Professeur Dr. Eberhard Bengsch

Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry Munich

Lyme Borreliose and Apitherapy

Lyme Borreliosis is transmitted by ticks and other haematophagic vectors

Infectous agents: pleomorphic microorganisms:spirochaetae, cystes, spheroblasts, microgranula

Epidemiology of Lyme Borreliosis in Germany

About 1.000.000 people infected without proper diagnosis and treatment

Main Clinical diagnostic

• Precise diagnostic generally four years after infection with systemic non-specific pathologies

• Basic rapid diagnostics using IgM and IgG antibodies agains borrelia,Immunoblot, borrelia elispot (lymphocyte transformation test)

• CD3- /CD57+ T-Lymphocytes: NK cells

Frequent Co-Infections

• Babesia: frequent in cats, infectious agent: Babseia microti

• Ehrlichiosis: form of anaplamosis (Ehrlichia)

• Bartonella

• Coxiella

• Rickettsia (tick fever)

• Mycoplasma

• Virusés: FSME, EBV, CMV, Herpes simplex I + II, Borna-Virus

• Chlamydia pneumoniae:

gramnegative bacteria, entering cells

• Chlamydia trachomatis

Some Clinical Symptoms:

• Early: Erythema migrans

• Lyme Dermatitis

Some Clinical Symptoms:

• Acrodermatitis chronica

atrophicans

Late Neuroborreliosis

• Facialisparesis:

• Visual paresis:

Treatment of Lyme Borelliosis by Apitherapy

• First stadium: Immediately after tick bite (up to 48 h) local treatment by

propolis tincture, completed by propolis powder

• Infection generally eliminated ( ~ 95% of cases)

• Later: Classical antibiosis necessary (macrolides, tetracyclines,

acitromycin, ciprofloxacin, cephtriaxon (at high dosis � often massive

adverse side effects))

• Side effects treated by different

propolis administrations and

royal jelly:

direct activity against borreliosis

spirochaetae

Big Scale fabrication of Royal Jelly

Propolis: Biosynthesis of Flavonoids:

Phenylalanine

NH3PAL

Acide Cinnamomic

p-Cumarsäure

CoA

Cumaroyl-SCoA

3Malonyl-CoA

3CoA3CO2

Polyketid-Zwischenstufe

Chalkones

Flavanonoles

Aurones

Isoflavones

Flavanones

Flavones

Catechines

Flavan-3-ole

„Flavanole“

O

O

HO

OH

R1

OH

R3

Naringenin

O

O

HO

OH

R1

OH

R3

OH

Flavonoles

OH

O

HO

OH

R1

OH

R3

AnthocyanidinesO

OH

OH

HO

R1

OH

R3

+

Structure Flavonoide C15

Flavan-3-4-diole

Leukoanthocyanidines

O

O

OH

HO

OH

R1

OH

R3

OH

O

O

1

23

4

56

7

8

1'

2'3'

4'

6'5'

HO

R1

OH

R3

Some of the most important Flavonoids found in Honey and Propolis:

Galangin

Acacentin

Apigenin

Kaempferol

Quercetine

Pinocembrin

Chrysin

Fisetin

Caffeic acid phenetyl ester

Flavones:Flavanone:

D‘ autre composé :

Flavonoles:

• Bactericide

• Antiinflammatoric

• Antiviral

• Fungicide

Effects of Propolis against Borrelia and Co-Infectants

• Up to now long term apitherapeutical experiance in treating of late borrelliosis state 2 and 3 not yet established