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Review
. 2018 May 2:2018:7074209.
doi: 10.1155/2018/7074209. eCollection 2018.

Antioxidant Potential of Propolis, Bee Pollen, and Royal Jelly: Possible Medical Application

Joanna Kocot  1 , Małgorzata Kiełczykowska  1 , Dorota Luchowska-Kocot  1 , Jacek Kurzepa  1 , Irena Musik  1
Affiliations
Review

Antioxidant Potential of Propolis, Bee Pollen, and Royal Jelly: Possible Medical Application

Joanna Kocot et al. Oxid Med Cell Longev. .

Abstract

Honeybees products comprise of numerous substances, including propolis, bee pollen, and royal jelly, which have long been known for their medicinal and health-promoting properties. Their wide biological effects have been known and used since antiquity. Bee products are considered to be a potential source of natural antioxidants such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, or terpenoids. Nowadays, the still growing concern in natural substances capable of counteracting the effects of oxidative stress underlying the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, diabetes, and atherosclerosis, as well as negative effects of different harmful factors and drugs, is being observed. Having regarded the importance of acquiring drugs from natural sources, this review is aimed at updating the current state of knowledge of antioxidant capacity of selected bee products, namely, propolis, bee pollen, and royal jelly, and of their potential antioxidant-related therapeutic applications. Moreover, the particular attention has been attributed to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying antioxidant properties of bee products. The influence of bee species, plant origin, geographic location, and seasonality as well as type of extraction solutions on the composition of bee products extracts were also discussed.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The examples of flavonoids and their glycosides detected in bee products. Quercetin, naringenin, isorhamnetin, and kaempferol: detected in propolis, bee pollen, royal jelly; galangin and pinocembrin: detected in propolis and bee pollen; pinobanksin: detected in propolis and royal jelly; luteolin, apigenin, and rutin: detected in propolis, bee pollen, and royal jelly; catechin and delphinidin: detected in bee pollen; daidzein: detected in propolis [29, 32, 74, 78, 83, 103].
Figure 2
Figure 2
The examples of phenolic acids and their derivatives found in bee products: (a) benzoic acid derivatives and (b) cinnamic acid derivatives. Protocatechuic acid, syringic acid, gallic acid, p-coumaric acid: detected in propolis and bee pollen; caffeic acid and ferulic acid: detected in propolis, bee pollen, and royal jelly; artepillin C, chlorogenic acid, and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid: detected in propolis [28, 41, 71, 74, 78, 102, 139].
Figure 3
Figure 3
The examples of amyrins found in propolis [19, 20].
Figure 4
Figure 4
The main carboxylic acids of the royal jelly and their derivatives [23, 24, 105].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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