بره موم و سيستم ايمني

Propolis and the immune system

بره موم قرن­ها به ­طور تجربي استفاده مي­شده و هميشه به عنوان عامل سيستم ايمني ذكر شده است. در سال­هاي اخير، آزمايش­هاي انجام يافته در شرايط آزمايشگاهي و در داخل بدن، اطلاعات جديدي را در رابطه با مكانيسم عملكرد آن فراهم آورده است. در اين مقاله اطلاعات پژوهش­هاي مختلف گردآوري شده است كه تمركز آن روي تركيب شيميايي و منابع گياهشناسي، اثر فصلي روي ويژگي­هاي تركيبي و زيستي آن، ويژگي­هاي ضد توموري و سيستم ايمني آن با در نظر گرفتن اثرات آن روي توليد پادتن و روي سلول­هاي متفاوت سيستم ايمني، شامل پاسخ­هاي ايمني اكتسابي و ذاتي بوده است. عملكرد محرك آن روي فعاليت ليتيك سلول­هاي كشنده طبيعي بر عليه سلول­هاي تومور و روي توليد پادتن نشان داده شده است. اثرات ممانعتي بره موم روي تكثير لنفاوي مي­تواند با خصوصيت ضد التهابي آن مربوط باشد. به دليل اين­كه انسان­ها، بره موم را براي هدف­هاي مختلف استفاده كرده و توليدات حاوي بره موم وارد بازار شده­ اند، آگاهي از ويژگي­هاي بر پايه علمي نه تنها جلب توجه دانشگاهيان بوده، بلكه براي كساني كه از بره موم استفاده مي­كردند، مهم است. اين بررسي يك ديد جديدي را براي تحقيق روي ويژگي­هاي بيولوژيكي بره موم، مخصوصا روي سيستم ايمني باز مي­كند.

Propolis has been used empirically for centuries and it was always mentioned as an immunomodulatory agent. In recent years, in vitro and in vivo assays provided new information concerning its mechanisms of action, thus a review dealing with propolis and the immune system became imperative. This review compiles data from our laboratory as well as from other researchers, focusing on its chemical composition and botanical sources, the seasonal effect on its composition and biological properties, its immunomodulatory and antitumor properties, considering its effects on antibody production and on different cells of the immune system, involving the innate and adaptive immune response. In vitro and in vivo assays demonstrated the modulatory action of propolis on murine peritoneal macrophages, increasing their microbicidal activity. Its stimulant action on the lytic activity of natural killer cells against tumor cells, and on antibody production was demonstrated. Propolis inhibitory effects on lymphoproliferation may be associated to its anti-inflammatory property. Since humans have used propolis for different purposes and propolis-containing products have been marketed, the knowledge of its properties with scientific basis is not only of academic interest but also of those who use propolis as well. This review opens a new perspective on the investigation of propolis biological properties, mainly with respect to the immune system.