Royal Jelly Protects Kidneys, Liver from Anti-Cancer Treatments

New research from Turkish researchers confirm the protective properties of Royal Jelly against damage caused by anti-cancer therapies. Could this be new ground towards complementary alternative therapies? 

Royal Jelly Modulates Oxidative Stress and Apoptosisin Liver and Kidneys of Rats Treated with Cisplatin

Oxidative Medicine and Cell Longevity, Volume 2011(2011)

Abstract:

Cisplatin (CDDP) is one of the most active cytotoxicagents in the treatment of cancer and has adverse side effects such asnephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. The present study was designed to determinethe effects of royal jelly (RJ) against oxidative stress caused by CDDP injuryof the kidneys and liver, by measuring tissue biochemical and antioxidantparameters and investigating apoptosis immunohistochemically.

Twenty-four Sprague Dawley rats were divided into fourgroups, group C: control group received 0.9% saline; group CDDP: injected i.p.with cisplatin (CDDP, 7 mg kg(-1) body weight i.p., single dose); group RJ:treated for 15 consecutive days by gavage with RJ (300 mg/kg/day); group RJ +CDDP: treated by gavage with RJ 15 days following a single injection of CDDP.Malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels, glutathione S-transferase(GST), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and superoxide dismutase (SOD)activities were determined in liver and kidney homogenates, and the liver andkidney were also histologically examined.

RJ elicited a significant protective effect towardsliver and kidney by decreasing the level of lipid peroxidation (MDA), elevatingthe level of GSH, and increasing the activities of GST, GSH-Px, and SOD. In theimmunohistochemical examinations were observed significantly enhanced apoptoticcell numbers and degenerative changes by cisplatin, but these histologicalchanges were lower in the liver and kidney tissues of RJ + CDDP group. Besides,treatment with RJ lead to an increase in antiapoptotic activity hepatocytes andtubular epithelium.

In conclusion, RJ may be used in combination withcisplatin in chemotherapy to improve cisplatin-induced oxidative stressparameters and apoptotic activity...

excerpt:

Recently, royal jelly (RJ) has received particularattention because of studies that have reported that it is a highly efficientantioxidant and has free radical scavenging capacity [4, 15]. Royal jelly is asecretion produced by the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of workerhoneybees (Apis mellifera). It contains many important compounds withbiological activity such as free amino acids, proteins, sugars, fatty acids,minerals, and vitamins [16]. So far, RJ has been demonstrated to possessseveral physiological activities in experimental animals, includingvasodilative and hypotensive activities [17], the induction of decrease inserum cholesterol levels [18], antimicrobial [19], antiallergic [20],anti-inflammatory [21], immunomodulatory [22, 23], and antioxidant properties[16]. In addition, Kanbur et al. [24] revealed the protective effect of RJagainst paracetamol-induced liver damage in mice.