The Potential use of Honey as a Remedy for Allergic Diseases: A Mini Review

The role of Interleukin-21 (IL-21) in allergic disorders: Biological insights and regulatory mechanisms

In recent decades, allergic diseases subsequent from an IgE-mediated response to specific allergens have become a progressively public chronic disease worldwide. They have shaped an important medical and socio-economic burden. A significant proportion of allergic disorders are branded via a form 2 immune response relating Th2 cells, type 2 natural lymphoid cells, mast cells and eosinophils. Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is a participant of the type-I cytokine family manufactured through numerous subsets of stimulated CD4+ T cells and uses controlling properties on a diversity of immune cells. Increasingly, experimental sign suggests a character for IL-21 in the pathogenesis of numerous allergic disorders. The purpose of this review is to discuss the biological properties of IL-21 and to summaries current developments in its role in the regulation of allergic disorders.

Hive Products: Composition, Pharmacological Properties, and Therapeutic Applications

Beekeeping provides products with nutraceutical and pharmaceutical characteristics. These products are characterized by abundance of bioactive compounds. For different reasons, honey, royal jelly, propolis, venom, and pollen are beneficial to humans and animals and could be used as therapeutics. The pharmacological action of these products is related to many of their constituents. The main bioactive components of honey include oligosaccharides, methylglyoxal, royal jelly proteins (MRJPs), and phenolics compounds. Royal jelly contains jelleins, royalisin peptides, MRJPs, and derivatives of hydroxy-decenoic acid, particularly 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA), which possess antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, neuromodulatory, metabolic syndrome-preventing, and anti-aging properties. Propolis has a plethora of activities that are referable to compounds such as caffeic acid phenethyl ester. Peptides found in bee venom include phospholipase A2, apamin, and melittin. In addition to being vitamin-rich, bee pollen also includes unsaturated fatty acids, sterols, and phenolics compounds that express antiatherosclerotic, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, the constituents of hive products are particular and different. All of these constituents have been investigated for their properties in numerous research studies. This review aims to provide a thorough screening of the bioactive chemicals found in honeybee products and their beneficial biological effects. The manuscript may provide impetus to the branch of unconventional medicine that goes by the name of apitherapy.

Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects of Cheonwangbosim-dan water extract: An in vitro and in vivo study

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Cheonwangbosim-dan is a traditional herbal prescription that is widely used to improve or treat physical and mental illnesses in East Asian countries.Aim of the study: The aim of the present study was to investigate the preventive and protective effects of a Cheonwangbosim-dan water extract (CBDW) against allergic inflammation using in vitro and in vivo models.

Materials and methods

BEAS-2B and MC/9 cells were treated with various concentrations of CBDW and stimulated with different inducers of inflammatory mediators. The production of various inflammatory mediators was subsequently evaluated. BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged by repeated application of ovalbumin (OVA). CBDW was administered by oral gavage once daily for 10 consecutive days. We assessed the number of inflammatory cells and production of Th2 cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), the plasma levels of total and OVA-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE), and histological changes in lung tissue.

Results

Our findings showed that CBDW significantly decreased the levels of various inflammatory mediators (eotaxin-1, eotaxin-3, RANTES, LTC₄, TNF-α, MMP-9, 5-LO, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1) in vitro, significantly reduced the accumulation of total inflammatory cells, the production of Th2 cytokines (IL-5 and IL-13), the levels of IgE (total and OVA-specific) in vivo, and remarkably inhibited histological changes (infiltration of inflammatory cells and goblet cell hyperplasia) in vivo.

Conclusions

These results suggest that CBDW possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties by lowering allergic inflammation.

Honey polyphenols: regulators of human microbiota and health

A comprehensive review of research over the last decade was conducted to carry out this work. The main objective of this work is to present relevant evidence of the effect of honey intake on the human intestinal microbiota and its relationship with the improvement of various chronic diseases, such as cirrhosis, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and obesity, among others. Therefore, this work focuses on the health-improving honey dietary supplementation implications associated with specific changes in the human microbiota and their biochemical mechanisms to enhance the proliferation of beneficial microorganisms and the inhibition of pathogenic microorganisms. Consumption of honey polyphenols significantly improves people's health conditions, especially in patients with chronic disease. Hence, honey intake unequivocally constitutes an alternative way to enhance health and could be used to prevent some relevant chronic diseases.

Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Prevalence Pattern of Allergens

INTRODUCTION

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on allergic diseases is not certain, as people's living habits and the environment have been affected by the pandemic. The present study described the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the allergen sensitization rate in patients with allergic diseases in central China. The results provide reliable epidemiological data for the prevention and control of allergic diseases during the COVID-19 epidemic.

METHODS

Data were collected from a total of 6,915 patients with symptoms of allergic diseases who visited the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in China for allergen testing from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2021. Patients were divided into a children group (<14 years old), youth group (15∼44 years old), middle-aged group (45∼59 years old), and elderly group (>60 years old). Immunoblotting was used to detect 20 serum allergen-specific IgE (sIgE) antibodies in patient serum samples. We compared the positive rates of various allergens in different age and sex groups before and during the COVID-19 epidemic, and the prevalence data of sIgE sensitization were analysed.

RESULTS

Among the 6,915 patients with symptoms of allergic diseases, 2,838 (41.04%) patients were positive for at least one of the allergens. The top three positive rates of inhaled allergens were Dermatophagoides farinae (1,764 cases, 25.51%), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (1,616 cases, 23.37%), and house dust (645 cases, 9.33%). The top three positive rates of food allergens were eggs (686 cases, 9.92%), milk (509 cases, 7.36%), and crabs (192 cases, 2.78%). The total positive rate of allergens was higher in men (46.99%) than in women (37.30%). Compared to 2 years before the COVID-19 epidemic, the rate of sensitization to indoor inhalant allergens increased, but outdoor inhalant allergens showed no significant change. The positive rates of milk and eggs peaked during the outbreak of COVID-19 (2020) then declined in 2021. The total positive rate of allergens was higher in males than females before and during the COVID-19 epidemic, but more allergens were different between males and females during the pandemic. Compared to middle-aged and older adults, the children and youth groups were more susceptible to allergic diseases, and they exhibited an increasing positive rate for most common allergens, especially indoor inhalant allergens, during the COVID-19 epidemic than before the pandemic.

CONCLUSION

D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae are the most common allergens in South China. Under the background of normalization of epidemic prevention, indoor inhaled allergens should be first in the prevention and control of allergic diseases, and a combination of various indoor cleaning measures should be used to improve the efficiency of interventions.

Allergic Inflammation: Effect of Propolis and Its Flavonoids

The incidence of allergic diseases and their complications are increasing worldwide. Today, people increasingly use natural products, which has been termed a "return to nature". Natural products with healing properties, especially those obtained from plants and bees, have been used in the prevention and treatment of numerous chronic diseases, including allergy and/or inflammation. Propolis is a multi-component resin rich in flavonoids, collected and transformed by honeybees from buds and plant wounds for the construction and adaptation of their nests. This article describes the current views regarding the possible mechanisms and multiple benefits of flavonoids in combating allergy and allergy-related complications. These benefits arise from flavonoid anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and wound healing activities and their effects on microbe-immune system interactions in developing host responses to different allergens. Finally, this article presents various aspects of allergy pathobiology and possible molecular approaches in their treatment. Possible mechanisms regarding the antiallergic action of propolis on the microbiota of the digestive and respiratory tracts and skin diseases as a method to selectively remove allergenic molecules by the process of bacterial biotransformation are also reported.

The effectiveness of forest honey toward symptoms of atrophy patients: Study of ear nose and throat-head neck and dermatology venereology

The effectiveness of forest honey in Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS) improvement in allergic rhinitis patients and index Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) in Atopic Dermatitis (AD) patients were discovered. It was an experimental study with a pretest-posttest design. A total of 20 people with atopy (15 people with allergic rhinitis and five people with AD) were given forest honey in the morning (1 ml × 10 ml dose) for 8 weeks and 20 atopy patients without forest honey. TNSS and SCORAD index were evaluated before the intervention, week 2, week 4, and after the intervention (week 8). The mean TNSS before treatment was higher in the honey group, namely 7.73, and a significant decrease after 8 weeks of intervention, namely 2.73 with P = 0.000. The nonhoney group showed that there was no significant difference after 8 weeks with P = 0.888. The SCORAD values of the honey and nonhoney groups had significantly different values from week 0 to week 4 (P = 0.003) and week 0 to week 8 (P = 0.003). Forest honey can give as an additional therapy for patients with allergic rhinitis and AD.

Advances and highlights in biomarkers of allergic diseases

During the past years, there has been a global outbreak of allergic diseases, presenting a considerable medical and socioeconomical burden. A large fraction of allergic diseases is characterized by a type 2 immune response involving Th2 cells, type 2 innate lymphoid cells, eosinophils, mast cells, and M2 macrophages. Biomarkers are valuable parameters for precision medicine as they provide information on the disease endotypes, clusters, precision diagnoses, identification of therapeutic targets, and monitoring of treatment efficacies. The availability of powerful omics technologies, together with integrated data analysis and network‐based approaches can help the identification of clinically useful biomarkers. These biomarkers need to be accurately quantified using robust and reproducible methods, such as reliable and point‐of‐care systems. Ideally, samples should be collected using quick, cost‐efficient and noninvasive methods. In recent years, a plethora of research has been directed toward finding novel biomarkers of allergic diseases. Promising biomarkers of type 2 allergic diseases include sputum eosinophils, serum periostin and exhaled nitric oxide. Several other biomarkers, such as pro‐inflammatory mediators, miRNAs, eicosanoid molecules, epithelial barrier integrity, and microbiota changes are useful for diagnosis and monitoring of allergic diseases and can be quantified in serum, body fluids and exhaled air. Herein, we review recent studies on biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of asthma, chronic urticaria, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, food allergies, anaphylaxis, drug hypersensitivity and allergen immunotherapy. In addition, we discuss COVID‐19 and allergic diseases within the perspective of biomarkers and recommendations on the management of allergic and asthmatic patients during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Pharmaceutical Prospects of Bee Products: Special Focus on Anticancer, Antibacterial, Antiviral, and Antiparasitic Properties

Bee products have long been used in traditional healing practices to treat many types of disorders, including cancer and microbial-related diseases. Indeed, several chemical compounds found in bee products have been demonstrated to display anticancer, antibacterial, antiviral, and antiparasitic properties. With the improvement of research tools and in view of recent advances related to bee products, this review aims to provide broad yet detailed insight into the pharmaceutical prospects of bee products such as honey, propolis, bee pollen, royal jelly, bee bread, beeswax, and bee venom, in the domain of cancer and infectious disease management. Available literature confirms the efficacy of these bee products in the alleviation of cancer progression, inhibition of bacterial and viral proliferation, and mitigation of parasitic-related symptoms. With such potentials, bioactive components isolated from the bee products can be used as an alternative approach in the long-run effort to improve humans’ health at a personal and community level.