The in vitro and in vivo wound-healing effects of royal jelly derived from Apis mellifera L. during blossom seasons of Castanea mollissima Bl. and Brassica napus L. in South China exhibited distinct patterns

Abstract

Background Non-healing wounds have been a severe issue in the global healthcare system. Regrettably, royal jelly, a traditional remedy for various skin injuries, has not been widely applied in cutaneous wounds in clinical practice nowadays, which may be due to the confusion and the lack of knowledge about the efficacies of different types of royal jelly, the bioactive constituents, and the precise mechanisms underlying the wound repairing activity. Since the compositions and bioactivities of royal jelly are predominantly influenced by nectar plants, this study aims to explore the differences in the wound-healing properties of royal jelly produced by Apis mellifera L. during the blossom seasons of different floral sources, to provide guidelines for the future rational application of royal jelly in cutaneous wounds, and to promote the further discovery of wound repair-promoting substances. Methods Royal jelly samples were harvested during flowering seasons of Castanea mollissima Bl. (chestnut) and Brassica napus L. (rapeseed) in South China, from which hydrophilic and lipophilic fractions were extracted. The in vivo wound-healing potential was preliminarily assessed in Wistar rats’ excisional full-thickness wounds, followed by investigating the mechanisms of action through in vitro assays with human epidermal keratinocytes and LPS-stimulated inflammation in macrophages. Results The results indicated that different royal jelly samples exhibited distinct wound-healing potential, in which Castanea mollissima Bl. royal jelly was more potent. It sped up wound closure between day 2 and day 4 to 0.25 cm2/day (p < 0.05), and could accelerate wound repair by enhancing the proliferative and migratory capabilities of keratinocytes by 50.9% (p < 0.001) and 14.9% (p < 0.001), modulating inflammation through inhibiting nitric oxide production by 46.2% (p < 0.001), and promoting cell growth through increasing the secretion of transforming growth factor-β by 44.7% (p < 0.001). In contrast, Brassica napus L. royal jelly could regulate inflammation by reducing the amount of tumour necrosis factor-α by 21.3% (p < 0.001). Conclusions The present study improves the application of royal jelly for curing difficult-to-heal wounds, in which the hydrosoluble extract of Castanea mollissima Bl. royal jelly promises the greatest potential. It also provides clues which may lead towards the identification of substances derived from royal jelly to treat wounds.

Extracellular Vesicles derived from Apis mellifera Royal Jelly promote wound healing by modulating inflammation and cellular responses

“…Royal Jelly has a longstanding history of medical applications, especially in accelerating wound healing (9)(10)(11)(12)35), as well as displaying anti-microbial (36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41) and anti-inflammatory effects (17). The underlying effects have been attributed to a number of effects, including Royalactin, also known as MRJP-1, contributing to increasing multipotency of mammalian stem cells (42).…”

Bioactives from Bee Products and Accompanying Extracellular Vesicles as Novel Bioactive Components for Wound Healing

“…Additionally, the same research group tested in vivo and in vitro wound-healing effects of royal jelly collected during the blossom seasons of Castanea mollissima Bl. and Brassica napus L. [ 72 ]. Hydrophilic and lipophilic extracts from C. mollissima Bl.…”

Royal Jelly as a Nutraceutical Natural Product with a Focus on Its Antibacterial Activity

“…Due to the fact that it possesses various pharmacological properties, RJ is employed as a natural agent in medical fields, as well as in cosmetic and food industries [1]. Among these, antimicrobial [10,11], antioxidant [12], anti-inflammatory [3], antitumoral [13], antiviral [14], immunomodulatory [15], neuroprotective [13], antiaging [16] properties were reported. Data in the current literature state that RJ has the highest market value among bee products [1].…”