Study of Royal Jelly effect on serum levels of IL-4, TNF- α, TGF-B, and IFN-γ in multiple sclerosis patients in comparison with Omega-3; A double-blind, randomized, clinical trial

Majdinasab, Nastaran; Aghaei, Ali; Siahpoosh, Amir; Motamedi, Rezvan; Hosseini, Seyed Ahmad; Malayeri, Alireza

doi:10.22038/ajp.2025.26210

Study of Royal Jelly effect on serum levels of IL-4, TNF- α, TGF-B, and IFN-γ in multiple sclerosis patients in comparison with Omega-3; A double-blind, randomized, clinical trial

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

¹ Department of Neurology, Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

² Faculty of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

³ Medicinal Plant Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

⁴ Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

10.22038/ajp.2025.26210

Abstract

Objective: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating disorder related to damage to the central nervous system (CNS). MS incidence in about 2.3 million people worldwide. Royal jelly (RJ) is a white material with many medicinal properties. Omega-3 (ω−3) is a natural substance that its beneficial effects were demonstrated in several studies performed on MS patients.
Materials and Methods: 60 patients referring to the MS Society of Iran were randomly divided into two groups (1:1 ratio) receiving 1-gram RJ and 1-gram ω-3 capsule 1 gr capsules of RJ and 1 gr ω−3 daily in addition to receiving their daily treatment. Then, their information was recorded. Blood samples of all subjects were collected to evaluate the level of IL-4, INF-Y, TGF-B, and TNF-α with Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method twice; first, before the intervention and then, received supplements for one month. The duration of treatment was one month, and the patients returned to the center.
Results: The results indicated that RJ, similar to ω−3, could improve the cytokines levels in MS patients. RJ significantly improved TNF-α (p<0.05), and ω−3 significantly decreased TGF-β levels (p<0.05). Both decreased IFN-γ and increased IL-4, but it was more in the group receiving RJ.
Conclusion: According to the findings, it is hoped that using RJ and ω−3 could be helpful in MS patients.

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