Bee Pollen Diet Alters the Bacterial Flora and Antimicrobial Peptides in the Oral Cavities of Mice

Abstract

Background: Bee pollen (BP) has a broad range of beneficial effects on health. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of BP on the oral environment, including the microbiome and antimicrobial peptides. Methods: C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into two groups: control and BP. The BP group was fed with a 5% BP diet for 1 month. Swabs from the oral and buccal mucosa and samples of the intestinal stool were collected. Genomic DNA was extracted and the microbiome was analyzed via 16S rRNA sequencing. Results: BP inhibited the growth of P. gingivalis at a concentration of >2.5%. The metagenomic study showed that the abundance of genus Lactococcus was significantly elevated in the oral and intestinal microbiomes of the BP group when compared to those of the control group. Significant alterations in alpha and beta diversity were observed between the oral microbiomes of the two groups. The mRNA levels of beta-defensin-2 and -3 were significantly upregulated in the buccal mucosa of the BP group. Conclusion: A BP diet may have a beneficial effect on oral and systemic health by modulating the bacterial flora and antimicrobial peptides of the oral cavity. Further investigations are needed to clarify how a BP diet affects overall human health.

Translational Research on Bee Pollen as a Source of Nutrients: A Scoping Review from Bench to Real World

“…In the oral cavity, BP fed at a ratio of 5% to rats for one month resulted in a marked increase in the genus Lactococcus ( Lactococcus lactis is known to prevent oral pathogen spread such as Streptococcus mutans and Porphyromonas gingivalis ) in oral and intestinal flora [ 218 ]. This effect in the oral cavity may not be totally due to the antimicrobial activity of BP, because the authors demonstrated that the latter did not have significant effect on Streptococcus mutans although a potent inhibitory effect was observed on Porphyromonas gingivalis, while an upregulated antimicrobial peptide production by oral epithelium was also noted.…”

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) alleviates the inflammatory response and recovers oral microbiota in acetic acid-induced oral inflammation mice

“…Male C57BL/6 mice (eight-week-old) were obtained from Shanghai Slac Laboratory Animal Co., Ltd (Shanghai, China) and were used after acclimation for seven days. 17 All animal procedures were performed in accordance with the Guidelines for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of Zhejiang University and approved by the Experimental Animal Welfare Ethics Committee of Zhejiang University. All mice were randomly distributed into eight groups ( n = 8); the corresponding treatments are listed in Table 1.…”

Bee pollen as a food and feed supplement and a therapeutic remedy: recent trends in nanotechnology

“…It has been concluded that BP can delay aging, improve the cardiovascular system, maintain the digestive system, prevent prostate degeneration, and enhance immunity according to a previously published article ( 76 , 83 ). In the apitherapeutic treatment, BP is used because it shows medicinal activities such as antimicrobial, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, analgesic, immunostimulant ( 84–86 ), anti-radiation, anti-tyrosinase, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant ( 22 , 87–89 ) ( Figures 1 , 2 ).…”