Indonesian stingless bee propolis extract attenuates hepatic inflammation following a chronic high-saturated fat diet

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndromes, including obesity, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus, can exacerbate inflammation-induced liver damage, which is associated with high-fat diets (HFD) and sedentary lifestyles. The substantial hypolipidemic and anti-inflammatory properties of propolis extract can potentially reduce hepatic inflammation and prevent the progression of liver damage. This study aims to investigate the role of Indonesian propolis extract in reducing hepatic inflammation after dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia. METHODS: The experiment started with feeding HFD to the rats for 12 weeks, then a daily dosage of 300 mg/kg BW of propolis extract was administered via gavage for 9 weeks. Body weight, liver index, and blood biochemical analysis were conducted to determine the pharmacodynamic evaluation of propolis extract. The expression of inflammatory cytokines was investigated in the liver tissue. The correlation and regression analysis assessed the relationship between dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and hepatic inflammation. RESULTS: Nine weeks of propolis extract supplementation significantly decreased body weight and liver index. Propolis also improves blood profile by reducing cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, and glucose levels and increasing HDL-C levels. The expression of hepatic inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α was decreased in the HFD group after propolis administration. A significant moderate to strong correlation (0.56–0.94) was found between the lipid profile, glucose levels, and hepatic inflammation. The lipid profile represented approximately 84.6%, 49.9%, and 68.7% of the hepatic inflammatory cytokine expression variation of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. CONCLUSION: Based on current evidence, Indonesian propolis alleviated hepatic inflammation by improving dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia after a prolonged high-fat diet in vivo. Therefore, further clinical studies are warranted to substantiate its complementary role in metabolic or inflammatory conditions. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not Applicable.