Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Brazilian Green Propolis Encapsulated in a γ-Cyclodextrin Complex in Mice Fed a Western-Type Diet

Abstract

Ageing is often accompanied by chronic inflammation. A fat- and sugar-rich Western-type diet (WTD) may accelerate the ageing phenotype. Cell culture studies have indicated that artepillin C-containing Brazilian green propolis exhibits anti-inflammatory properties. However, little is known regarding its anti-inflammatory potential in mouse liver in vivo. In this study, female C57BL/6NRj wild-type mice were fed a WTD, a WTD supplemented with Brazilian green propolis supercritical extract (GPSE) encapsulated in γ-cyclodextrin (γCD) or a WTD plus γCD for 10 weeks. GPSE-γCD did not affect the food intake, body weight or body composition of the mice. However, mRNA levels of the tumour necrosis factor α were significantly downregulated (p < 0.05) in these mice compared to those in the WTD-fed controls. Furthermore, the gene expression levels of other pro-inflammatory markers, including serum amyloid P, were significantly (p < 0.001) decreased following GPSE-γCD treatment. GPSE-γCD significantly induced hepatic ferritin gene expression (p < 0.01), which may contribute to its anti-inflammatory properties. Conversely, GPSE-γCD did not affect the biomarkers of endogenous antioxidant defence, including catalase, glutathione peroxidase-4, paraoxonase-1, glutamate cysteine ligase and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2). Overall, the present data suggest that dietary GPSE-γCD exhibits anti-inflammatory, but not antioxidant activity in mouse liver in vivo. Thus, GPSE-γCD has the potential to serve as a natural hepatoprotective bioactive compound for dietary-mediated strategies against chronic inflammation.

Nanosystems for the Encapsulation of Natural Products: The Case of Chitosan Biopolymer as a Matrix

“…Scientists all over the world have thoroughly examined and characterized the entrapment of pure natural compounds (e.g., polyphenols [ 19 , 20 ], flavonoids [ 21 , 22 ], alkaloids [ 23 , 24 , 25 ], terpenoids [ 26 ]), EOs [ 27 , 28 ] (e.g., tee tree oil [ 29 ], oregano [ 30 ], Eucalyptus staigeriana [ 31 ]) and extracts (e.g., propolis [ 32 , 33 ], olive leaves [ 34 ], Chimonanthus praecox extract [ 35 ]) in α-, β- or γ-CDs or modified CDs for several applications, revealing significantly improved properties to the final complexes [ 36 ].…”

Uncovering Biological Application of Brazilian Green Propolis: A Phenotypic Screening againstSchistosoma mansoni

“…[14] Its chemical composition is quite complex, knowing that it is affected by seasonality and botanical source. [15] There are several biological activities reported for propolis, such as anti-inflammatory, [16,17] antioxidant, [18,19] immunomodulatory, [20,21] antimicrobial, [22] antiviral, [23] antitumor, [24,25] and antiparasitic. [26][27][28] However, there are few studies with propolis as anthelmintic, especially against schistosomiasis.…”

α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity of Cycloartane-Type Triterpenes Isolated from Indonesian Stingless Bee Propolis and Their Structure–Activity Relationship

“…The bees collect resin from the crevices of bark and bud exudate of plants, chew the resin, add salivary enzymes, partially consume the resin to digest it, and then mix it with beeswax [8,9]. Some studies have proven that propolis has various biological functions, such as anti-microbial [10,11], anti-cancer [12,13], antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities [14,15].…”