Brazilian green propolis prevent Alzheimer’s disease-like cognitive impairment induced by amyloid beta in mice

BACKGROUND: The increasing incidence of cognitive impairment has become a health problem in the aging society. Owing to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, Brazilian green propolis—derived from Baccharis dracunculifolia—is anticipated to possess anticognitive properties. However, the preventive effect of Brazilian green propolis on cognitive impairment remains unexplained. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Brazilian green propolis on cognitive impairment using a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) induced by intracerebroventricular injection of amyloid beta (Aβ)(25‒35). METHODS: Five-week-old male Slc:ddY mice were randomly divided into five groups (n = 8). The groups were pretreated with vehicle and propolis at a dose of 100, 300 and 900 mg/kg body weight for 8 days, then AD-like phenotypes were induced by intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of Aβ(25‒35). A sham operation group was set as the control. Memory and learning ability were measured at 7 to 8 days after ICV injection. Gene expression and histological studies were performed at the endpoint of the study. RESULTS: In a passive avoidance test, the administration of Brazilian green propolis prevented the impairment of learning and memory function. Furthermore, comprehensive gene expression analysis in the hippocampus and forebrain cortex revealed that Brazilian green propolis suppressed Aβ(25–35)-induced inflammatory and immune responses. In particular, Brazilian green propolis prevented alterations in gene expressions of microglial and astrocytic markers such as Trem2 and Lcn2 induced by Aβ(25‒35) injection, suggesting the suppression of excessive activation of glial cells in the brain. In addition, Brazilian green propolis suppressed the elevation of plasma interleukin (IL)-6 levels induced by Aβ(25‒35) injection. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the prophylactic administration of Brazilian green propolis has a preventive effect against AD by suppressing excessive inflammation and immune response in glial cells. To our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate that Brazilian green propolis may inhibit the hyperactivation of microglia and astrocytes as a mechanism of action to prevent AD. Thus, it is a promising ingredient for preventing AD-type dementia. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12906-023-04247-7.