Studies on the effect of ethanolic extract of propolis in BALB/c mice

Propolis is widely used since ages for the treatment of various ailments. Present study focussed on the toxicity profile of ethanolic extract of propolis on BALB/c mice. The effect of different concentrations of propolis (300, 500, 1000 mg/kg body weight) was analysed by studying the biochemical, haematological and histological changes in mice for 28 days. No significant difference in various parameters were observed in groups of mice treated with propolis and the normal control (p>0.05). Histological findings on liver, spleen, kidney and brain revealed normal architecture. The ethanolic extract of propolis did not produce significant toxic effect in mice and hence can be utilized for nutraceuticals formulations

Biochemical changes in haemolymph of Apis mellifera L. drone under the influence of cell phone radiations

The effects of Electromagnetic radiations (EMR) are being felt by wildlife and the environment as a whole, birds, bees, worms, trees are being affected. So the main focus of present study was carried out to analyse the influence of cell phone radiations on the biochemical aspects of drone of Apis mellifera L. The drone was exposed for 30 mins to radiations using live cell phones kept in working mode with tape recorder at the speaker end and positive response at the receiver’s end. The results of the treatment were analyzed and compared with the control. The concentration of various biomolecules increased from 1.65 mg/ml to 2.75 mg/ml for carbohydrates , 3.74 mg/ml to 4.85 mg/ml for proteins and from 0.325 mg/ml to 1.33 mg/ml for lipids under the influence of EMR

Efficacy of different extracts of propolis against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium: In vitro and in vivo study

Present study focussed on the antibacterial and antioxidative effect of honey bee propolis on typhoid causing bacteria i.e. Salmonella. Water, ethanol, methanol were used as solvents for making of extracts. Both Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) were calculated for all the three extracts. MIC of ethanolic extract of propolis was 160 mg/ml. It was 200 mg/ml for methanolic and 220mg/ml for wa-ter extracts respectively. Moreover, time kill analysis results confirmed that there was a significant reduction (p<0.05) in log count of bacteria when treated with ethanolic extraxt of propolis (3.98±0.15 log cfu/mL) and methanolic (4.66±0.05log cfu/mL) extract of propolis as compared to Salmonella control (7.72±0.03 log cfu/mL) in in vitro experiments. For the in vivo studies, BALB/c mice was used as an murine model of typhoid. Levels of different liver marker enzymes and antioxidants like Lipid peroxidation (LPO) and Reduced Glutathione (GSH) were observed in infected and all the treated groups. By comparing the results, it was concluded that ethanolic extract of propolis showed maximum antimicrobial activity as compare to the rest two. So the results of present study encourages the potential of ethanolic extract of propolis as an alternative treatment for typhoid and its use in combination with standard antibiotics can also be explored

Preliminary studies on different extracts of some honey bee products

The aim of present study was to compare the phytochemical composition of different extracts of bee pollen, propolis and honey and to analyse the best solvent for maximum phytochemicals extraction. These preliminary studies are significant in locating the pharmacological bioactive compounds in different extracts of bee products. The tests showed greater number of constituents present in bee pollen and propolis as compared to honey. The concentration of these bioactive constituents was greater in ethanolic extract of propolis and water extract of bee pollen and honey. Ethanolic extract of propolis showed higher concentration of tannins and glycosides. Bee pollen had more concentration of saponins, flavonoids and proteins in water extract. Reducing sugars and carbohydrates were present in larger amount in water extract of honey. These studies will be useful to select the best solvent for honey, pollen and propolis for various research purposes

Colony collapse disorder: A peril to apiculture

Apiculture has become a profitable profession due to the high economic importance of honey and various beehive products. Honeybees are tiny social insects that perform a crucial function in the agricultural field and are necessary for good yields. Honeybees are the biological indicators of environmental health. Unforeseen rapid decrease in honeybee numbers characterized by the departure of honeybees from the colonies and accompanied by the total absence of any dead bees in the hive surrounding and inside it suggests a condition called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Pesticides, pathogens, and other ecological stresses such as nutritional deficiency may add to bee extinction or CCD. Besides this, the exposure to low-level radiofrequency and microwave radiations from mobile phones also have profound undesirable effects on honeybees. Research has shown changes in biology and behaviour which includes some undesirable changes in the biomolecules concentration in honeybees because of radiation exposure. Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF- EMF ) also affects honeybee`s immune system and navigation activities. The radiation induces emotional disturbance and genetic disorders in brood which attributes to a decline in the breeding efficiency of bees. The present review is an attempt to compile the causes of CCD and discuss the management practices to be followed by the beekeepers to avoid the devastating loss to them and the planet Earth

Isolation of endophytic actinomycetes from Syzygium cumini and their antimicrobial activity against human pathogens

Isolation of endophytic actinomycetes is an important step to screen antimicrobial compounds to curb the threat of drug-resistant strains of human pathogens. Out of the 50 endophytic actinomycetes obtained from surface sterilized root, stem and leaf tissues of Syzygium cumini, 50 isolates (30%) exhibited antimicrobial activity. Antistaphylococcal activity was displayed by most of the isolates, with maximum percent inhibition by J-10 (Mean of Inhibition Factor=12.12 mm2). A total of 8 isolates (4 each) were able to hydrolyse protein (proteinase activity) and solubilize chitin (chitinase activity). Results of thin layer chromatography confirm the production of chloramphenicol family |antibiotic by the isolate J-5. This is the first report providing an insight into untapped endophytic actinomycete milieu of Syzygium cumini yet to be explored which might be a promising source for novel antimicrobial agents

Sequence Characterisation and Genotyping of Allelic Variants of Beta Casein Gene Establishes Native Cattle of Ladakh to be a Natural Resource for A2 Milk

Bovine milk is regarded as nature's perfect food due to presence of vital nutrients. However some peptides are generated after proteolytic digestion of β-casein that have opioid properties and may increase the risk of chronic diseases. There are 13 genetic variants of bovine beta-casein; out of these A1 and A2 are the most common in dairy cattle breeds. The A1 and A2 variants differ only at position 67, which is histidine in A1 or proline in A2 milk. Earlier published reports have indicated that A1 β casein could be responsible for several health disorders like diabetes, coronary heart disease etc. while A2 β-casein is generally considered safe for human consumption. In the present study, an effort was made to sequence characterize β casein gene and identify allelic distribution of A1A2 alleles in native cattle of Ladakh region adapted to high altitude and low oxygen condition. The data showed 2 non-synonymous variations in coding region, while 5’UTR was completely conserved. The 3’UTR showed 2 more variations in Ladakhi samples. Further, the genotyping in 85 Ladakhi cattle for A1A2 alleles revealed that in Ladakhi cattle, A2 allele is predominantly present as reported for some of the other Indian breeds. The frequency of A2 allele was 0.90 and frequency of A2A2 genotype was found to be 0.79 in Ladakhi cattle. The present data strongly indicate that local cattle of Ladakh with higher frequency of A2 allele and A2A2 genotype is natural resource for A2 milk.  Systematic efforts should be made for long term conservation and genetic improvement of this invaluable genetic resource of Ladakh

The therapeutic potential of propolis against damage caused by Salmonella typhimurium in mice liver: A biochemical and histological study

Honeybee products are a rich source of nutritive supplements and traditional medication. The increasing resistance of bacteria towards various antibiotics and the limited scope of some vaccines makes it important to explore alternative therapies to combat bacterial diseases. The present study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial action of propolis using biochemical and histopathological methods in Salmonella typhimurium-infected BALB/c mice. Crude propolis was collected from an apiary and extracted with 70% ethanol. Hepatotoxicity was induced in mice by infecting them with Salmonella typhimurium (104 colony-forming units (CFU)), and the hepatoprotective activity of propolis was evaluated by administration of different doses of propolis (100, 300 and 500 mg/kg body weight) for 30 days. Biochemical and histopathological examinations were performed at regular intervals during the experimental period. Results obtained after treatment were compared with similar studies performed on normal control mice. Infected mice showed elevated liver marker enzymes and revealed the presence of characteristic typhoidal nodules in histological preparations. These results point to the therapeutic activity of propolis against Salmonella typhimurium