The effects of propolis on pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance, glycemic control, and quality of life in chronic kidney disease: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive kidney damage with an increasing prevalence. Some evidence suggests that propolis as a novel antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory agent may have beneficial effects in CKD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of propolis on some kidney function parameters, pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB), glycemic status, quality of life, and blood pressure (BP) in patients with CKD. In this study, 44 patients with CKD were randomly assigned to receive propolis capsules at a dose of 250 mg daily or placebo for three months. Of 44 randomized individuals, 35 completed the trial. At the end of the intervention (end of month three), improvement in some dimensions of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (derived from Kidney Disease and Quality of Life Short-Form (KDQOL-SFTM, v.1.3) questionnaire) were significantly higher in the propolis group than the placebo group, even after adjustment for baseline values, present of diabetes, and age (P < 0.05). Like systolic and diastolic BP, changes in serum creatinine, 24-h urine volume and protein, fasting blood sugar (FBS), hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C), insulin, homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), and PAB did not differ significantly between the two groups (P > 0.05). No serious adverse events were reported throughout the study. Propolis supplementation may improve the HRQoL of CKD patients. More studies are needed to validate the adjunct use of propolis for metabolic control of CKD patients.