الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract The RJ is believed to be synthesized by the mandibular and hypopharyngeal glands of nurse-honeybees. It was shown that RJ has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer antioxidant, hypolipimemic effects, immunomodulatory action, vasodilative and hypotensive activity. The aims of the current study were 3 fold: (1) To elucidate some factors influencing the production of RJ under Egyptian conditions in Dakahlia province (Meet-Ghamr region), (2) To study the hypocholesterolemic effects of RJ in rats fed high-cholesterol diet (HCh-diet) for four or six weeks as a risk factor for atherosclerosis and cardio-vascular diseases and (3) To demonstrate the protective effects of RJ (100 and 150 mg/kg b.w) on fumonisin-induced oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in the rats. The results indicated that the production of RJ was affected by the season and the age of the larvae and workers. HCh-diet resulted in significant changes in all the tested parameters in serum, liver and heart tissues. Animals received RJ alone was comparable to the controls in most of the parameters tested. The combined treatment with RJ plus cholesterol resulted in significant improvements in all the tested parameters towards the normal values of the controls. On the other hand, animals fed fumonisin-contaminated diet showed a significant biochemical and histological changes typical to those reported in the scientific literature of fumonisin. RJ alone had no significant effects on all the tested parameters or the histological picture of the live and kidney. Animals fed on fumonisin-contaminated diet and treated with RJ at the two tested doses showed a significant improvement in all the tested parameters. Moreover, animals fed on fimonisin-contaminated diet and received the high dose of RJ were comparable to the controls. It could be concluded that the amount of RJ production is affected by the season and the age of the larvae and workers. RJ has protective effects against hypercholesterolemia in rats fed high cholesterol diet and protects against fumonisin-induced biochemical changes, lipid peroxidation and histological changes in liver and kidney in dose-depend manner. |