Effects of Royal Jelly Supplementation in Chronic Kidney Disease

May 14, 2026 updated by: Universidade Federal Fluminense

Effects of Royal Jelly Supplementation on Inflammation and Cellular Senescence in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Under Hemodialysis

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of royal jelly on inflammation and cellular senescence in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on hemodialysis (HD).

Study Overview

Detailed Description

Royal jelly is a substance produced in the hypopharyngeal glands of bees that operate young, and rich in bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, free fatty acids and exclusive peptides capable of mitigating inflammation and premature aging (genomic instability, mitochondrial dysfunction, shortening of telomeres) existing in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on hemodialysis. However, to date there are no studies evaluating the effects of royal jelly on such complications in patients with RDC. Objectives: To evaluate the effects of royal jelly on inflammation and cellular senescence in patients with CKD. Methods: Clinical, longitudinal, randomized study, with washout and crossover period. Patients with CKD on HD received 140 mL bottles containing propolis and turmeric, and were instructed to take 10 mL/day (dosing cup), containing a dose equivalent to 110 mg/day of standardized green propolis extract (EPP-AF) plus 130 mg of curcuminoids/day or placebo for 8 weeks. After this supplementation, patients will enter the washout period (8 weeks) and after this period, the intervention group will receive placebo and vice versa. The collection of biological material (blood and feces) will be done before and after each study period. The mRNA expression of the transcription factors Nrf2 and NF-κB, as well as their target genes, antioxidant enzymes, inflammatory cytokines and the expression of genes and proteins that modulate the protein will be evaluated using rtPCR, western blotting and assay methods. multiplex. Uremic toxins from the intestinal microbiota such as indoxyl sulfate (IS), p-cresyl sulfate (p-CS) and Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) will be confirmed by HPLC and plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels will be analyzed by ELISA. The determination of antioxidant capacity will be determined by the FRAP, ORAC AND DPPH methods. The analysis of the composition of the intestinal microbiota will be evaluated by high-throughput sequencing of the V4-V5 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Nutritional status and dietary intake will also be assessed.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

30

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

    • Rio de Janeiro
      • Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 22260050
        • Recruiting
        • Denise Mafra
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • patients with CKD undergoing hemodialysis for more than 6 months
  • patients with arteriovenous fistula (AVF) as vascular access.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • pregnant,
  • lactating,
  • smoker
  • patients using antibiotics and antioxidant supplements in the last three months
  • patients with autoimmune and infectious diseases,
  • patients with cancer, liver disease, and AIDS

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Real Jelly Group
Patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis will receive capsules containing 500mg of royal jelly/day for two months.
Participants will receive 500mg of royal jelly capsules per day for two months.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo group
Patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis will receive capsules containing 500mg of placebo/ day for two months.
Participants will receive 500mg of placebo capsules per day for two months.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in inflammatory biomarkers
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Changes in the mRNA levels of Nrf2, Keap1, Bach1, NLPR3, NF-kB, HO-1, NQO1, p14, p16, p21 and p53 as well as VCAM, ICAM and E-selectin and TLR-4, TNFR and AhR receptors, which will be evaluated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Study Director: Denise Mafra, Universidade Federal Fluminense

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

July 30, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 22, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

April 5, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 27, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 27, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

May 31, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 18, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 14, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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