Composition and functional properties of propolis (bee glue): A review

Abstract

Propolis is a natural substance collected by honey bees from various plants such as, poplar, palm, pine, conifer secretions, gums, resins, mucilage and leaf buds. It is collected and brought very painstakingly by honey bees to be used for sealing cracks and crevices occurring in their hives. Originally, it as an antiseptic meant for preventing bee-hive from microbial infections along with preventing decomposition of intruders. Additionally, propolis has been used in folk medicine for centuries. The biological characteristics of propolis depend upon its chemical composition, plant sources, geographical zone and seasons. More than 300 compounds have been identified in propolis such as, phenolic compounds, aromatic acids, essential oils, waxes and amino acids. Many scientific articles are published every year in different international journals, and several groups of researchers have focused their attention on the chemical compounds and biological activity of propolis.

Biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Brazilian propolis

“…12 The propolis is a resinous opotherapeutic agent produced by bees, which has more than 300 components already identified, where the percentage of these depends on the propolis-harvesting time and also on their geographical origin. 13 This material demonstrates to be a good candidate for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles, as shown previously with Indian studies. 10,14,15 However, studies about the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles using Brazilian propolis are not available yet.…”

Investigation of potential inhibitor properties of ethanolic propolis extracts against ACE-II receptors for COVID-19 treatment by Molecular Docking Study

“…Crude propolis is a highly viscous, slightly soluble mixture in water and best dissolved in 60-80% ethanol. Propolis has been an indispensable component of apitherapy for centuries and has recently been used as a food additive, or supplementary, under the name of traditional and complementary medicine [1,2].…”

“…Phenolic acids, flavonoids (flavanones, flavones, flavonols etc. ), stilbenes, tannins are the active polyphenols of propolis [1,3]. Propolis are not consumed as raw, but their ethanolic and aqueous extracts are widely consumed in different formulations.…”

“…It has been reported that polyphenolic agents such as gallic acid, caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid, chrysin, quercetin, rutin, galangin, kaempferol, hesperetin, pinocembrin, pinobanksin, apigenin, luteolin, daidzein, caffeic acid phenyl ester (CAPE) are the most active polyphenols of propolis and these secondary metabolites vary depending on the propolis source [1,4,5].…”

Evaluation of the In Vitro Wound-Healing Activity and Phytochemical Characterization of Propolis and Honey

“…Propolis is a resinous substance produced by the same species of bees, being composed of wax, resinous secretions from plants, tree buds, pollen, and salivary enzymes. Propolis contains essential oils and organic compounds such as phenolic acids and flavonoids [4,[6][7][8]. Similarly to honey, propolis also contains several minerals, vitamins, and enzymes [9].…”