aging-related complications, with special emphasis on the bioactive components of RJ and their health-promoting properties. The data presented should be an incentive for future clinical studies that hopefully will advance our knowledge about the therapeutic potential of RJ and facilitate the development of novel RJ-based therapeutic opportunities for improving human health and well-being.

Structural characterization and immunomodulatory activity of a water-soluble polysaccharide from Poria cocos

In order to investigate the structural characteristics and immunomodulatory effects of Poria cocos polysaccharides, a water-soluble homogeneous polysaccharide (PCP-2) was isolated by water extraction and alcohol precipitation and further purified by Cellulose DEAE-52 and Sephacryl S-100HR column chromatography. PCP-2 is a heteropolysaccharide composed of glucose, galactose, mannose, and fucose in a molar ratio of 42.0: 35.0: 13.9: 9.1. It exhibits a narrow molecular weight distribution at 2.35 kDa with a branching degree of 37.1 %. The main chain types of PCP-2 include 1,3-β-D-Glc and 1,6-β-D-Glc as the backbone glucans and 1,6-α-D-Gal as the backbone heterogalactan. In vitro experiments demonstrate that PCP-2 directly stimulate RAW264.7 cell proliferation and secretion of inflammatory factors such as NO and TNF-α. In cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced mice, it promotes the development of thymus and spleen immune organs, elevates the blood levels of IgG, IgA, IgM and CD3+CD4+ T cells, increases the intestinal villus height/ crypt depth ratio and improves gut barrier dysfunctions. These findings suggest that PCP-2 is a natural fungal polysaccharide with broad spectrum of immunoenhancing effects, which can significantly ameliorate the immunocompromised state.

Viola yedoensis Makino alleviates heat stress-induced inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell apoptosis in the spleen and thymus of broilers

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Viola yedoensis Makino (VYM) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine widely distributed in China. It has many pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammatory, immune regulation and anti-oxidation. However, the protective effect of VYM on the spleen and thymus of broilers induced by heat stress has rarely been reported.

AIM OF THE STUDY

We established a heat stress model of broilers to explore the protective effect of VYM on spleen and thymus of broilers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this experiment, a heat stress model was made by adjusting the feeding temperature of broilers. The protective effect of VYM on the spleen and thymus of heat-stressed broilers were evaluated by detecting immune organ coefficient, histological observation, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, production of antioxidant enzymes and peroxides, TUNEL Staining, Quantitative Real-time PCR.

RESULTS

In this study, 60 healthy male AA broilers were divided into 6 groups: Control, 4.5% VYM, HS, HS + 0.5% VYM, HS + 1.5% VYM, HS + 4.5% VYM. After 42 days of feeding, serum, spleen and thymus were collected for detection and analysis. The study revealed that heat stress can lead to pathological damage in the spleen and thymus of broilers, reduce the content of immunoglobulin and newcastle disease (ND), infectious bursal disease (IBD) antibody levels, increase the expression of inflammatory factors IL-1β, INF-γ, heat shock 70 kDa protein (HSP70), heat shock 90 kDa protein (HSP90). Heat stress inhibits the activity of antioxidant enzymes CAT and SOD, promotes the production of MDA, and then lead to oxidative damage of the spleen and thymus. In addition, apoptotic cells and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 was increased. However, the addition of VYM to the feed can alleviate the adverse effects of heat stress on the spleen and thymus of broilers.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that the addition of VYM to the diet could inhibit oxidative stress and apoptosis, and reduce the inflammatory damage of heat stress on the spleen and thymus of broilers. This study provides a basis for further exploring the regulatory role of VYM in heat stress-induced immune imbalance in broilers. In addition, this study also provides a theoretical basis for the development of VYM as a feed additive with immunomodulatory effects.

10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced intestinal mucosal injury through anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and gut microbiota modulation activities in chickens

Introduction

This study aimed to investigated the effects of 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) on the growth performance, intestinal barrier, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota of chickens challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Methods

A total of 240 one-day-old chickens were randomly assigned to five treatment groups: (1) control group (basal diet + saline); (2) LPS group (basal diet + LPS); (3) Chlortetracycline (CTC) group (basal diet containing 75 mg/kg CTC + LPS); (4) 0.1% 10-HDA group (basal diet containing 1 g/kg 10-HDA + LPS); and (5) 0.5% 10-HDA group (basal diet containing 5 g/kg 10-HDA + LPS). All chickens were injected intraperitoneally with 0.5 mg/kg body weight of either LPS or saline at 17, 19, and 21 days of age.

Results

The results showed that dietary 10-HDA supplementation attenuated the loss in growth performance caused by the LPS challenge (p < 0.05). 10-HDA effectively alleviated LPS-induced intestinal mucosal injury, as evidenced by reduced bleeding, decreased serum diamine oxidase levels (p < 0.05), and increased villus/crypt ratios of the jejunum and ileum (p < 0.05). Dietary treatment with 0.1% 10-HDA reduced the concentrations of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6; p < 0.05), and increased immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG) and antioxidant enzyme levels (CAT, GSH-px, T-SOD) in the serum of LPS-challenged chickens (p < 0.05). These effects were similar to those observed in the CTC group. Moreover, 0.1% 10-HDA treatment reversed the LPS-induced variations in the mRNA expression of genes related to inflammation, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal tight junctions (p < 0.05). 16S rRNA analysis revealed that 10-HDA supplementation increased the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium and Clostridia_UCG-014 (p < 0.05). Additionally, it decreased the abundance of Clostridia_vadinBB60_group, Eubacterium_nodatum_group, and UC5-1-2E3 (p < 0.05). These changes were correlated with reduced inflammation and improved antioxidant capacity in the LPS-challenged chickens.

Conclusion

Collectively, dietary 10-HDA supplementation alleviated LPS-induced intestinal mucosal injury and the loss of growth performance through anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and gut microbiota modulation activities in chickens. Moreover, 0.1% 10-HDA supplementation had comparable or even better protection for LPS-challenged chickens than supplementation with antibiotics or 0.5% 10-HDA. 10-HDA has the potential to be used as an alternative to antibiotics in protecting the intestinal health and improving the performance of poultry.

Metabolic Profile of Alzheimer's Disease: Is 10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic Acid a Pertinent Metabolic Adjuster?

Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents a significant public health concern in modern society. Metabolic syndrome (MetS), which includes diabetes mellitus (DM) and obesity, represents a modifiable risk factor for AD. MetS and AD are interconnected through various mechanisms, such as mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, insulin resistance (IR), vascular impairment, inflammation, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Therefore, it is necessary to seek a multi-targeted and safer approach to intervention. Thus, 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA), a unique hydroxy fatty acid in royal jelly, has shown promising anti-neuroinflammatory, blood-brain barrier (BBB)-preserving, and neurogenesis-promoting properties. In this paper, we provide a summary of the relationship between MetS and AD, together with an introduction to 10-HDA as a potential intervention nutrient. In addition, molecular docking is performed to explore the metabolic tuning properties of 10-HDA with associated macromolecules such as GLP-1R, PPARs, GSK-3, and TREM2. In conclusion, there is a close relationship between AD and MetS, and 10-HDA shows potential as a beneficial nutritional intervention for both AD and MetS.

10-Hydroxy-trans-2-decenoic Acid, a New Potential Feed Additive for Broiler Chickens to Improve Growth Performance

The purposes of this study were to explore the potential possibility of 10-hydroxy-trans-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) use in feeding broiler chickens. A total of 216 healthy 1-day-old chicks were divided into 2 treatments at random (diets supplemented with 0 or 40 mg/kg 10-HDA, respectively) with 6 replicates of 18 birds each, and were then reared for 42 days. The results found that a diet supplemented with 10-HDA significantly increased average daily gain of broiler chickens in d 22~42 and d 0~42. Compared with the control group, dietary inclusion of 10-HDA markedly increased the serum concentrations of immunoglobulin (Ig) G at d 21, as well as IgM and interleukin (IL)-10 at d 42, while decreasing the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α at d 21, as well as IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β at d 42. Furthermore, broiler chickens fed a diet with 10-HDA had a higher (p < 0.05) serum activity of superoxide dismutase at d 42. Additionally, serum malondialdehyde content also decreased notably at d 21 and d 42. These results made it clear that 10-HDA increased the growth performance of broiler chickens, possibly by enhancing immune function and antioxidant capacity.

10-Hydroxydec-2-Enoic Acid Reduces Hydroxyl Free Radical-Induced Damage to Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells by Rescuing Protein and Energy Metabolism

10-Hydroxydec-2-enoic acid (10-HDA), an unsaturated hydroxyl fatty acid from the natural food royal jelly, can protect against cell and tissue damage, yet the underlying mechanisms are still unexplored. We hypothesized that the neutralization of the hydroxyl free radical (•OH), the most reactive oxygen species, is an important factor underlying the cytoprotective effect of 10-HDA. In this study, we found that the •OH scavenging rate by 10-HDA (2%, g/ml) was more than 20%, which was achieved through multiple-step oxidization of the -OH group and C=C bond of 10-HDA. Moreover, 10-HDA significantly enhanced the viability of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) damaged by •OH (P < 0.01), significantly attenuated •OH-derived malondialdehyde production that represents cellular lipid peroxidation (P < 0.05), and significantly increased the glutathione levels in •OH-stressed VSMCs (P < 0.05), indicating the role of 10-HDA in reducing •OH-induced cytotoxicity. Further proteomic analyses of VSMCs identified 195 proteins with decreased expression by •OH challenge that were upregulated by 10-HDA rescue and were primarily involved in protein synthesis (such as translation, protein transport, ribosome, and RNA binding) and energy metabolism (such as fatty acid degradation and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis). Taken together, these findings indicate that 10-HDA can effectively promote cell survival by antagonizing •OH-induced injury in VSMCs. To the best of our knowledge, our results provide the first concrete evidence that 10-HDA-scavenged •OH could be a potential pharmacological application for maintaining vascular health.

Major royal jelly proteins alleviate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice model by regulating disordered metabolic pathways

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the major cause of global chronic hepatic injury, has obtained increasing attention while the current drug treatment still laid safety hazards. Major royal jelly proteins (MRJPs), the water-soluble proteins enriched in royal jelly (RJ), were applied to study its effects on improving NAFLD in the NAFLD mouse model. Herein, we demonstrated that intaking of 250-500 mg/kg/day MRJPs significantly decreased the rate of obesity, dyslipidemia, hepatic steatosis, and insulin resistance. Next, TOF to MRM ("TM") widely targeted metabolomics (untargeted metabolomics + widely targeted metabolomics) was further used to explore the potential mechanism, and we found that 500 mg/kg MRJPs alleviated lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation mainly by regulating the metabolisms of alpha-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids. Moreover, by detecting multiple oxidative stress factors and inflammatory cytokines, we found that MRJPs indeed exerted antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Together, we demonstrated that MRJPs could mediate the progress of NAFLD through the "multi-component-multi-target-multi-pathway" mechanism, which could be considered as an ideal functional food in alleviating NAFLD. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Royal jelly (RJ) is a bee product with high nutritional value. Major royal jelly proteins (MRJPs) are water-soluble proteins in RJ. Our research showed that MRJPs significantly ameliorated NAFLD induced by a high-fat diet in mice, suggesting that MRJPs could be used as an active ingredient to help improve NAFLD, which was beneficial for the development of related functional foods and the economic value of RJ. Moreover, the metabolic pathways involved in the ameliorative effect of MRJPs were investigated, which provided new ideas for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD.

Dose-Dependent Effects of Royal Jelly on Estrogen- and Progesterone-Induced Mammary Gland Hyperplasia in Rats

SCOPE

Royal jelly (RJ) has a wide range of biological functions, its effect on hyperplasia of the mammary gland (HMG) in mammals is unclear. This study aims to investigate the effect of RJ on HMG and the dose-response relationship of RJ in the treatment of HMG.

METHODS AND RESULTS

HMG rats are induced by intramuscular injection of estrogen (E2) and progesterone, and are treated with different doses of RJ (100, 200, 400, and 800 mg kg^-1 d^-1 ). As a result, RJ improves the expansion of acinar and breast tissue ducts, particularly at 100 and 800 mg kg^-1 d^-1 . These two doses also inhibit serum E2 and prolactin (PRL) secretion and increase serum progesterone secretion and the expression of estrogen receptor (ER)-β in the breast tissue. In addition, 800 mg kg^-1 d^-1 decrease and increase the mRNA expression of, respectively, hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and pituitary GnRH receptors (GnRH-R). The lowest dosage (100 mg kg^-1 d^-1 ) increases GnRH-R mRNA expression as well. However, the effects of 200 and 400 mg kg^-1 d^-1 RJ on the reproductive parameters of HMG are not significant, implying a dose-dependent effect.

CONCLUSION

RJ regulates endocrine dyscrasia in HMG rats and improves the breast tissue structure, indicating its potential in the prevention and treatment on HMG.

Mechanisms Underlying the Inhibition of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor-Induced Anorexia and Fatigue by Royal Jelly in Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients and the Correlation between Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor and Inflammatory Mediators

Inflammation is a common adverse event of anti-cancer therapy. Royal jelly (RJ) modulates inflammation by regulating the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, and interleukin (IL)-6 produced by macrophages. Macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) is a crucial regulator of macrophage activities, and we hypothesized that RJ alters M-CSF levels. In this randomized controlled trial, we investigated the association between M-CSF and adverse events in renal cell carcinoma patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) after an oral intake of RJ (n = 16) or placebo (n = 17). The serum levels of M-CSF, TNF-α, TGF-β, and IL-6 were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and their temporal changes and correlation between such changes were analyzed. The post-/pretreatment ratio of M-CSF levels was associated with anorexia after 2 weeks and fatigue after 2, 4, and 12 weeks. The M-CSF level in the RJ group was higher than that in the placebo group at the same timepoints. The TNF-α level in the RJ group was lower than that in the placebo group between 6 and 12 weeks, and the TGF-β level in the RJ group was higher than that in the placebo group; however, contrasting findings were detected after 12 weeks. Additionally, the M-CSF level was significantly correlated with the TGF-β level after 4 weeks and IL-6 level after 8 and 10 weeks. Among TNF-α, TGF-β, and IL-6, the post-/pretreatment ratio of TGF-β after 12 weeks was associated with TKI-induced anorexia, and the ratios after 10 and 12 weeks were associated with fatigue. Our results demonstrated that an oral intake of RJ suppressed anorexia and fatigue via complex mechanisms associated with inflammation-related factors, such as M-CSF and TGF-β in renal cell carcinoma patients treated with TKIs. In addition, we newly found that such RJ-related effects were dependent on the treatment duration.