In Vitro Evaluation of Propolis Effects on Bacteroides fragilis Toxin-mediated Inflammatory Pathways

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant global health concern because of its increasing incidence and mortality rates. Chronic intestinal inflammation is a critical driver in the pathogenesis of CRC, particularly in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), who face a heightened risk....

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Soonjae HWANG, Yeram LEE, Ki-Jong RHEE
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Korean Society for Clinical Laboratory Science 2025-06-01
Series:Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.kjcls.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.15324/kjcls.2025.57.2.142
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849424796791603200
author Soonjae HWANG
Yeram LEE
Ki-Jong RHEE
author_facet Soonjae HWANG
Yeram LEE
Ki-Jong RHEE
author_sort Soonjae HWANG
collection DOAJ
description Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant global health concern because of its increasing incidence and mortality rates. Chronic intestinal inflammation is a critical driver in the pathogenesis of CRC, particularly in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), who face a heightened risk. The gut microbiota, including specific bacteria, such as enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) and its secreted B. fragilis toxin (BFT), plays a crucial role in modulating these inflammatory processes. BFT disrupts the intestinal epithelial barrier by inducing E-cadherin cleavage, activating the pro-inflammatory signaling pathways, including NF-κB, and leading to the production of cytokines such as CXCL1. The current therapeutic options for ETBF infections, relying primarily on antibiotics, can have limitations, such as inducing dysbiosis, highlighting the need for alternative strategies. Propolis, a natural substance with reported antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, presents a promising alternative. This in vitro study examined the potential of propolis to counteract the BFT-induced disruption of E-cadherin and the associated inflammatory signaling in colonic epithelial cells. The findings showed that the propolis treatment effectively reduced the BFT-induced NF-κB activity and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These in vitro results suggest that propolis may be a therapeutic agent to mitigate ETBF-driven inflammation and help preserve the intestinal barrier.
format Article
id doaj-art-073e45b482e34126a8e8df64a7e54ba4
institution Kabale University
issn 1738-3544
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher The Korean Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
record_format Article
series Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
spelling doaj-art-073e45b482e34126a8e8df64a7e54ba42025-08-20T03:30:01ZengThe Korean Society for Clinical Laboratory ScienceKorean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science1738-35442025-06-0157214215110.15324/kjcls.2025.57.2.142kjcls.2025.57.2.142In Vitro Evaluation of Propolis Effects on Bacteroides fragilis Toxin-mediated Inflammatory PathwaysSoonjae HWANG0Yeram LEE1Ki-Jong RHEE2Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, College of Software and Digital Healthcare Convergence, Yonsei University MIRAE Campus, Wonju, KoreaDepartment of Health Sciences and Technology, Gachon Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology (GAIHST), Gachon University, Incheon, KoreaDepartment of Biomedical Laboratory Science, College of Software and Digital Healthcare Convergence, Yonsei University MIRAE Campus, Wonju, KoreaColorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant global health concern because of its increasing incidence and mortality rates. Chronic intestinal inflammation is a critical driver in the pathogenesis of CRC, particularly in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), who face a heightened risk. The gut microbiota, including specific bacteria, such as enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) and its secreted B. fragilis toxin (BFT), plays a crucial role in modulating these inflammatory processes. BFT disrupts the intestinal epithelial barrier by inducing E-cadherin cleavage, activating the pro-inflammatory signaling pathways, including NF-κB, and leading to the production of cytokines such as CXCL1. The current therapeutic options for ETBF infections, relying primarily on antibiotics, can have limitations, such as inducing dysbiosis, highlighting the need for alternative strategies. Propolis, a natural substance with reported antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, presents a promising alternative. This in vitro study examined the potential of propolis to counteract the BFT-induced disruption of E-cadherin and the associated inflammatory signaling in colonic epithelial cells. The findings showed that the propolis treatment effectively reduced the BFT-induced NF-κB activity and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These in vitro results suggest that propolis may be a therapeutic agent to mitigate ETBF-driven inflammation and help preserve the intestinal barrier.http://www.kjcls.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.15324/kjcls.2025.57.2.142bacteroides fragilis toxin; colorectal neoplasms; enterotoxigenic bacteroides fragilis; propolis
spellingShingle Soonjae HWANG
Yeram LEE
Ki-Jong RHEE
In Vitro Evaluation of Propolis Effects on Bacteroides fragilis Toxin-mediated Inflammatory Pathways
Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
bacteroides fragilis toxin; colorectal neoplasms; enterotoxigenic bacteroides fragilis; propolis
title In Vitro Evaluation of Propolis Effects on Bacteroides fragilis Toxin-mediated Inflammatory Pathways
title_full In Vitro Evaluation of Propolis Effects on Bacteroides fragilis Toxin-mediated Inflammatory Pathways
title_fullStr In Vitro Evaluation of Propolis Effects on Bacteroides fragilis Toxin-mediated Inflammatory Pathways
title_full_unstemmed In Vitro Evaluation of Propolis Effects on Bacteroides fragilis Toxin-mediated Inflammatory Pathways
title_short In Vitro Evaluation of Propolis Effects on Bacteroides fragilis Toxin-mediated Inflammatory Pathways
title_sort in vitro evaluation of propolis effects on bacteroides fragilis toxin mediated inflammatory pathways
topic bacteroides fragilis toxin; colorectal neoplasms; enterotoxigenic bacteroides fragilis; propolis
url http://www.kjcls.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.15324/kjcls.2025.57.2.142
work_keys_str_mv AT soonjaehwang invitroevaluationofpropoliseffectsonbacteroidesfragilistoxinmediatedinflammatorypathways
AT yeramlee invitroevaluationofpropoliseffectsonbacteroidesfragilistoxinmediatedinflammatorypathways
AT kijongrhee invitroevaluationofpropoliseffectsonbacteroidesfragilistoxinmediatedinflammatorypathways