لخّصلي

Introduction Bees produce a large number of products that contain bioactive constituents like honey, propolis, royal jelly, bee pollen, beeswax, and bee venom, which have been used by different civilizations for centuries to treat various illnesses (Al Naggar et al., 2021).In vitro and in vivo studies as well as clinical trials have shown that bee products can be indicated to treat various diseases and for the health balance and homeostasis (Kwon et al., 2001; Zhu and Wongsiri, 2008; White and Nezvesky, 2009; Jull et al., 2015; Tasca et al., submitted).The PubMed database (https://PubMed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) was used to assess the therapeutic studies involving bee products, searching for the biological activity of each bee product.Moreover, due to their nutrients, the consumption of bee products as nutraceutical and dietary supplements has increased (Pasupuleti et al., 2017; Al Naggar et al., 2021).In an attempt to bridge the gap between beekeepers, apitherapists and the scientific evidence of research on bee products, we aimed at analyzing the practice of apitherapy globally and combine traditional knowledge with the scientific evidence.Thus, this review aimed to discuss scientific research based on studies carried out in vitro using different cell cultures, and in vivo studying mice, rats or other experimental animals..

Introduction
Bees produce a large number of products that contain bioactive constituents like honey, propolis, royal jelly, bee pollen, beeswax, and bee venom, which have been used by different civilizations for centuries to treat various illnesses (Al Naggar et al., 2021).
The investigation of natural products has gained prominence in recent times to prevent or treat several diseases. Interest in bee products and in apitherapy has also increased (J.D. Lee et al., 2005; Fratellone, 2015; Bognadov, 2020; Doko et al., 2020). Apitherapy is the treatment with bees or their products as therapeutic/prophylactic agents to prevent diseases or control their progression. Nowadays, apitherapy is part of complementary and integrative medicine in many countries. Moreover, due to their nutrients, the consumption of bee products as nutraceutical and dietary supplements has increased (Pasupuleti et al., 2017; Al Naggar et al., 2021).
Research on the pharmacological activity of bee products has increased in recent decades, disclosing numerous biological properties. In vitro and in vivo studies as well as clinical trials have shown that bee products can be indicated to treat various diseases and for the health balance and homeostasis (Kwon et al., 2001; Zhu and Wongsiri, 2008; White and Nezvesky, 2009; Jull et al., 2015; Tasca et al., submitted). In addition, bee products are constantly used in food, cosmetics and by the pharmaceutical industry, in the search for new drugs (Berretta et al., 2020).
.
There is no clear consensus on the application of apitherapy according to the world regions. In addition, people confuse information gained from popular knowledge with scientific experiments. Apitherapy is more than that. Thus, this review aimed to discuss scientific research based on studies carried out in vitro using different cell cultures, and in vivo studying mice, rats or other experimental animals. Clinical trials using bee products are also documented, although the mechanisms of action involved in their activity are not always reported. In an attempt to bridge the gap between beekeepers, apitherapists and the scientific evidence of research on bee products, we aimed at analyzing the practice of apitherapy globally and combine traditional knowledge with the scientific evidence. Special attention was given to clinical trials, types of interventions, and outcomes.
The PubMed database (https://PubMed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) was used to assess the therapeutic studies involving bee products, searching for the biological activity of each bee product. The following keywords were assessed: “honey biological activity”, “propolis biological activity”, “bee venom biological activity”, “bee pollen biological activity”, “bee bread biological activity”, “royal jelly biological activity”, “apilarnil biological activity”, and “beeswax biological activity”.