Metabolic effects of a low-dose propolis extract from Apis mellifera on the glycemic and lipid profile, insulin resistance, and markers of oxidative stress in a randomized double-blind clinical trial

Abstract

Propolis extracts have been evaluated regarding their effect on carbohydrates, lipid metabolism, and oxidative stress in considerably high doses (400–1500 mg/day). We aimed to evaluate the metabolic effects of a low-dose Apis mellifera propolis extract (100 mg/day) on the glycemic and lipid profile, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress markers. The propolis extract was chemically characterized by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The research was conducted with 79 participants between 20 and 64 years old with or without a diagnosis of previous metabolic disease, over a duration of 90 days. We observed an increase in fasting insulin levels, Homeostatic Model Assessment 2 for Insulin Resistance (HOMA2-IR), Homeostatic Model Assessment 2 for beta-cells function (HOMA2-β), and total sulfhydryl content with propolis extract use. While a higher propolis dose may be necessary to affect lipid metabolism, a low dose (100 mg/day) may be sufficient to improve pancreatic beta-cell function and oxidative stress. Lupeol acetate, dotriacontane, eicosane, and heneicosane were the compounds that most contributed to the results.