Brazilian Green Propolis: Chemical Composition of Essential Oil and Their In Vitro Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Antiproliferative Activities

Abstract

Propolis is a resinous substance collected and processed by Apis mellifera from parts of plants, buds and exudates. In Minas Gerais (MG) state, Brazil, green propolis is produced from the collection of resinous substance found in shoot apices of Baccharis dracunculifolia. This paper aims to investigate the chemical composition and in vitro antioxidant, anti-Helicobacter pylori, antimycobacterial and antiproliferative activities of essential oil (EO) from Brazilian green propolis (BGP-EO). The oil showed high antibacterial activity against H. pylori (MIC = 6.25 µg/mL), Mycobacterium avium (MIC = 62.5 µg/mL) and M. tuberculosis (MIC = 64 µg/mL). Its antioxidant activity was evaluated in vitro by both DPPH (IC50 = 23.48 µg/mL) and ABTS (IC50 = 32.18 µg/mL) methods. The antiproliferative activity in normal (GM07492A, lung fibroblasts) HIGHLIGHTS The chemical composition of propolis varies according to the region where it is produced. Production of green propolis in Minas Gerais state, Brazil, is related to the high amount of resin yielded by Baccharis dracunculifolia. Major compounds found in essential oil from Brazilian green propolis were carvacrol, acetophenone, spathulenol, (E)-nerolidol and β-caryophyllene. Brazilian green propolis showed high antibacterial, antioxidant and antiproliferative activities.

Chemical Composition of Volatile Compounds in Apis mellifera Propolis from the Northeast Region of Pará State, Brazil

“…In other studies, the major compounds were thymol (29.61%), its isomer carvacrol (30.57%) from Kermanshah City in the west of Iran [ 34 ], carvone (40.34%), β-bisabolene (10.6%), β-thujone (11.45%), carvone (40.34%) from Tehran Province, Iran [ 35 ], carvacrol (20.7%), acetophenone (13.5%), spathulenol (11.0%), ( E )-nerolidol (9.7%), β-caryophyllene (6.2%) from Atlantic Forest in São Lourenço MG, Brazil [ 36 ], β-pinene (2.0–21.8%), α-pinene (1.2–46.5%), limonene (11.6%), dihydrosabinene (17.8%), 1 , 8 -cineole (0.1–11.0%), p -cymene (0.1–5.3%), 2 , 7 -dimethyl- 3 -octen- 5 -yne (trace-11.7%), octanal (12.9%), ( E )-β-ocimene (17.8%), α-thujene (trace-11.0%), and styrene (13.5%) from South Africa [ 37 ], δ-cadinene (1.29–13.31%), γ-cadinene (1.36–8.85%) and α-muurolene (0.78–6.59%), β-eudesmol (2.33–12.83%), T-cadinol (2.73–9.95%) and α-cadinol (4.84–9.74%) from different Italian regions [ 19 ], and α-pinene, β-pinene, γ-terpinene, α-muurolene, γ-cadinene and δ-cadinene from different regions of Croatia [ 38 ].…”

Avaliação da atividade anti-inflamatória de própolis de abelha Apis mellifera: uma revisão

“…Como marcador principal, tem-se a molécula de artepilina C, um importante antioxidante, e ainda conta com derivados do ácido p-cumárico e diterpenos. É considerada uma das própolis mais estudadas no âmbito científico (Cavalaro, 2017;Quintino, et al, 2020).…”

Ethnomedicinal, phytochemical and pharmacological investigations of Baccharis dracunculifolia DC. (ASTERACEAE)

“…Jug et al (2014) also evaluated the antibacterial and antifungal efficiency of green propolis extracts obtained by different extraction techniques and demonstrated that the ethanolic extract showed the best antimicrobial action. Quintino et al (2020) verified the antimicrobial activity of the oil extracted from fresh green propolis (Figure 11), with carvacrol being the compound with the highest concentration (20.7%), finding a MIC of 6.25 μg/ml against Helicobacter pylori, 62.5 μg/ml against Mycobacterium avium and 64 μg/ml for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Quintino et al, 2020). Tomazzoli et al (2021) analyzed the antioxidant activity of the essential oil of fresh leaves of B. dracunculifolia collected in ten locations in Paraná -Brazil.…”

“… Antimicrobial activity of the oil extracted from B. dracunculifolia green propolis ( Quintino et al, 2020 ). …”