the therapeutic potential of propolis against damage caused by salmonella typhimurium in mice liver: a biochemical and histological study

Abstract

Honeybee products are a rich source of nutritive supplements and traditional medication. The increasing resistance of bacteria towards various antibiotics and the limited scope of some vaccines makes it important to explore alternative therapies to combat bacterial diseases. The present study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial action of propolis using biochemical and histopathological methods in Salmonella typhimurium-infected BALB/c mice. Crude propolis was collected from an apiary and extracted with 70% ethanol. Hepatotoxicity was induced in mice by infecting them with Salmonella typhimurium (104 colony-forming units (CFU)), and the hepatoprotective activity of propolis was evaluated by administration of different doses of propolis (100, 300 and 500 mg/kg body weight) for 30 days. Biochemical and histopathological examinations were performed at regular intervals during the experimental period. Results obtained after treatment were compared with similar studies performed on normal control mice. Infected mice showed elevated liver marker enzymes and revealed the presence of characteristic typhoidal nodules in histological preparations. These results point to the therapeutic activity of propolis against Salmonella typhimurium.