Abstract: The effect of cigarette smoke (CS) on histology of male accessory reproductive organs and the possible protective effect of honey supplementation in rats were investigated in this study. Rats received distilled water, honey, CS exposure or honey plus CS exposure. Honey (1.2 g/kg body weight/day) was administered by gavage and CS exposure (3 times per day) was done in a chamber for 13 weeks. CS exposure significantly increased relative weight of epididymis and ventral prostate. There were also significantly increased number of clear cells and epithelial height of cauda epididymis as well as severe interstitial oedema and decreased epithelial height of prostate gland. However, with the supplementation of honey, these histological changes were significantly reversed suggesting the protective effect of honey against the toxic effect of CS on male accessory reproductive organs in rats.

Abstract: Acetaminophen is a drug substance with analgesic and antipyretic effects, with a frequent use in Europe and United States. Found in over 100 pharmaceutical products, it is one of the most common drugs with liver and kidney toxicity potential. The druginduced affection was achieved by gavage administration of acetaminophen (100 mg/100 g), for 2 weeks. Administration of acetaminophen resulted in the increase of total, direct and indirect bilirubin levels. Administration of apitherapy products to the group of animals with acetaminophen induced toxicity determined the decrease of the values for total, direct and indirect bilirubin. Supplementation of apitherapy diet with Royal Jelly led to the decrease of total and indirect bilirubin levels, and the increase of the values for direct bilirubin.

Abstract: Use of honey and other bee products in human treatments traced back thousands of years and healing properties are included in many religious texts including the Veda, Bible and Quran. Apitherapy is the use of honey bee products for medical purposes, this include bee venom, raw honey, royal jelly, pollen, propolis, and beeswax. Whereas bee venom therapy is the use of live bee stings (or injectable venom) to treat various diseases such as arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus, sciatica, low back pain, and tennis elbow to name a few. It refers to any use of venom to assist the body in healing itself. Bee venom contains at least 18 pharmacologically active components including various enzymes, peptides and amines. Sulfur is believed to be the main element in inducing the release of cortisol from the adrenal glands and in protecting the body from infections. Contact with bee venom produces a complex cascade of reactions in the human body. The bee venom is safe for human treatments, the median lethal dose (LD50) for an adult human is 2.8 mg of venom per kg of body weight, i.e. a person weighing 60 kg has a 50% chance of surviving injections totaling 168 mg of bee venom. Assuming each bee injects all its venom and no stings are quickly removed at a maximum of 0.3 mg venom per sting, 560 stings could well be lethal for such a person. For a child weighing 10 kg, as little as 93.33 stings could be fatal. However, most human deaths result from one or few bee stings due to allergic reactions, heart failure or suffocation from swelling around the neck or the mouth. As compare with other human diseases, accidents and other unusual cases, the bee venom is very safe for human treatments.

Abstract: Ethno-medicinal usage of honeybee products is a common practice in southwestern Nigeria and is gaining more popularity in the region. However, there has been no documentary evidence on the potentials of honeybee products for the treatment of various diseases and ailments. This explains the rationale behind this study. The therapeutic potentials of honeybee products in the six states of southwestern Nigeria were assessed. Out of the 31 listed ailments, honey was used for the treatment of 18 ailments some of which were cough, ulcer, fatigue, sleeplessness, sore throat and boils. Bee venom was responsible for the treatment of seven ailments (rheumatism, arthritis, high blood pressure, body pains, malaria, headache and stroke). Beeswax was used for the treatment of frigidity in women and weak penile erection in men, while propolis was used for the treatment of measles and ringworm. This study confirms the important role of Apitherapy in health care delivery in the region. The effectiveness of these products against stated ailments requires further scientific investigations.