Antioxidant effect of bee pollen on immune status of hyperglycemic rats

Abstract EN

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the ability of bee pollen (BP), a known antioxidant-rich food supplement, to prevent or minimize the immune insufficiency complications associated with diabetes mellitus (DM) in rat model.

A total of 32 adult male Wistar Albino rats divided into 4 groups (8 rats each) were used in the current study.

One group were fed basal diet only for 60 successive days and used as non- diabetic control group (G I), while the other groups were used for induction of DM model after injection with streptozotocin (STZ) 65 mg/kg.

One of the diabetic rat groups received only basal diet without BP supplementation for the same period and used as diabetic control group (G II).

The other diabetic groups were subdeivided into 2 subgroups, which received basal diet supplemented with BP at a concentration of 1 % and 2 % for 60 successive days and assigned as G III and G IV, respectively.

The obtained results revealed that at the end of the experiment there are still significant increases (P ≤ 0.001) in glucose levels in groups II, III and IV in comparison to G I.

However, non-significant changes were recorded in glucose levels G III & IV as compared G II.

With regard to oxidative stress, significant reduction (P ≤ 0.01) were recorded in the levels of evaluated antioxidant parameters (SOD, CAT and GSH-PX) in G II as compared to G I.

However, significant increases (P ≤ 0.01) and (P ≤ 0.001) were recorded in the levels of antioxidant parameters in G III and G IV, respectively as compared to G II of hyperglycemic rats.

With regards to immune status, significant reduction of CIC (P ≤ 0.01), phagocytic activity of neutrophils (P ≤ 0.01) and IFN-gamma (P ≤ 0.001) were recorded G II as compared to G I.

On the other hand, significant increase were recorded in the levels of IgG (P ≤ 0.01) and IgM (P ≤ 0.001) in G II as compared to G I.

However, significant improvement of CIC (P ≤ 0.05 and P ≤ 0.01), Phagocytic activity (P ≤ 0.05 and P ≤ 0.01), IgM (P ≤ 0.05 and P ≤ 0.01), IgG (P ≤ 0.05 and P ≤ 0.01) and IFN-gamma (P ≤ 0.01 and P ≤ 0.001) were recorded among G III and G IV, respectively as compared to G II.

In conclusion, an association between oxidative stress and immune insufficiency were recorded in the present study in diabetic rats Moreover, an obvious improvement of immune status parameters were recorded after supplementation of diabetic rats with bee pollen as an antioxidant-rich food supplement.