Bee products as alternatives in the treatment of viral infections.

Medicines used in the treatment of viral infections usually reduce symptoms. There is a need to develop drugs that inhibit the viruses and do not merely relieve the symptoms. Natural bee products possess many pharmacological properties and are widely used in folk medicine. There are many studies on the antibacterial effects of bee products but little is known about their antiviral effects. An extensive literature search was conducted to find and summarize all articles about the antiviral activity of bee products such as bee bread, bee pollen, bee venom, beeswax, honey, propolis, and royal jelly. Analysis of the results showed that these products significantly affect RNA and DNA viruses, which are responsible for respiratory and digestive diseases. The bee products described in the review decrease the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) and the half-maximal effective concentration (EC₅₀); they also increase the selectivity index (SI) values in comparison with controls. The mechanism of the antiviral effect of these products varies widely depending on the type of product and the virus. Thus, more in vitro and in vivo studies should be performed to confirm the use of bee products as a safe and promising adjunctive treatment in antiviral therapy. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.