Potential Protective Effects of the Water‐Soluble Chinese Propolis on Hypertension Induced by High‐Salt Intake

Abstract

High-salt (HS) intake is closely associated with the ignition and progression of hypertension. The mechanisms might be involved in endothelial dysfunction, nitric oxide deficiency, oxidative stress, and proinflammatory cytokines. Propolis is widely used as a natural antioxidant and is a well-known functional food for its biological activities, which includes antiinflammation, antimicrobial, and liver detoxification. In this study, we successfully replicated a HS diet-induced hypertensive rat model. We found that in the long-term HS diet group, the myocardial function of the rats was altered and led to a significant decrease (around 49%) in heart function. However, doses of Chinese water-soluble propolis (WSP) were found directly proportional (11%, 60%, 91%, respectively) to the myocardial function improvement in hypertensive rats. The results from the blood circulation test and hematoxylin-eosin stains showed that propolis had protective effects on myocardial functions and blood vessels in hypertensive rats. Also, based on the results of western blot and polymerase chain reaction, WSP effectively regulated Nox2 and Nox4 levels and was responsible for a decrease in reactive oxygen species synthesis. Our findings demonstrate that Chinese WSP has a significant effect on the blood pressure of hypertensive rats and their cardiovascular functions that improved significantly. The improvement in the cardiovascular functions might be related to the process of anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, and the improvements of the endothelial function in hypertensive rats. www.cts-journal.com Effects of Chinese WSP on hypertension Zhou et al.

Propolis and its potential against SARS-CoV-2 infection mechanisms and COVID-19 disease

“…Hypertension and cardiovascular disease are considered relevant comorbidities for COVID-19 [ [125] , [126] , [127] ]. Propolis has demonstrated anti-hypertensive effects in rat models [ 33 , 34 , 128 , 129 ]. In Cameroon, it is used in popular medicine to treat various ailments, including high blood pressure [ 130 ].…”

The Cardiovascular Therapeutic Potential of Propolis—A Comprehensive Review

“…In high-salt intake hypertensive rats, Chinese propolis reduced the BP by reducing oxidative stress via a decrease in NOX expression. The consequent increase in endothelial NO bioavailability, together with an anti-inflammatory action (reduction of TNF-α and interleukin (IL)-6 levels) and with an improvement of the myocardial contractile function, ameliorated hypertension in this model [ 97 ].…”

Propolis in Metabolic Syndrome and Its Associated Chronic Diseases: A Narrative Review

“…High-NaCl diet-induced hypertension has also been shown to be ameliorated by propolis. Zhou et al (2020) demonstrated that water-soluble propolis extract reduced the severity of hypertension induced by a high-NaCl diet in rats [88]. They demonstrated that the protective effect of a water-soluble extract of propolis was through several modes of action, such as the upregulation of antioxidant enzyme catalase (CAT) activity and the reduction in the vascular ROS level.…”

“…They demonstrated that the protective effect of a water-soluble extract of propolis was through several modes of action, such as the upregulation of antioxidant enzyme catalase (CAT) activity and the reduction in the vascular ROS level. Propolis also reduced inflammatory markers, such as TNF-α and IL-6, and improved endothelial function [88]. Furthermore, Mulyati et al (2021) investigated the antihypertensive effect of propolis collected from three different regions in Indonesia, namely, Riau Archipelago, Lampung, and South Sulawesi in NaCl-induced hypertensive rats.…”