Propolis is one of the most fascinating honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) products. It is a plant derived product that bees\ud produce from resins that they collect from different plant organs and with which they mix beeswax. Propolis is a building\ud material and a protective agent in the bee hive. It also plays an important role in honey bee social immunity, and is\ud widely used by humans as an ingredient of nutraceuticals, over-the-counter preparations and cosmetics. Its chemical\ud composition varies by geographic location, climatic zone and local flora. The understanding of the chemical diversity of\ud propolis is very important in propolis research. In this manuscript, we give an overview of the available methods for\ud studying propolis in different aspects: propolis in the bee colony; chemical composition and plant sources of propolis;\ud biological activity of propolis with respect to bees and humans; and approaches for standardization and quality control\ud for the purposes of industrial application

Objectives Viral outbreaks are a frequent concern for humans. A great variety of drugs has been used to treat viral diseases, which are not always safe and effective and may induce adverse effects, indicating the need for new antiviral drugs extracted from natural sources. Propolis is a bee-made product exhibiting many biological properties. An overview of viruses, antiviral immunity, propolis safety and its immunomodulatory and antiviral action is reported, as well as perspectives for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment. PubMed platform was used for data collection, searching for the keywords “propolis”, “virus”, “antiviral”, “antimicrobial” and “coronavirus”. Key findings Propolis is safe and exerts antiviral and immunomodulatory activity; however, clinical trials should investigate its effects on individuals with viral diseases, in combination or not with antiviral drugs or vaccines. Summary Regarding COVID-19, the effects of propolis should be investigated directly on the virus in vitro or on infected individuals alone or in combination with antiviral drugs, due to its immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory action. Propolis administration simultaneously with vaccines should be analyzed, due to its adjuvant properties, to enhance the individuals’ immune response. The search for therapeutic targets may be useful to find out how propolis can help to control COVID-19.

Brazilian, Cuban and Mexican propolis contained different components that may exert pro- and anti-inflammatory activity depending on concentration, what may provide a novel approach to the development of immunomodulatory drugs containing propolis.

Propolis activated human monocytes, and acids were involved differently in propolis activity.

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Propolis is a bee product with several biological properties. This study aimed at investigating a propolis-containing mouthwash, its organoleptic properties, microbial contamination and its antibacterial action in vitro. This mouthwash was assessed in vivo to control dental plaque in humans. The presence of microorganisms was analyzed and the minimum inhibitory concentration against Streptococcus mutans was determined. A comparative study was done in vivo using propolis, chlorhexidine, and propolis plus chlorhexidine in lower concentrations for 14 days. Dental plaque was analyzed by the Patient Hygiene Performance (PHP) index. The odontological product was yellow, cloudy, free of microbial contamination, and exerted an inhibitory action in vitro. Individuals who used a propolis-containing mouthwash for 14 consecutive days in combination or not to chlorhexidine showed a similar PHP index to chlorhexidine alone. The product exerted an antibacterial action in vitro and in vivo, exhibiting a positive action in the control of dental plaque.

Propolis modulated the maturation and function of DCs and may be useful in the initial steps of the immune response, providing a novel approach to the development of DC-based strategies and for the discovery of new immunomodulators.

Data showed that noncytotoxic concentrations of EO and geraniol exerted an anti-inflammatory action by increasing IL-10 production; moreover, geraniol seemed to be probably responsible for EO immunomodulatory activity in our assay condition.