Protective effect of bee pollen in acute kidney injury, proteinuria, and crystalluria induced by ethylene glycol ingestion in rats.

Oxidative stress plays a role in hyperoxaluria-induced kidney injury and crystallization. Bee pollen is a hive product with a high content of antioxidants. The antioxidant content and protective effect of bee pollen extract (BPE) against ethylene glycol (EG) induced crystalluria, and acute kidney injury (AKI) were investigated. The effect of BPE on the EG-induced liver injury and proteinuria was also examined. Ten groups of male Wister rats were treated daily with vehicle, cystone, BPE (100, 250, and 500 mg/kg b.wt.), and group 6-9 treated with EG, EG + BPE (100, 250, and 500 mg/kg b.wt.) and group 10 EG + cystone. The dose of EG was 0.75% v/v, and the dose of cystone was 500 mg/kg b.wt. On day 30, blood and urine samples were collected for analysis. Kidneys were removed for histopathological study. The antioxidant activity of BPE was assessed, and its total phenols and flavonoids were determined. EG significantly increased urine parameters (pH, volume, calcium, phosphorus, uric acid, and protein), blood urea, creatinine, and liver enzymes (P < 0.05). EG decreased creatinine clearance and urine magnesium and caused crystalluria. Treatment with BPE or cystone mitigates EG's effect; BPE was more potent than cystone (P < 0.05). BPE increases urine volume, sodium, and magnesium compared to the control and EG treated groups. BPE reduces proteinuria and prevents AKI, crystalluria, liver injury, and histopathological changes in the kidney tissue caused by EG. BPE might have a protective effect against EG-induced AKI, crystalluria, proteinuria, and stone deposition, most likely by its antioxidant content and activity.

The Synergistic Beneficial Effect of Thyme Honey and Olive Oil against Diabetes and Its Complications Induced by Alloxan in Wistar Rats.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by a chronic increase in blood glucose. Owing to the limitations observed with antidiabetics in modern medicine, medicinal plants and bee products are known as good matrices for the search for new antidiabetic molecules. The present study focused on the evaluation of the hypoglycemic and the protective properties of two natural products widely used in complementary and alternative medicine (thyme honey and olive oil). To achieve this, the study was carried out on Wistar rats rendered diabetic by the injection of a single dose of alloxan monohydrate (65 mg/kg body weight (BW)). First, the physicochemical characterization and the phytochemical analysis of thyme honey and olive oil were carried out, and then in vivo study was conducted on 42 Wistar rats divided into seven groups: three groups were normal, one group was untreated diabetic, and three groups were diabetic rats treated with thyme honey (2 g/kg BW) or olive oil (10 mL/kg BW) or their combination ((1 g/kg BW of thyme honey) and (5 mL/kg BW of olive oil)). During the experiment, the glycemia was measured regularly every 10 days. After 30 days of treatment, the rats were sacrificed. The serum and urine were analyzed to determine hepatic enzymes levels (AST, ALT, ALP, and LDH), lipidic profile (total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein), and kidney parameters (urea, uric acid, creatinine, total protein, sodium, potassium, and chloride). The liver, pancreas, and kidneys were analyzed to evaluate their histological changes and to determine their enzymatic antioxidant content (catalase, GSH, and GPx) and the levels of MDA. The results obtained showed that thyme honey or olive oil, and especially their combination, improved significantly the blood glucose levels and they protect against metabolic changes and the complications induced by diabetes.

Effect of antioxidant-rich propolis and bee pollen extracts against D-glucose induced type 2 diabetes in rats.

The present study was designed to investigate the preventive effect of propolis, bee pollen and their combination on Type 2 diabetes induced by D-glucose in rats. The study was carried out by feeding daily two concentrations (100 and 200 mg/Kg BW) of propolis or bee pollen (or their combination to normal (non-diabetic) and diabetic rats for a period of 16 weeks. In vivo biochemical changes associated to diabetes are induced by drinking a solution containing 10% of D-glucose (diabetic rats). The in vitro antioxidant activity was also evaluated and the chemical composition of propolis and bee pollen extracts was determined by UHPLC-DAD. Phytochemical composition of propolis and bee pollen revealed the presence of several natural antioxidants, such as hydroxycinnamic acids, hydroxybenzoic acids, flavonoids, flavan-3-ols and stilbens. The major antioxidant compound present in propolis was Naringin (290.19 ± 0.2 mg/Kg) and in bee pollen was apigenin (162.85 ± 17.7 mg/Kg). These results have been related with a high antioxidant activity, more intense in propolis extract. In rats, the administration of D-glucose had induced hyperglycemia (13.2 ± 0.82 mmol/L), increased plasmatic insulin levels (25.10 ± 2.12 U/L) and HOMA-IR index (14.72 ± 0.85) accompanied with dyslipidemia, elevation of hepatic enzyme levels, and a change in both serum renal biomarkers and plasmatic calcium. The co-administration of propolis and bee pollen extracts alone or in combination restored these biochemical parameters and attenuated the deleterious effects of D-glucose on liver and kidney functions. Furthermore, these effects were better attenuated in the combined therapy-prevented diabetic rats. Hence, it is possible to conclude that propolis and bee pollen can be used as a preventive natural product against diabetes induced dyslipidemia and hepato-renal damage.

The Antioxidant Content and Protective Effect of Argan Oil and Syzygium aromaticum Essential Oil in Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Biochemical and Histological Changes.

Oxidative stress is an important etiology of chronic diseases and many studies have shown that natural products might alleviate oxidative stress-induced pathogenesis. The study aims to evaluate the effect of Argan oil and Syzygium aromaticum essential oil on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced liver, brain and kidney tissue toxicity as well as biochemical changes in wistar rats. The antioxidant content of Argan oil and Syzygium aromaticum essential oil was studied with the use of gas chromatography. The animals received daily by gavage, for 21 days, either distilled water, Syzygium aromaticum essential oil, Argan oil, H2O2 alone, H2O2 and Syzygium aromaticum essential oil, or H2O2 and Argan oil. Blood samples were withdrawn on day 21 for the biochemical blood tests, and the kidney, liver and brain tissue samples were prepared for histopathology examination. The results showed that the content of antioxidant compounds in Syzygium aromaticum essential oil is higher than that found in Argan oil. H2O2 increased level of blood urea, liver enzymes, total cholesterol, Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL-C), Triglycerides (TG) and Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL), and decreased the total protein, albumin and High Density Lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C). There was no significant effect on blood electrolyte or serum creatinine. The histopathology examination demonstrated that H2O2 induces dilatation in the central vein, inflammation and binucleation in the liver, congestion and hemorrhage in the brain, and congestion in the kidney. The H2O2-induced histopathological and biochemical changes have been significantly alleviated by Syzygium aromaticum essential oil or Argan oil. It is concluded that the Argan oil and especially the mixture of Argan oil with Syzygium aromaticum essential oil can reduce the oxidative damage caused by H2O2, and this will pave the way to investigate the protective effects of these natural substances in the diseases attributed to the high oxidative stress.