The chemical composition and biological activity of a sample of yellow propolis from Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil (EEP-Y MS), were investigated for the first time and compared with green, brown, and red types of Brazilian propolis and with a sample of yellow propolis from Cuba. Overall, EEP-Y MS had different qualitative chemical profiles, as well as different cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities when compared to the other types of propolis assessed in this study and it is a different chemotype of Brazilian propolis. Absence of phenolic compounds and the presence of mixtures of aliphatic compounds in yellow propolis were determined by analysing 1H-NMR spectra and fifteen terpenes were identified by GC-MS. EEP-Y MS showed cytotoxic activity against human tumour strain OVCAR-8 but was not active against Gram-negative or Gram-positive bacteria. Our results confirm the difficulty of establishing a uniform quality standard for propolis from diverse geographical origins. The most appropriate pharmacological applications of yellow types of propolis must be further investigated.

Propolis is a resin produced by bees from raw material collected from plants, salivary secretions, and beeswax. New therapeutic properties for the Central Nervous System have emerged. We explored the neurobehavioral and antioxidant effects of an ethanolic extract of yellow propolis (EEYP) rich in triterpenoids, primarily lupeol and β-amyrin. Male Wistar rats, 3 months old, were intraperitoneally treated with Tween 5% (control), EEYP (1, 3, 10, and 30 mg/kg), or diazepam, fluoxetine, and caffeine (positive controls) 30 min before the assays. Animals were submitted to open field, elevated plus maze, forced swimming, and inhibitory avoidance tests. After behavioral tasks, blood samples were collected through intracardiac pathway, to evaluate the oxidative balance. The results obtained in the open field and in the elevated plus maze assay showed spontaneous locomotion preserved and anxiolytic-like activity. In the forced swimming test, EEYP demonstrated antidepressant-like activity. In the inhibitory avoidance test, EEYP showed mnemonic activity at 30 mg/kg. In the evaluation of oxidative biochemistry, the extract reduced the production of nitric oxide and malondialdehyde without changing level of total antioxidant, catalase, and superoxide dismutase, induced by behavioral stress. Our results highlight that EEYP emerges as a promising anxiolytic, antidepressant, mnemonic, and antioxidant natural product.

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Total levels of caffeoylquinic, p-coumaric, and benzoic acid derivatives, flavonols, and dihydroflavonols were investigated in 44 brown propolis samples from the state of Paraná(Brazil) together with their cytotoxicity and antibacterial activities. The aim was to discover chemical and biological activity-based patterns. Great quantitative variation was found within individual samples; however, a typical extract might contain 11.14−21.45 mg of caffeoylquinic acid derivatives/g, 6.27−12.17 mg of p-coumaric acid derivatives/g, 3.18−7.45 mg of benzoic acid derivatives/g, 9.35−23.55 mg of flavonols/g, and 0.17−4.25 mg of dihydroflavonols/g. MIC values poorly correlated to the levels of p-coumaric acids, flavonols, and dihydroflavonols. Most propolis samples showed medium-to-high cytotoxic activity against at least one tumoral cell. The most susceptible cell was OVCAR-8, followed by SF-295, but no correlation was found between the inhibition of OVCAR-8 and SF-295 and levels of any chemical class investigated. The concentration of bioactive compounds in brown propolis samples together with biological activities distinguished samples produced in northern, southern, eastern, and western Parana, being characteristics associated with the geographical origin, and may help to establish a pattern for the propolis produced in the state of Parana.

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