Comparative study on the antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects of honey, propolis, and royal jelly produced by the Apis mellifera bee

Honey, propolis, and royal jelly are natural products of bees that have been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. The aim of this study is to investigate a comparative study on the therapeutic effect of honey, propolis, and royal jelly collected from two regions of Algeria. The study evaluated the antibacterial activity of hive product using agar well diffusion and micro-broth dilution assays. The agar well diffusion assay involved inoculating agar plates with ten different bacterial strains, while the micro-broth dilution assay involved serial dilutions of hive products and bacterial cultures. The antioxidant potential was assessed using scavenging assays of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, which measured the honey's ability to donate electrons and neutralize DPPH free radicals. The albumin denaturation method evaluated the hive products' anti-inflammatory properties by measuring the extent of inhibition of protein denaturation under heat stress. The results of the antibacterial effect showed that there are significant differences between the antibacterial effect of the tested products; honey samples exhibited more antibacterial effect than propolis and royal jelly. Gram-positive bacteria were more susceptible than Gram-negative bacteria. While for the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, honey samples showed more efficiency to exibit an antioxidant effect than propolis and royal jelly; Propolis sample 1 have the highest concentration of polyphenolic and flavonoid content. All hive products exhibited potent antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects, which makes them a promising natural supplement to provide a natural and effective means of combating various health issues associated with bacterial infections, oxidative stress, and inflammation.