Diabetes mellitus is a major public health concern. Bee bread (Perga), rich in bioactive compounds, has gained attention in apitherapy for its potential therapeutic properties. This study aimed to investigate the antidiabetic potential of bee bread in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats through histopathological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical analyses. A total of 40 male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into five groups: Control, perga (0.5 g/kg), diabetes (STZ, 55 mg/kg), diabetes+perga (STZ, 55 mg/kg+perga, 0.5 g/kg), and diabetes+acarbose (STZ, 55 mg/kg+acarbose, 20 mg/kg). Experimental diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal STZ injection. Perga and acarbose were administered daily via oral gavage throughout the experiment. Blood glucose levels were monitored periodically from tail vein samples. Pancreatic tissues were examined histopathologically and immunohistochemically. Serum levels of ALT, AST, ALP, LDH, total cholesterol, triglyceride, creatinine, urea, and glucose were analyzed using an automated analyzer with commercial kits. STZ administration resulted in marked pancreatic damage and a significant decrease in insulin expression. Biochemical analyses revealed notable diabetes-related alterations. Perga treatment partially alleviated hyperglycemia, improved pancreatic histopathology, and enhanced insulin immunoexpression. However, adverse alterations in liver enzyme levels were observed in the Perga-treated diabetic group. These findings suggest that bee bread may exert only limited antidiabetic effects in STZ-induced experimental diabetes. Nevertheless, the observed hepatic effects warrant further comprehensive studies to clarify the safety and efficacy of bee bread as an antidiabetic agent.
Çubukçu et al. (2026) studied this question.