Effects of Anatolian Propolis and Hypertonic Saline Combination Nasal Spray on Allergic Rhinitis Symptoms: A Prospective, Multicenter Study.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate how Rhinapi nasal spray affects symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Methods: In this prospective, multicenter, observational study, 10,000 patients (comprising 5028 males and 4972 females) exhibiting symptoms of allergic rhinitis (namely, nasal discharge, sneezing, nasal itching, and nasal obstruction) from different centers in different regions of Turkey were enrolled in the study between March 2022 and March 2023. All the patients wanted to participate in the study and were administered Rhinapi one puff to each nostril three times a day, for a period of 3 weeks. Total symptom scores, quality of life (QoL) scores, and otolaryngological examination scores were evaluated before and 3 weeks after treatment. Results: The scores for discharge from the nose, sneezing, nasal pruritus, and blockage of the nose all indicated improvement when compared to pre-medication and post-medication. This difference achieved statistical significance (P < .001). The mean total symptom score fell following treatment (P < .001): whilst the score was 11.09 ± 3.41 before administering Rhinapi; after administration, the average score was 6.23 ± 2.41. The mean QoL scores also altered after medication (P < .001), improving from a mean value of 6.44 ± 1.55 to a mean of 7.31 ± 1.24. Significant improvement was also noted in the scores for conchal color and degree of edema after the treatment had been administered (P < .001). Conclusion: The study demonstrates that Rhinapi nasal spray decreases total symptom scores, and results in improved QoL and otolaryngological examination scores. Propolis spray may be recommended for patients with allergic rhinitis alongside other treatments.

Identification of the Main Phenolic Markers in Turkish Pine Honeys and Their Biological Functions.

The purpose of this research was to identify the biological activity of Turkish pine honeys and the most abundant phenolic compound(s) to guide future studies to be done about this type of honey. Moreover, this will provide the chance to introduce Turkish pine honeys by elucidating a distinct parameter compared to other forms of honey reported in the literature. To this end, microscopic examination based on the number of honeydew elements (NHE) and the number of total pollen (NTP) grains was performed on 17 samples of pine honeys from the Aegean region of Turkey. Then 18 commonly-occurring phenolic standards were used in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to examine the samples. Each sample was tested for individual phenolic compounds, as well as total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). As shown by the numerical data, the values for NHE and NTP were 6600-144000 and 3000-75000, respectively. In addition, the general means of TPC, TFC, and FRAP values for the samples were 53.000 mg GAE/100 g fresh sample, 1.944 mg QE/100 g fresh sample, and 3.455 µmol FeSO4 /g fresh sample, respectively. Protocatechuic acid predominated with a range of 197.841-780.227 µg phenolic /100 g sample in all samples. According to the general mean for values detected in the samples, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and benzoic acid were the second and third markers for Turkish pine honey samples. It is believed that these results will help efforts to set standards for pine honey on a national and global scale.

Development of a cream formulation containing bee venom and other bee products.

This study aimed to develop a prototype skincare product with bee venom, propolis, honey, beeswax, and royal jelly. The prototype formulation contained 0.1% bee venom, 0.3% propolis extract, 0.45% honey, and 1.0% royal jelly. The prototype body cream was analyzed for stability, antioxidant activity, dermatological response, and cytotoxicity. In addition, a panel test evaluated the prototype for the claims such as skin smoothness, feelings of nourishment, moisturizing, skin tone, brightness, and visibility of wrinkles. According to the stability test, the prototype was stable for up to 90 days at room temperature and +40°C. The formulation was found to have a high antioxidant capacity at 85.45%. Cell viability detected over 70% indicated that the prototype body cream was not cytotoxic. The dermatological analysis revealed no irritation or allergic reaction in non-allergic individuals. Panel test showed that the prototype makes skin silky smooth, contributes to hydration, brightens and nourishes the skin, evens the skin tone, reduces the visibility of wrinkles, improves skin elasticity, and smoothes wrinkles. This prototype formulation requires further research to evaluate its effectiveness against skin aging on different skin types. Nevertheless, the side effects of such products need particular attention in developing a commercial product containing bee venom in susceptible individuals.

Determination of antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds for basic standardization of Turkish propolis.

This study aimed to determine the standard amount of antioxidant content and compounds of the propolis for the standardization of propolis. For this purpose, the total flavonoids, total phenolic, CUPRAC antioxidant capacity content and the diversity of phenolic and flavonoid components of these propolis samples were found by HPLC determined at the 23 propolis samples which were collected different regions of Turkey. Beside that, the similarities and differences of these 23 provinces to each other according to their antioxidant capacities were investigated by multidimensional scaling analysis. The total flavonoid content in the propolis samples were determined between 21.28 and 152.56 mg CE/g. The total phenolic content in the propolis samples was found between 34.53 mg and 259.4 mg GAE/g. CUPRAC antioxidant capacity of the propolis samples and antioxidant range was found from 95.35 to 710.43 mg TE/g. Also, 4 flavonoid [Quercetin (min.1.12-max.4.14 mg/g), Galangin (min.0.72-max.40.79 mg/g), Apigenin (min.1.07-max.17.35 mg/g), Pinocembrin (min.1.32-max.39.92 mg/g] and 6 phenolic acid [Caffeic acid (min.1.20-max.7.6 mg/g), p-Coumaric acid (min.1.26-max.4.47 mg/g), trans-Ferulic acid (min.1.28-max.4.92 mg/g), Protocatechuic acid (1.78 mg/g), trans-Cinnamic acid (min.1.05-max.3.83 mg/g), Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (CAPE) (min.1.41-max.30.15 mg/g)] components were detected as mg/g, in different ratios in propolis samples collected from different regions. The feature of this study, so far, is to have the maximum number of samples representing the Turkish propolis, and so is thought to help to national and international propolis standard workings.