Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Effects of bee propolis on thyroid function tests in healthy volunteers

Fawaz A Alassaf¹ , Mohannad E Qazzaz², Mohanad Alfahad³, Mohammed N Abed⁴, Mahmood HM Jasim⁴, Imad A-J Thanoon⁵,

¹Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; ²Department of Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants; ³Department of Pharmaceutics; ⁴Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry; ⁵Department of Pharmacology, University of Mosul, College of Medicine, Mosul, Nineveh Province, Iraq.

For correspondence:- Fawaz Alassaf Email: Fawaz.Alassaf@uomosul.edu.iq Tel:+9647502274465

Accepted: 16 March 2021 Published: 30 April 2021

Citation: Alassaf FA, Qazzaz ME, Alfahad M, Abed MN, Jasim MH, Thanoon IA, Effects of bee propolis on thyroid function tests in healthy volunteers. Trop J Pharm Res 2021; 20(4):859-863 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v20i4.28

© 2021 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: The current study investigates the effects of bee propolis as a dietary supplement on thyroid function in healthy individuals.

Methods: Sixty-nine apparently healthy subjects of both genders aged between 25 and 45 years and had a body mass index in the range of 18.5-25 kg m^-2 were enrolled in the study. The participants were divided into two groups, 34 volunteers treated with 1 gram of bee propolis daily and the other 35 were on placebo pills for 2 months. Total triiodothyronine (TT3), total thyroxine (TT4) and ultra-sensitive thyroid stimulating hormone (USTSH) were measured in the two groups before and after treatment to assess thyroid function.

Results: The results showed a significant increase in body weight (from 73.4 ± 7.2 to 74.8 ± 7.5 kg, p < 0.05) and BMI (from 24.2 ± 1.2 to 24.7 ± 1.5 kg m^-2, p < 0.05) with significantly decreased TT3 (from 2.17 ± 0.07 to 1.87 ± 0.09 nmol/L, p < 0.01) in bee propolis-treated group, whereas TT4 and USTSH showed non-significant changes.

Conclusion: The results reveal a significant association of bee propolis supplementation with reduced TT3 levels in healthy subjects. The link may assist clinicians in monitoring the safety of bee propolis supplementation.

Keywords: Bee propolis, Thyroid stimulating hormone, triiodothyronine and thyroxine