Antispasmodic and nephroprotective potentials of native Algerian propolis and bee pollen: An experimental study in mice

The present work examined the in vivo antispasmodic and nephroprotective potentials of methanolic extracts obtained from Algerian native propolis and bee pollen. The in vivo antispasmodic activity was assessed by the intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid (1%) which induced long-lasting visceral pain in mice. The renal damage was modelled by intraperitoneal injection of a cisplatin (CP; 10 mg/kg) followed by histopathological changes in kidneys. In addition, the beehive by-products were screened for their bioactive content and in vitro antioxidant activities. The propolis and bee pollen are rich sources of bioactive compounds. The propolis showed the highest antioxidant potencies as evaluated by beta-carotene bleaching system (87.16 +/- 3.69%), DPPH (176.05 +/- 0.20 mu g/mL), and FRAP (0.61 +/- 0.002 mu mol Fe(II)/g) assays. The antispasmodic test revealed that propolis extract (250 mg/kg) significantly inhibited the number of spasms (61.04 +/- 3.92%) induced by acetic acid. Based on histopathology examinations, bee pollen extract at 250 mg/kg significantly reduced nephrotoxic effects induced by CP injection. These results provided a good scientific basis for future research on antispasmodic and nephroprotective effects and/or mechanisms of propolis and bee pollen, which confer them a real application in drug discovery.