Investigating the Safety of Bee Pollen on Performance, Oxidative Stress and Histopathological Changes in the Liver, Kidney and Pancreas of Rats

Objective: The therapeutic effects of bee pollen have been proven in various studies, but toxicity studies in this field are limited. Therefore, in this study the possible toxicity effects of hydroalcoholic extract of flower pollen on liver, kidney and pancreatic tissues of male rats was investigated. Methods: Fourteen male rats were divided into two groups of seven: the first group received 800mg / kg hydroalcoholic extract of bee pollen and the second group received 0.5 ml / 100gr normal saline intraperitoneally for 1 day. Then liver, kidney, pancreatic biomarkers and oxidative stress biomarkers were evaluated. In addition, piece of liver, kidney, and pancreatic tissues were also examined histopathologically. Results: Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) (P =0.0212) and Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) enzymes (P =0.0344) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) biomarker (P =0.018) of kidney tissue were significantly decreased in the hydroalcoholic extract of bee pollen group compared to the control group and theGlutathione (GSH) biomarker of kidney tissue showed a significant increase in this group compared to the control group (P =0.0031). The other evaluated parameters were not significant between the two groups (p> 0.05). Histopathologically, no deleterious and toxicity effects observed in the tissues. Conclusion: Bee pollen has therapeutic properties and as a nutrient can be useful and effective for human. In this study, not only this substance didn't make toxicity effects on the liver, kidney and pancreas organs but also it can protect vital organs in oxidative stress condition. However, more researches is needed to prove the toxicity of this valuable substance and to ensure its safety.