Genoprotective Effects of Crude Thai Bee Pollen and Its Extracts Against Doxorubicin, A Potent Genotoxic Compound in Human Lymphocytes

Bee pollen is traditionally used as a food supplement for strengthening the body and for medicinal uses to treat burn wounds and prostatitis (1). However, its genoprotective studies in human cells are still limited. This study evaluated the antigenotoxicity of Mimosa pudica L. Crude bee pollen (CBP) (0.005 – 5 µg/ml) from Chiangmai, Thailand, against doxorubicin; DXR (0.1 µg/ml), a potent genotoxic chemotherapeutic agent in human lymphocytes by in vitro sister chromatid exchange (SCE) assay. The lipid fractions (LF) (11.3 g% CBP) and defatted fractions (DF) (85 g% CBP) obtained from CBP-Soxhlet extraction using diethyl ether were also analyzed. Results demonstrated that CBP pretreatment at 5 mg/ml induced cytotoxicity as few mitotic index was shown. Pretreatments of CBP at only 0.5 µg/ml and DF at only the highest dose of 5 µg/ml decreased DXR-induced SCE level by 26% and 28%, respectively (p < 0.05). LF pretreatment at only the lowest dose of 0.00125 µg/ml slightly decreased the DXR-induced SCE level by 16%, while LF pretreatments at higher doses (0.0125 – 1.25 µg/ml) did not. The data indicated that all CBP, LF, and DF at appropriate doses protected human lymphocytes from genotoxic damage induced by DXR. Its differential protective effects might result from different ratios of the active compositions. Phenolic content was 8-fold higher in DF than in LF. However, only LF contained α-tocopherol, and it had 14-fold higher amount of ferulic acid than DF did. Further investigation of the effective dosage and its mechanism for genoprotective effects in humans is needed.

This work is supported by Research Fund, Thammasat University 2016.

[1]Komosinska-Vassev K, Olczyk P, Kazmierczak J, Mencner L, Olczyk K. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2015:297425.doi:10.1155/2015/297425