In vivo effects of propolis, a honeybee product, on gilthead seabream innate immune responses.

The potential effect of the intraperitoneal or dietary administration of propolis, a honeybee product, on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) innate immune responses was evaluated. Fish were intraperitoneally injected with 5mg of water (WEP), ethanol (EEP) or both (WEP + EEP) extracts of propolis and sampled after 1, 3, 5 and 10 days. When administered in the diet, propolis was dissolved in ethanol and added to a pellet diet at a concentration of 0, 0.1 or 10 g kg(-1) diet, the fish being sampled after 1, 2, 4 and 6 weeks of feeding. Humoral (alternative complement activity and peroxidase content) and cellular (leucocyte peroxidase, phagocytosis, cytotoxicity and respiratory burst activity) immune responses were evaluated in both cases. The results suggest that propolis has limited immunostimulatory effects although intraperitoneal administration was more effective than dietary intake. The effects that were noted were at cellular level, namely, phagocytosis and cytotoxicity.