Potential impact of bee pollen administration during pregnancy in rats

Although bee pollen was recommended as a supplemental diet for its nutritionally beneficial components, it is warning for its usage during pregnancy. In this study bee pollen (PB) water extract with different doses (2.5 & 5 and 10 g/kg b.w./day) was delivered to pregnant rats orally from day 1 to day 21 of gestation to address the physiological relevance of bee pollen rich in proteins and phytoestrogen during pregnancy in rats and to examine whether bee pollen administration modifies the serum steroid hormones involved in fetal outcome. The results revealed that bee pollen administration at high doses (5 &10 g/kg/day) during pregnancy has an adverse effect on mothers and fetal outcome manifested by dams death, failure in implantation processes, resorbtion of fetuses, reduction in fetal numbers, retardation in fetal and placental weights. Lipid oxidation markers such as MAD and GSH levels were changed on day 21 of gestation in bee pollen treated rats referring to incidence of imbalance of oxidant/antioxidant system. Circulating profile of estradiol (E2), testosterone and progesterone were changed at selected time intervals (7,12,17 and 21) of gestation. Bee pollen had no apparently effect on cholesterol value and decreasing effect on triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol and LDLcholesterol values through gestational period, it produced hypercholestermia and hyperlipidemia on day 21 of gestation especially at high doses. On determining the concentration of total protein and albumin, it was showed a significant increase particularly, in the second half of pregnancy pertaining to the groups administered bee pollen at a dose of 5 & 10 mg/kg b.w./day. The present results revealed that supplemental of pregnant rats with bee pollen throughout gestational period had harmful effect to a great extent on mothers and fetuses life. [Journal of American Science 2010;6(5):44-53]. (ISSN: 1545-1003).