Using Bee Products for the Prevention and Treatment of Oral Mucositis Induced by Cancer Treatment

Abstract

Oral mucositis is one of the most frequent complications after chemotherapy or radiotherapy or a combination of both. There is no standard therapy for its prevention or treatment. Considering that some bee products have been found to be of value in this situation, we decided to analyze the scientific literature on the subject. Scientific publications on bee products were identified by a literature search on Pubmed, Scopus and Google Scholar. There is a lot of evidence regarding the use of honey for oral mucositis due to chemotherapy or radiotherapy or a combination of both. Unfortunately, the quality of several meta-analyses on the topic is very low. There is some evidence on propolis, a little on royal jelly and none whatsoever on pollen and other bee products like apilarnil or bee venom. Bee products such as honey, propolis and royal jelly may be well suited to be integrated into a general concept for the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis which should also include other established concepts like oral care, oral cryotherapy, topical vitamin E and low-level-laser therapy. Bee products could become an integral part in the treatment of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and radio chemotherapy. High-quality meta-analyses and further studies, especially on the combinations of various strategies, are needed.

Oral intake of royal jelly improves anti‑cancer effects and suppresses adverse events of molecular targeted therapy by regulating TNF‑α and TGF‑β in renal cell carcinoma: A preliminary study based on a randomized double‑blind clinical trial

“…RJ is important in maintaining the quality of life and suppresses adverse events in patients undergoing anti-cancer therapies. RJ protects against organ dysfunctions and discomfort caused by various cancer therapies (6,7). We have previously reported that RJ suppresses the adverse events caused by TKIs in patients with RCC (8).…”

Effectiveness of Propolis in the Treatment of Periodontal Disease: Updated Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

“…Treatments based on natural products are regarded as alternative or complementary in certain oral conditions. Indeed, products from the hive such as honey and royal jelly, are used to treat mucositis and other disorders of the oral mucosa [ 39 , 40 , 41 ].…”

Mucositis Oral: Actualización en el Diagnóstico, Prevención y Tratamiento

“…Las propiedades antibacterianas y antiinflamatorias de los elementos derivados de la miel, sumado a su capacidadpara desbridar, estimular el crecimiento de los tejidos, controlar el dolor y minimizar las cicatrices, podría argumentar su utilización en el manejo y tratamiento de la MO. La revisión sistemática realizada por Münstedt & Männle (2019), evaluaron la prevención y el tratamiento de la MO a base de productos de abejas en pacientes sometidos a tratamientos antineo-plásicos. Los resultados sugieren la utilización de 20 ml de miel 15 minutos antes y después de la RT y una tercera dosis 6 h después.…”