Medical Xpress / FAPESP / Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy ^
An article demonstrates the beneficial effects of consuming 500 milligrams (mg) per day of propolis for people living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The authors found that the group given propolis, unlike the group given placebo, displayed a significant reduction in plasma levels of malondialdehyde, a marker of oxidative stress. Total antioxidant capacity increased slightly in the same group, reflecting the direct combating of free radicals.
"Although people living with HIV have excellent life expectancy, one of the problems still faced is the question of premature aging," said biologist Karen Ingrid Tasca.
This process of premature aging is due to constant activation of the immune system and chronic inflammation. According to Tasca, oxidative stress "goes hand in hand" with these two problems and must therefore be controlled.
In earlier work, the researchers had already demonstrated that propolis decreased oxidative stress and mitigated inflammatory parameters in HIV patients. That study evidenced an increase in proliferation of CD4+ T cells, considered the virus's main target, and increased expression of the transcription factor Foxp3, a marker of regulatory T cells (Tregs), important gatekeepers of the immune system and modulators of inflammation.
"The results show propolis to be an alternative to improve the immune response and reduce inflammation in asymptomatic patients. Infection by HIV leads to intense dysregulation of the immune system, loss of cellular functionality and chronic inflammation," said Fernanda Lopes Conte.
The researchers monitored the dietary and health habits of the 40 participants (half of whom received propolis) during the 90 days of the intervention. There the researchers observed an absence of adverse events in the group given propolis and an increase in serum levels of magnesium, an element that contributes to homeostasis.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com
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