Bioactive compounds having pharmacological potential and their mechanism of action.
| Bioactive compounds | Formulation | Pharmacological potential | Mechanism of action | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal jelly (peptides, fatty acids), silkworm protein (sericin and fibroin), propolis (phenolic acid) | Water and liposoluble extracts | Antioxidant activity | Scavenges free radicals and reactive oxygen species, enhances the natural antioxidant defense system | [75] |
| Melittin, propolis (chrysin, CAPE), cantharidin, mastoparan, royal jelly (10-hydroxy-2-decanoic acid, apalbumin) | Bioactive peptides | Anticancer activity | Induces apoptosis, inhibits angiogenesis and metastasis, disrupts mitochondria in cancer cells | [76] |
| Peptides like defensins, cecropins, attacins, royalisin, propolis (flavonoids, phenolics) | Polyphenolic ethanol and ethanol: water extracts | Antimicrobial activity | By the disruption of cell membrane, inherent low pH, and H2O2 in bee products | [61, 77, 80] |
| Royal jelly, MRJP-2 | Ethanolic extract | Hepatoprotective activity | Boosts SOD, CAT, GSH, GST, GSH-Px, regulates Bcl-2, caspase-3, reduces inflammation and cholesterol | [51, 84] |
| Royal jelly, silk protein, bee venom protein | Bioactive peptides | Neuroprotectivity activity | Modulates neurotransmitters like GABA, dopamine, serotonin, aids nerve repair, reduces oxidative stress in the brain | [86] |
CAPE: caffeic acid phenethyl ester; CAT: catalase; GABA: gamma-aminobutyric acid; GSH: glutathione; GSH-Px: glutathione peroxidase; GST: glutathione S-transferase; MRJP: major royal jelly protein; SOD: superoxide dismutase.
All authors are thankful to their parent institution for providing a platform for this scientific contribution.
FR, PG, and PS: Conceptualization, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing, Supervision. MT, NP, and SS: Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing. All authors read and approved the submitted version.
The authors do not have any conflict of interest.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
© The Author(s) 2026.
Open Exploration maintains a neutral stance on jurisdictional claims in published institutional affiliations and maps. All opinions expressed in this article are the personal views of the author(s) and do not represent the stance of the editorial team or the publisher.