New Insights into the Biological and Pharmaceutical Properties of Royal Jelly - PubMed (original) (raw)

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New Insights into the Biological and Pharmaceutical Properties of Royal Jelly

Saboor Ahmad et al. Int J Mol Sci. 2020.

Abstract

Royal jelly (RJ) is a yellowish-white and acidic secretion of hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of nurse bees used to feed young worker larvae during the first three days and the entire life of queen bees. RJ is one of the most appreciated and valued natural product which has been mainly used in traditional medicines, health foods, and cosmetics for a long time in different parts of the world. It is also the most studied bee product, aimed at unravelling its bioactivities, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-aging, immunomodulatory, and general tonic action against laboratory animals, microbial organisms, farm animals, and clinical trials. It is commonly used to supplement various diseases, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, and Alzheimer's disease. Here, we highlight the recent research advances on the main bioactive compounds of RJ, such as proteins, peptides, fatty acids, and phenolics, for a comprehensive understanding of the biochemistry, biological, and pharmaceutical responses to human health promotion and life benefits. This is potentially important to gain novel insight into the biological and pharmaceutical properties of RJ.

Keywords: bioactive compounds; fatty acids; functional properties; phenolics; proteins; royal jelly.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1

Forager bees transport pollens in their hind leg corbiculae to which they add nectar to form pollen pellets. Forager bees deposit and pack the pollen pellets into cell surrounding the brood area and forming bee bread. Nurse bees develop enlarged food glands and produce RJ by consuming honey and bee bread (Photos taken by Prof. Dr. Jianke Li).

Figure 2

Figure 2

Numbers of publications on RJ that appear from international journals are increasing every year (data from the core collection of the Web of Science).

Figure 3

Figure 3

A schematic representation of the main biological substances in RJ and their functional activities. For detailed information refer to Table 1.

Figure 4

Figure 4

The biological activities of RJ and their mechanism. SOD (superoxide dismutase); GSH (glutathione); CAT (catalase); GR (glutathione reductase); GPx (glutathione peroxidase); ROS (reactive oxygen species); MMP (matrix metallopeptidases); MDA (malondialdehyde); NO (nitric oxide); IFN-ϒ (interferon-gamma); IL-4 (interleukin-4); TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor); IFN-α (Interferon-α); EGF (epidermal growth factor); AMPK (5′ AMP-activated protein kinase); MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase); IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1), and TOR (target of rapamycin).

Figure 5

Figure 5

The pharmaceutical effects of RJ and their mechanism. Bax (bcl-2-like protein X); MMP-9 (matrix metallopeptidases-9); AKT (protein kinase B); MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase); IRS (insulin receptor substrate 1); IL-4 (interleukin-4); TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor); ROS (reactive oxygen species); AMPK (5′ AMP-activated protein kinase); SOD (superoxide dismutase); GSH (glutathione); CAT (catalase); GR(Glutathione reductase); GPx (glutathione peroxidase); MDA (malondialdehyde); NO (nitric oxide); MAKL (mixed lineage kinase domain-like); ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinases); CREB (cAMP Response Element-Binding Protein); IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1); TOR (target of rapamycin), and BACE1 (β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzymes).

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