Bee bread shows therapeutic and protective effects by alleviating inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis on acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer in rats.

Objective: This study investigated bee bread's (BB) protective and therapeutic effects on acetic acid-(AA)-induced gastric ulcers via oxidative stress, DNA damage, inflammation, and apoptosis.

Materials and methods: Rats were administered saline-(1ml) or BB-(0.5g/kg/day;1ml) by oral gavage once daily for 10-day following 80% AA-induced chronic ulceration in treatment group. Pretreatment group received saline or BB for 10-day before and 3-day after ulcer induction. Stomachs of decapitated rats were collected for ulcer index, histological and biochemical analyses.

Results: BB significantly reduced the gastric ulcer index and levels of chemiluminescence, HMGB-1, IL-6, IL-1ß and IL-8 levels in pretreatment and treatment groups. In BB-pretreated ulcer group, MPO-(saline\BB, 39.9±3.7 U/g;22.2±2.2 U/g), caspase-3 (0.40±0.07 ng/g;0.18±0.01 ng/g) and IFN-γ (15.46±1.76;9.51±1.95 ng/g) levels decreased and TNF-α (31.77±5.13;18.94±2.59 ng/g) reduced only in BB-treated ulcer group. MDA, GSH, NRF-2, and 8-OHdG levels remained unchanged.

Conclusion: BB has demonstrated protective and therapeutic effects by reducing ROS production, modulating inflammation and apoptosis.