Evaluation of the Immunomodulatory and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Honey Bee Larva Powder.

Honey bee larva powder (HLP) has traditionally been used as a daily supplement and tonic for health promotion with an uncertain scientific basis. In this study, B16-F10 tumor-bearing mice were established to evaluate the immunomodulatory activity of HLP. The proliferation and apoptosis assays were performed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of honey bee larva extract (HLE) in RAW 264.7 macrophage. The in vivo experimental results demonstrated that the oral administration of freeze-dried HLP (4 and 6 g/kg) significantly enhanced the spleen index, the percentage of CD4+cells, and the ratio of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes (CD4+/CD8+) in the peripheral blood compared with those in the tumor control mice. The in vitro studies demonstrated the potent immunomodulatory activities of HLE through the induction of RAW 264.7 macrophage proliferation and the mitigation of doxorubicin (DOX)-induced toxicity. HLE also exhibits anti-inflammatory activity by decreasing the production of nitric oxide (NO) and the cytokine level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage. The present study provides important scientific evidence for the immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities of HLP and HLE.

Anti-tumor and anti-metastasis activities of honey bee larvae powder by suppressing the expression of EZH2.

Honey bee larvae products have been widely used as traditional daily supplements and complementary medicine for health promotion. However, there is little scientific evidence about their bioactivities. This study was designed to examine the anti-tumor and anti-metastasis effects of honey bee larvae powder (HLP) and explore the underlying mechanism. A subcutaneous transplantation model (murine breast cancer cell 4T1-LUC) and lung metastasis model (murine melanoma cell B16-F10) were established to evaluate the anti-tumor and anti-metastasis effects of HLP. Honey bee larvae powder extract (HLE) was obtained by 70% ethanol extraction, and its chemical composition was determined according to physiochemical methods. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was performed to test the cytotoxicity of HLE, and qRT-PCR assays were conducted to examine the mRNA levels of tumor marker EZH2 in HLE-treated tumor cells. In vivo xenograft tumor assays in BALB/c mice revealed dose-dependent suppression of tumor growth and lung metastasis showing an inhibition rate of 37.5% and 70.4% at 6 g/kg HLP-administered group with no toxicity to the animals. In vitro studies indicated that HLE showed no cytotoxicity to cancer cells at doses up to 1000 µg/mL, however, it significantly decreased EZH2 mRNA levels in HLE (1000 µg/mL)-treated B10-F10 cells (28.49%) and 4T1-LUC cells (26.75%). Further studies to elucidate the mechanisms involved and to isolate the active components of honey bee larva may provide more valuable information for its development and application in cancer treatment.

Neuroprotective effect of pretreatment with ganoderma lucidum in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rat hippocampus.

Ganoderma lucidum is a traditional Chinese medicine, which has been shown to have both anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, and noticeably decreases both the infarct area and neuronal apoptosis of the ischemic cortex. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of pretreatment with ganoderma lucidum (by intragastric administration) in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats. Our results showed that pretreatment with ganoderma lucidum for 3 and 7 days reduced neuronal loss in the hippocampus, diminished the content of malondialdehyde in the hippocampus and serum, decreased the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-8 in the hippocampus, and increased the activity of superoxide dismutase in the hippocampus and serum. These results suggest that pretreatment with ganoderma lucidum was protective against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury through its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory actions.

Antioxidant and antitumor activities of water extracts from the root of Actinidia kolomikta.

The genus of Actinidia is widely distributed throughout the Asian continent. Specific Actinidia species have been used as health foods and medical products for cancer treatment. Actinidia kolomikta is a species of wild plant that grows in the northern part of Indochina. However, few studies on its bioactivity have been reported. In this study, the polysaccharide and polyphenol contents, the SOD-like activity and the DPPH radical-scavenging activity of water extracts from the root of Actinidia kolomikta produced under different extraction temperatures were investigated. Furthermore, the water extraction-ethanol precipitate (WE-EP) fraction and the water extraction-ethanol supernatant (WE-ES) fraction were used to test the anti-proliferative action on DLD-1 colon cancer cells. Extracts produced using the 100°C extraction procedure revealed higher extraction yields and antioxidant activities than extracts produced using the 40°C extraction procedure. The WE-EP and WE-ES fractions exhibited anti-proliferative effects on the DLD-1 cells. Moreover, the WE-ES polyphenol-enriched fraction possessed more potent anti-proliferative effects on the DLD-1 cells by inducing apoptosis compared to the WE-EP polysaccharide fraction. Medicinal plant extracts are generally considered to be relatively non-toxic at low doses and are not thought to cause major side effects compared to those observed with drugs. Wild A. kolomikta may provide an alternative to currently employed cancer therapies, and may be used as a natural health food with antioxidant actions.

Antitumor effect of extracts from moutan cortex on DLD-1 human colon cancer cells in vitro.

Moutan cortex, the root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews (Paeoniaceae), is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used for the treatment of various diseases. In the present study, we examined the antiproliferative effect and apoptosis-inducing activity of paeonol and the crude total glycosides (CTG) extracted from moutan cortex against DLD-1 human colon cancer cells in vitro. Cell viability was measured using the WST-8 assay. Apoptosis was detected by Hoechst 33258 fluorescence staining and flow cytometry. Paeonol and the CTG significantly reduced cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The induction of apoptosis in DLD-1 cells was characterized by morphological changes and an increased percentage of hypodiploid cells. After treatment for 48 h with paeonol (400 µg/ml) or CTG (200 µg/ml), the ratio of apoptotic cells reached 34.79 and 48.12%, respectively. The findings obtained indicate that paeonol and the CTG extracted from moutan cortex have a significant growth-inhibitory effect on human colon cancer cells. This effect may be related to the induction of apoptosis.