In the hive, royal jelly is the food that transforms an ordinary larva into a queen, the only female in the colony who will lay eggs her entire life. It's a short leap to expect a boost from it for conceiving a child, though clinical research has taken very few steps in that direction. We identified only one study in PubMed conducted in infertile couples: in Egypt, a mixture of honey and royal jelly applied vaginally mid-cycle was followed by 8.1% pregnancies per cycle, compared to 2.6% after intrauterine insemination.
This guide compiles what we found via PubMed: in men, sperm motility and testosterone; in women, ovulation, polycystic ovary syndrome, ovarian reserve, and in vitro fertilization (IVF). For each study, we specify the form of royal jelly, dose, duration, population, and exact result—even null or unfavorable ones—separating human, animal, and laboratory data.
In men : no published human trial in PubMed measured the effect of ingested royal jelly on sperm analysis. In 99 couples where the man had low sperm motility, a mixture of honey and royal jelly applied vaginally was followed by 8.1% pregnancies per cycle, compared to 2.6% with insemination, with no placebo or replication published in PubMed. In 61 adults aged 42 to 83, 3,000 mg of royal jelly daily for 6 months slightly increased testosterone, with no significant difference in men alone; a second trial in 40 adults saw no change. The rest comes from animals.
In women : no trial published in PubMed has tested royal jelly on ovulation, polycystic ovary syndrome, or in vitro fertilization. Data are limited to rodents, sheep, cultured oocytes, and one clinical case published in 2026. Allergy to bee products, asthma, and atopic eczema warrant caution, and pregnancy requires professional medical advice. Without pregnancy after 12 months, or 6 months after age 35, a couple evaluation is necessary.
- Why is royal jelly associated with fertility?
- Studies in humans: a very short inventory
- Honey and royal jelly against poor sperm motility
- Testosterone: a modest signal in volunteers
- Sperm: animal results in both directions
- Ovulation and PCOS: rats and sheep
- Ovarian reserve, IVF, and oocyte quality
- A hormonal action? Laboratory tests
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding, allergy: precautions
- When to consult, and what really helps conceive
- If you choose royal jelly
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why is royal jelly associated with fertility?
Royal jelly is secreted by glands in the head of young worker bees. All larvae receive it during their first three days, but only the future queen is nourished by it throughout her life. A 2020 review links this diet to the queen's size, longevity, and fertility, whereas worker bees, which live short lives, remain sterile.
According to this review, fresh royal jelly contains 60 to 70% water, 9 to 18% protein, 7 to 18% sugars, and 3 to 8% lipids, including fatty acids unique to the hive such as 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid, or 10-HDA. The authors also cite testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, and prolactin among the identified components, without providing their quantities.
Studies have used fresh royal jelly, freeze-dried royal jelly (cold dehydrated), extracts such as the protein fraction from the 2026 clinical case, or mixtures, such as the honey and royal jelly from the Egyptian study. A result obtained with one does not apply to the others. Our Organic Royal Jelly is fresh royal jelly, neither freeze-dried nor processed, from organic farming and produced in France: none of the studies cited here have tested it.
Studies in humans: a very short inventory
In 2012, the authors of a Japanese trial identified only three randomized trials published in English on royal jelly in humans: one on blood lipids, one on quality of life after menopause, and only one on fertility, that of couples affected by asthenozoospermia. Other trials have been published since, mainly on cholesterol, blood sugar, or menopause. We have identified none in PubMed that measures the effect of royal jelly on sperm analysis, ovulation, polycystic ovary syndrome, or in vitro fertilization.
There remain indirect data in volunteers who were not seeking to conceive: testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), a hormone from the adrenal glands, were measured in two trials. The level of evidence indicated is our assessment, according to the study type, sample size, control group, and relevance of the outcome measure.
| Population | Form, dose, duration | Result | Level of evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99 couples, asthenozoospermia, Egypt, 2008 | Mixture of honey and royal jelly applied vaginally mid-cycle, up to 3 cycles, then group reversal | 8.1% pregnancies per cycle, versus 2.6% with intrauterine insemination | Low: no placebo, mixture not detailed, single study |
| 1 woman aged 35, diminished ovarian reserve, China, 2026 | 1 g of freeze-dried powder of major royal jelly proteins, morning and evening | Spontaneous pregnancy during the 4th week, healthy baby boy born | Very low: single case, confounding factors |
| 61 adults aged 42 to 83 in good health, Japan, 2012 | Beverage providing 3,000 mg of royal jelly per day, 6 months | Testosterone with slight increase, not significant in men alone; estradiol with no difference | Low and indirect: no fertility measurement |
| 40 adults with slightly elevated cholesterol, Taiwan, 2017 | 9 capsules of 350 mg royal jelly per day, 3 months | DHEA-S from 1,788 to 1,992 ng/mL; testosterone and estradiol unchanged | Indirect: no fertility measurement |
Honey and royal jelly against asthenozoospermia
Asthenozoospermia refers to insufficient sperm motility. In the Egyptian study, the men took nothing: a mixture of Egyptian bee honey and royal jelly was applied in the vagina during intercourse, in the middle of the cycle. Intrauterine insemination, by comparison, deposits laboratory-prepared sperm into the uterus.
In 99 couples affected by asthenozoospermia, followed at an Egyptian university hospital and fertility clinic, one group applied a mixture of honey and royal jelly in the vagina during intercourse, in the middle of the cycle, for 3 cycles or until pregnancy; the other received intrauterine insemination. After a 2-month pause, couples without pregnancy switched groups. Of 553 cycles analyzed, 23 pregnancies were obtained with the mixture (8.1% per cycle) and 7 with insemination (2.6%), a significant difference.
Abdelhafiz AT, Muhamad JA. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2008;101(2):146-149. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2007.11.012
The abstract specifies neither the proportion of royal jelly in the mixture nor the quantity applied. There was neither a placebo nor a group receiving honey alone: impossible to know whether the effect is due to royal jelly, honey, or the application itself. The criterion is pregnancy per cycle, not live birth, and we found no studies in PubMed reproducing this result. Outside PubMed, an unrandomized Iranian trial of 54 couples, with royal jelly alone applied in the vagina, did no better than insemination: 33.3% pregnancies versus 40.7%, a non-significant difference.
The comparator matters too. A review published in 2021 in JAMA reports that an analysis of 10 trials (757 patients) found no difference between intrauterine insemination and timed intercourse in cases of male infertility, with low-quality evidence.
The mixture was prepared and applied as part of a medical study. We found no safety data on the application of honey or royal jelly in the vagina at home, and royal jelly can trigger severe allergies. Royal jelly sold in jars, like ours, is taken by mouth.
Testosterone: a modest signal in volunteers
Testosterone plays a role in sperm production. Two placebo-controlled trials measured it: one found a slight increase, the other no change.
In 61 healthy Japanese volunteers aged 42 to 83 years, a 100 mL beverage providing 3,000 mg royal jelly per day for 6 months varied testosterone by +0.12 logarithmic units, versus −0.02 under placebo, a significant difference, while DHEA-S increased less than under placebo. Analyzed separately, neither men nor women reached the threshold of significance, and estradiol did not differ between groups.
Morita H, Ikeda T, Kajita K, et al. Nutr J 2012;11:77. DOI: 10.1186/1475-2891-11-77
Thirty participants in the royal jelly group and 26 in the placebo group were analyzed; most women had passed menopause, and the trial measured neither sperm analysis nor fertility. Adverse effects, mild, did not differ from placebo. In the Taiwanese trial, testosterone and estradiol did not change in 3 months, and DHEA-S went from 1,788 to 1,992 ng/mL, compared to baseline only.
What helps men starts with diagnosis. According to the JAMA review, a male factor, such as low testosterone or few sperm, is present in 35% of infertile couples, and semen analysis is performed at the same time as the female evaluation. Tobacco, more than two drinks of alcohol per day, and drugs are to be avoided.
For supplements, the broadest synthesis concerns antioxidants: 90 trials, 10,303 infertile men. They are associated with more live births (odds ratio 1.43; 12 trials, 1,283 men; very low-quality evidence) and clinical pregnancies (1.89; 20 trials, 1,706 men; low quality); without high-risk-of-bias studies, the effect on live births is no longer significant (1.22; 8 trials, 827 men). Our Male Fertility combines in 3 capsules per day vitamin E (60 mg), zinc (approximately 10 mg), selenium (54 µg) and vitamin B9 with extracts of fenugreek, grape seed, and tribulus; it is reserved for adults, contains no royal jelly, and no trial has tested it. Our guide on male fertility and semen analysis details these nutrients.
Sperm: animal results in both directions
Most animal studies impair testicular function in rats or mice through heat, medication, or metal, then observe whether royal jelly, given at the same time, limits damage. These are protection models, not treatment for established infertility.
| Model | Royal Jelly | Result | Study |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 rabbits exposed to summer heat | 200, 400, or 800 mg per kilogram, by mouth, once per week | Motility +15, +18, and +5%; sperm production +65, +63, and +35% | Elnagar, 2010 |
| 48 rats, testes heated 20 minutes per day | 100 mg per kilogram per day, orally, 48 days | Sperm quality and embryo development after in vitro fertilization improved | Mahdivand, 2019 |
| 40 rats treated with bleomycin | 100 mg per kilogram per day, orally, 48 days | Sperm count, motility and viability, and testosterone improved | Amirshahi, 2014 |
| 35 rats exposed to cadmium | 100 mg per kilogram per day, orally, 56 days | Decrease in testosterone, sperm motility and count largely attenuated | Ahmed, 2018 |
| 21 rats with induced varicocele | Dose not specified in the abstract | Antioxidant enzymes increased; spermatogenesis score of 7.94 versus 6.04 | Asadi, 2019 |
| Mice treated with an anabolic steroid | 100 mg per kilogram per day, orally, 35 days | Sperm count, motility and in vitro fertilization returned near normal | Shalizar Jalali, 2015 |
| Young male mice, up to day 35 of life | Lyophilized, 125, 250 or 500 mg per kilogram per day | 250: more developed testes; 500: smaller testes, incomplete spermatogenesis | Shi, 2019 |
| Pubertal rats in good health | 200, 400 or 800 mg per kilogram per day, by gavage, 4 weeks | 800: more abnormal sperm, modified testes, partially reversible upon cessation | Yang, 2012 |
Two studies show the other side. In pubertal rats, 800 mg per kilogram per day for 4 weeks reduced the relative weight of the pituitary and testes, altered blood hormones and increased the proportion of abnormal sperm without changing their count; these effects were partially corrected 14 days after cessation. In young mice, lyophilized royal jelly promoted testicular development at medium dose and inhibited it at high dose, and all three doses lowered follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol on day 21.
Other studies add royal jelly to preservation media for farm animal semen. With 0.1% royal jelly, frozen buffalo sperm maintained better motility and a better embryo division rate after in vitro fertilization, but the pregnancy rate after insemination of females was no different from the control group. These results concern semen preservation, not a man taking royal jelly.
Ovulation and PCOS: in rats and ewes
In 32 young rats, fresh royal jelly, harvested 68 to 72 hours after larval transfer, was injected into the abdomen at 100, 200 or 400 mg per kilogram per day for 14 days. At 200 mg per kilogram, estradiol reached 273 pg/mL, compared to 150 in the control group, and progesterone 41.00 pg/mL, compared to 12.73; the number of corpora lutea, markers of ovulations, increased. An injection into the abdomen has nothing to do with oral intake.
Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, affects 70% of women who do not ovulate, according to a JAMA review, and ovulation disorders represent approximately 25% of infertility diagnoses. Two research teams reproduced it in female rats.
In 40 young female rats made hyperandrogenic by 3 weeks of testosterone injections, a PCOS model, raw royal jelly, purchased from a beekeeper and kept frozen, given orally for 4 weeks at 200 mg per kilogram per day lowered testosterone, LH and estradiol, increased FSH, made cycles more regular, and restored corpus luteum and developing follicles. At 400 mg per kilogram, testosterone also decreased, but corpus luteum remained fewer in number and cystic follicles persisted.
Ab Hamid N, Abu Bakar AB, Mat Zain AA, et al. Antioxidants 2020;9(6):499. DOI: 10.3390/antiox9060499
In the second model, a PCOS induced by estradiol injection in 42 adult female rats, 100 or 200 mg per kilogram of royal jelly by gavage for 21 days increased progesterone, lowered estradiol, and increased the number of mature follicles and corpus luteum. In ewes, results are mixed: one study of 30 ewes found more estrus and pregnancies, another of 37 ewes found no effect on estrus, with more lambings at only the 500 mg per day dose.
| Model | Royal Jelly | Result | Study |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 young female rats | Fresh, 100 to 400 mg per kilogram per day, injected, 14 days | Estradiol, progesterone and corpus luteum increased | Ghanbari, 2018 |
| 40 female rats, PCOS induced by testosterone | Raw, kept frozen, 100 to 400 mg per kilogram per day, orally, 4 weeks | Best result at 200; less favorable at 400 | Ab Hamid, 2020 |
| 42 female rats, PCOS induced by estradiol | 100 or 200 mg per kilogram per day, by gavage, 21 days | Progesterone increased, mature follicles and corpus luteum more numerous | Khazaei, 2021 |
| 30 ewes under progesterone | 250 mg per day, orally or injected, 12 days | More estrus, improved gestation | Husein, 2002 |
| 37 ewes in seasonal transition | 250, 500 or 750 mg per day, orally | No effect on estrus; lambings 8 out of 8 at 500, versus 2 out of 7 without treatment | Kridli, 2006 |
In women with PCOS, proven treatments are medical: according to the JAMA review, letrozole is the first-line treatment for triggering ovulation, with 27.5% live births (103 women out of 374) versus 19.1% with clomiphene (72 out of 376) in a large trial. Our article on PCOS, fertility and myo-inositol details studies on this nutrient.
No trial has tested our Female Fertility, which does not contain royal jelly; it is reserved for adults, not recommended in case of iron overload (hemochromatosis, polycythemia), and requires professional health advice during pregnancy or breastfeeding. A synthesis of 63 trials in 7,760 infertile women, including myo-inositol, vitamin D combined with calcium, vitamin E or selenium, does not allow conclusions for live births (odds ratio of 1.81; very low quality evidence) and suggests more clinical pregnancies (1.65; low quality), without an increase in miscarriages. Nine included studies have since been retracted or questioned, without changing the conclusions according to a 2026 note.
Ovarian Reserve, IVF and Oocyte Quality
Ovarian reserve, the stock of still-available follicles, decreases with age and is evaluated notably by anti-müllerian hormone. In 2026, a Chinese team published what it presents as the first described case of spontaneous pregnancy in a woman with diminished ovarian reserve after supplementation with royal jelly proteins.
A 35-year-old woman with a history of miscarriage, with an anti-müllerian hormone of 0.72 ng/mL and diminished ovarian reserve, had not achieved pregnancy after herbal therapy and then in vitro fertilization, whose transfer was canceled due to insufficient uterine lining thickness. She then took 1 g of lyophilized powder of major royal jelly proteins, extracted by ultrafiltration, morning and evening. A spontaneous pregnancy occurred during the 4th week, and a healthy boy was born. No digestive disorder or allergic reaction was noted.
Pi X, Yang Y, Guo Q, Shen L. Medicine (Baltimore) 2026;105(25):e49345. DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000049345
The authors themselves emphasize the limitations: a single case, not generalizable, a pregnancy occurring shortly after an in vitro fertilization attempt whose effect on the following cycle cannot be excluded, sleep and physical activity not measured. The product was a concentrated protein fraction, taken at 2 g per day, and not whole royal jelly. The authors announce a randomized trial, for which we found no published results.
In 32 rats treated with cyclophosphamide, a drug toxic to the ovaries, 100 mg of royal jelly per kilogram per day, orally for 16 days, preserved more preantral follicles and reduced degenerative follicles and uterine lesions. In mice with ovarian insufficiency induced by D-galactose, royal jelly increased estradiol, improved ovarian reserve, oocyte maturation and fertility, through a mechanism that would pass, according to the authors, via the intestinal microbiota. For oocyte quality, sheep oocytes matured in a medium containing 10 mg of royal jelly per milliliter reached maturity in 90% of cases, compared to 57% without royal jelly, and blastocysts, embryos a few days old, went from 15.5 to 33.8% after activation without fertilization. This is a culture medium: no published human trial has evaluated royal jelly before in vitro fertilization.
A Hormonal Action? Laboratory Tests
In 2005, a team affiliated with the research center of a Japanese company showed that royal jelly bound to estrogen receptors, much more weakly than phytoestrogens; at 0.5 to 1 mg per milliliter, it stimulated human estrogen-sensitive cells in culture, an effect blocked by an anti-estrogen. The same team isolated four compounds, including 10-HDA, which interfered with estradiol binding to the beta receptor, little or not at all to the alpha receptor; injected into young rats, they slightly thickened the uterine lining, without increasing its weight. A Greek team showed that royal jelly fatty acids do not lodge in the binding site of receptors but modulate their function, and even inhibit the action of estradiol on cells in culture.
A 2022 Japanese study found no activation of receptors: on human cells designed to detect it, royal jelly showed no activity, whereas estradiol acted from 1 nanomole per liter; in transgenic mice that signal this activation throughout the body, estradiol acted in 17 types of tissues, including the uterus and mammary gland, and royal jelly in none. These contradictory studies do not say what happens in a woman who consumes it; they mainly explain the caution during pregnancy.
Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, Allergy: Precautions
We identified no studies evaluating the safety of royal jelly during pregnancy or breastfeeding. A 2025 review on allergies to bee products reports that it was proposed to pregnant women to avoid it, due to its possible hormonal activity or lack of safety data, especially at high doses. The 2026 clinical case, with a healthy child born, is not sufficient to conclude. If you take royal jelly while trying to conceive, mention it to your doctor or midwife, and ask for their advice as soon as pregnancy is confirmed.
Allergy is the best-documented risk. In 1996, Australian doctors described 7 people who had an asthma attack, sometimes with anaphylaxis, after ingesting royal jelly, through a true allergic mechanism; antibodies against its proteins were present in 52% of 75 people allergic to inhaled substances or foods. In Hong Kong, a 1997 survey found a positive skin test to royal jelly in 7.3% of 300 patients at an asthma clinic. The 2025 review reports antibodies against royal jelly in up to 17% of asthmatic adults and a third of people with atopic eczema, cites the death of an 11-year-old atopic girl after ingestion, and advises atopic individuals to avoid it. In 2021, a 56-year-old woman had two anaphylactic reactions in one month after royal jelly; one of its major proteins also reacted with honeycomb, and the authors advised her to avoid all bee products. Our article on the dangers and side effects of royal jelly details the other published cases.
Allergy to bee products (honey, propolis, pollen, bee venom): do not take royal jelly. Asthma, atopic eczema, multiple allergies : abstain, or first ask the advice of an allergist. Pregnancy and breastfeeding : advice from a healthcare professional before any use. Vaginal application : only as part of medical management. Difficulty breathing, swelling of lips or face, hives after ingestion: call emergency services.
When to Consult, and What Really Helps Conception
Infertility is defined by the absence of pregnancy after 12 months of regular intercourse without contraception. According to the JAMA review, an assessment is proposed at this stage, from 6 months in women over 35 years old and even sooner after 40 years. A cause is identified in 85% of infertile couples, mainly disorders of ovulation, male disorders and fallopian tube damage. Age weighs heavily: with donor sperm, the cumulative success rate over 12 cycles was 74.1% between ages 26 and 30, 61.5% between 31 and 35 years and 53.6% after 35 years. Obesity is associated with fewer births after in vitro fertilization.
If you choose royal jelly
No study has established a dose of royal jelly for fertility. The cited human studies used a beverage of 3,000 mg per day, 9 capsules of 350 mg per day, 2 g per day of a protein fraction, or a mixture with honey applied vaginally: none of these amounts converts to spoonfuls of fresh royal jelly.
Aside from any allergy, asthma, or atopic eczema, here are the guidelines given for our Organic Royal Jelly : in the morning on an empty stomach, let the contents of the measuring spoon provided with the 10 g jar dissolve under your tongue, or take it with honey or fruit juice. Store between 2 and 6 °C. During pregnancy or breastfeeding, consult a healthcare professional. Royal jelly does not replace the couple's assessment or infertility treatments, and human studies do not permit expecting an effect on fertility.
Fresh royal jelly, neither freeze-dried nor processed, from organic farming and 100% French, certified French Royal Jelly for its controlled origin and traceability, harvested without overproduction. To be dissolved under the tongue in the morning on an empty stomach, or taken with honey or fruit juice, and stored between 2 and 6 °C.
See Organic Royal JellyOur complete guide to royal jelly details its composition, 10-HDA, and the label of its producers.
Frequently asked questions
Does royal jelly help you get pregnant?
Nothing allows us to confirm this: no trial published in PubMed has tested oral royal jelly on pregnancy chances. The only study in infertile couples published in PubMed used a mixture of honey and royal jelly applied vaginally, without placebo.
Can you take royal jelly during pregnancy?
No study published in PubMed has evaluated its safety during pregnancy, and a 2025 review reports that pregnant women were advised to avoid it. Ask your doctor or midwife for advice before taking it, and as soon as pregnancy is confirmed if you were taking it before.
Does royal jelly improve sperm?
No human trial published in PubMed has measured its effect on semen analysis. In rats, mice, and rabbits, it limited damage from heat or toxic products, but at high doses in young animals, it harmed the testes.
Honey and royal jelly: is it effective against asthenozoospermia?
An Egyptian study of 2008 in 99 couples obtained 8.1% pregnancies per cycle with a mixture of honey and royal jelly applied vaginally, versus 2.6% with intrauterine insemination. The mixture was not detailed, there was neither placebo nor honey-alone group, and no replication has been published in PubMed.
Does royal jelly promote ovulation?
In young female rats, injections of fresh royal jelly increased estradiol, progesterone, and the number of corpus luteum. In ewes, results are mixed. No trial in women is published in PubMed.
Is royal jelly useful in case of PCOS?
Only in animals for now: in two PCOS models in rats, it rebalanced hormones and ovulation, with better results at 200 mg per kilogram than at 400 in one of the studies. In women, letrozole is the first-line treatment to trigger ovulation.
Should royal jelly be taken during IVF?
No published human trial has evaluated it; data come from sheep oocytes in culture and animals. Report any supplement to the team following you.
Does royal jelly increase testosterone?
Slightly, in a 6-month Japanese trial in 61 adults aged 42 to 83 years receiving 3,000 mg per day in a beverage; in men analyzed alone, the increase was not significant, and a second 3-month trial in 40 adults saw no change.
What dose of royal jelly for fertility?
No dose is established. Human studies used forms that are not comparable to each other. For fresh royal jelly, follow the manufacturer's instructions.
After how long should you consult when you are having difficulty conceiving?
After 12 months of regular intercourse without contraception, after 6 months if the woman is over 35 years old, without delay after 40 years, and immediately if cycles are irregular or a known disorder exists. The evaluation concerns both partners.
Who should not take royal jelly?
People allergic to hive products, and as a precaution people with asthma or atopic eczema, in whom antibodies against royal jelly are frequent. During pregnancy or breastfeeding, advice from a healthcare professional is necessary.
Sources
The studies cited below were identified via PubMed, except one trial published outside PubMed.
- Abdelhafiz AT, Muhamad JA. Honey and royal jelly vaginally at the time of intercourse, mid-cycle, in male-factor infertility. International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, 2008;101(2):146-149. DOI
- Morita H, Ikeda T, Kajita K, et al. Effects of six months of royal jelly supplementation in healthy volunteers. Nutrition Journal, 2012;11:77. DOI
- Pi X, Yang Y, Guo Q, Shen L. Spontaneous pregnancy in a woman with diminished ovarian reserve after supplementation with major proteins of royal jelly: a case report. Medicine (Baltimore), 2026;105(25):e49345. DOI
- Carson SA, Kallen AN. Diagnosis and management of infertility: a review. JAMA, 2021;326(1):65-76. DOI
- Ahmad S, Campos MG, Fratini F, et al. New knowledge on the biological and pharmaceutical properties of royal jelly. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2020;21(2):382. DOI
- Chiu HF, Chen BK, Lu YY, et al. Hypocholesterolemic effect of royal jelly in healthy adults with mild hypercholesterolemia. Pharmaceutical Biology, 2017;55(1):497-502. DOI
- Fathi Najafi T, Khadem N, Bahri N, et al. Fertility outcomes of royal jelly compared to intrauterine insemination: a randomized controlled pilot trial. Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products, 2021;16(3):e107420. DOI
- Elnagar SA. Royal jelly counteracts "summer infertility" in male rabbits. Animal Reproduction Science, 2010;121(1-2):174-180. DOI
- de Ligny W, Smits RM, Mackenzie-Proctor R, et al. Antioxidants for male subfertility. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2022;5(5):CD007411. DOI
- Mahdivand N, Najafi G, Nejati V, et al. Royal jelly protects male rats from reproductive failure induced by heat stress. Andrologia, 2019;51(3):e13213. DOI
- Amirshahi T, Najafi G, Nejati V. Protective effect of royal jelly on fertility and biochemical parameters in male rats treated with bleomycin. Iranian Journal of Reproductive Medicine, 2014;12(3):209-216. DOI
- Ahmed MM, El-Shazly SA, Alkafafy ME, et al. Protective potential of royal jelly against cadmium-induced infertility in male rats. Andrologia, 2018;50(5):e12996. DOI
- Asadi N, Kheradmand A, Gholami M, et al. Effect of royal jelly on testicular antioxidant enzymes, malondialdehyde, and spermatogenesis in an experimental model of varicocele in rats. Tissue and Cell, 2019;57:70-77. DOI
- Shalizar Jalali A, Najafi G, Hosseinchi M, Sedighnia A. Royal jelly attenuates sperm toxicity and improves in vitro fertilization in mice treated with stanozolol. Iranian Journal of Reproductive Medicine, 2015;13(1):15-22. DOI
- Shi Z, Enayatullah H, Lv Z, et al. Lyophilized royal jelly proteins promote testicular development and spermatogenesis in pubertal male mice. Animals, 2019;9(11):977. DOI
- Yang A, Zhou M, Zhang L, et al. Influence of royal jelly on reproductive function in pubertal male rats. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2012;50(6):1834-1840. DOI
- Shahzad Q, Mehmood MU, Khan H, et al. Addition of royal jelly to semen extender improves post-thaw quality and fertility of Nili-Ravi buffalo sperm. Animal Reproduction Science, 2016;167:83-88. DOI
- Ghanbari E, Khazaei MR, Khazaei M, Nejati V. Royal jelly promotes ovarian follicle growth and increases steroid hormones in immature female rats. International Journal of Fertility and Sterility, 2018;11(4):263-269. DOI
- Ab Hamid N, Abu Bakar AB, Mat Zain AA, et al. Composition of royal jelly and anti-androgenic effect on reproductive parameters in an animal model of polycystic ovary syndrome. Antioxidants, 2020;9(6):499. DOI
- Khazaei F, Ghanbari E, Khazaei M. Improvement of hormonal and oxidative changes by royal jelly in a model of polycystic ovary syndrome in rats: an experimental study. International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine, 2021;19(6):515-524. DOI
- Husein MQ, Kridli RT. Reproductive responses following royal jelly treatment, administered orally or intramuscularly, in progesterone-treated Awassi ewes. Animal Reproduction Science, 2002;74(1-2):45-53. DOI
- Kridli RT, Al-Khetib SS. Reproductive responses of ewes treated with eCG or with increasing doses of royal jelly. Animal Reproduction Science, 2006;92(1-2):75-85. DOI
- Showell MG, Mackenzie-Proctor R, Jordan V, Hart RJ. Antioxidants for female subfertility. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020;8(8):CD007807. DOI
- Bulbul M, Tekce A, Annac E, et al. Royal jelly as a drug candidate to protect ovarian reserve and uterus against cyclophosphamide in rats. Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine, 2023;50(1):34-43. DOI
- Zheng X, Sun P, He C, et al. Royal jelly improves ovarian function by modulating taurocholic acid metabolism and attenuating oxidative stress in D-galactose-induced ovarian insufficiency mice. Food Research International, 2026;241:119500. DOI
- Valiollahpoor Amiri M, Deldar H, Ansari Pirsaraei Z. Effect of royal jelly supplementation on in vitro maturation of sheep oocytes: apoptosis and embryonic development genes. Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine, 2016;62(1):31-38. DOI
- Mishima S, Suzuki KM, Isohama Y, et al. Royal jelly has estrogenic effects in vitro and in vivo. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2005;101(1-3):215-220. DOI
- Suzuki KM, Isohama Y, Maruyama H, et al. Estrogenic activities of fatty acids and a sterol isolated from royal jelly. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2008;5(3):295-302. DOI
- Moutsatsou P, Papoutsi Z, Kassi E, et al. Royal jelly fatty acids modulate estrogen receptor functions. PLoS One, 2010;5(12):e15594. DOI
- Ishida K, Matsumaru D, Shimizu S, et al. Evaluation of the estrogenic potential of royal jelly through genomic signaling pathways in vitro and in vivo. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 2022;45(10):1510-1517. DOI
- Matuszewska-Mach E, Borysewicz P, Królak J, et al. Ensuring safe use of bee products: a review of allergic risks and their management. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025;26(24):12074. DOI
- Thien FC, Leung R, Baldo BA, et al. Asthma and anaphylaxis induced by royal jelly. Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 1996;26(2):216-222. DOI
- Li JD, Cui L, Xu YY, Guan K. A case of anaphylaxis caused by royal jelly major protein 3 and its cross-reactivity with honeycomb. Journal of Asthma and Allergy, 2021;14:1555-1557. DOI
