The Lyophilization Process Maintains the Chemical and Biological Characteristics of Royal Jelly

Abstract

The alternative use of natural products, like royal jelly (RJ), may be an important tool for the treatment of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. RJ presents a large number of bioactive substances, including antimicrobial compounds. In this study, we carried out the chemical characterization of fresh and lyophilized RJ and investigated their antibacterial effects with the purpose of evaluating if the lyophilization process maintains the chemical and antibacterial properties of RJ. Furthermore, we evaluated the antibacterial efficacy of the main fatty acid found in RJ, the 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10H2DA). Chromatographic profile of the RJ samples showed similar fingerprints and the presence of 10H2DA in both samples. Furthermore, fresh and lyophilized RJ were effective against all bacteria evaluated; that is, the lyophilization process maintains the antibacterial activity of RJ and the chemical field of 10H2DA. The fatty acid 10H2DA exhibited a good antibacterial activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae. Therefore, it may be used as an alternative and complementary treatment for infections caused by antibiotic-resistant S. pneumoniae.

High‐level resistance of Melissococcus plutonius clonal complex 3 strains to antimicrobial activity of royal jelly

“…This value was similar to our results for the same strain (Table 1). Conversely, fresh RJ purchased in Brazil and used by Nascimento et al (2015) appeared to exhibit stronger antimicrobial activity (MICs, 1.55% and 0.78% [w/v] for P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and E. coli ATCC 25922 respectively) than the Japanese RJ used in this study (Table 1). Therefore, further studies are needed to verify the universality of our results in M. plutonius strains belonging to different sequence types and clonal complexes and RJ originating from bee strains differing in their genetic background.…”

“…Conversely, fresh RJ purchased in Brazil and used by Nascimento et al . () appeared to exhibit stronger antimicrobial activity (MICs, 1.55% and 0.78% [w/v] for P . aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and E .…”

In VitroAnti-Inflammatory Effects of Three Fatty Acids from Royal Jelly

“…RJ is also an important functional substance that has been widely used in commercial products, dietary supplements, and cosmetics [2]. RJ has been shown to possess versatile bioactive properties such as antibacterial [3], immunomodulatory [4], antiviral [5], wound-healing [6], growth promoting [7], antioxidant [8], nephroprotective [9], and anti-inflammatory [10] activities. Fresh RJ consists of water (50–60%), lipids (3–8%), proteins (18%), carbohydrates (7–18%), and other trace elements [11].…”

A review of selected bee products as potential anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral agents

“…Similarly Algerian royal jelly was shown to have inhibitory efficacy against P. aeruginosa, and that this activity could be further enhanced by combining royal jelly with honey 106 . It is interesting to note that although the AMP royalisin is only reported to have activity against Gram positive bacteria, non-extracted samples of royal jelly have reported activity against Gram negative bacteria 107 . Similarly, Bíliková and colleagues 103 reported that royal jelly showed a strong antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea, however extracted royalisin was only active against the fungi at concentrations of over 27 µg/ml.…”