Research Progress on Protective Effect of Royal Jelly on the Cardiovascular System

Royal jelly is a nutritious natural product with various biological activities, widely used in healthy foods, medicine and cosmetics. Royal jelly provides protection for the cardiovascular system, prevents and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Royal jelly reduces blood pressure by regulating nitric oxide and angiotensin, regulates cholesterol metabolism, and lowers blood glucose by affecting the activation of protein kinase by adiponectin and adenosine. Royal jelly inhibits the expression of fibrosis biomarkers in myocardial cells, prevents cardiac fibrosis while improving myocardial structure, and protects the heart from damage caused by drugs and intense exercise. Royal jelly promotes adipose tissue metabolism and thermogenesis by increasing the expression of uncoupling protein 1 and regulating hypothalamic endoplasmic reticulum stress, thereby alleviating obesity-caused burden on the cardiovascular system. The protective effect of royal jelly on the cardiovascular system is highly correlated with its effective components, including 10-hydroxy-2-decanoic acid, sebacic acid, major royal jelly proteins, and acetylcholine. Based on the literature in the past five years, this article reviews the protective effect of royal jelly on the cardiovascular system and the underlying molecular mechanism, aiming to promote the application of royal jelly in protecting cardiovascular health.