Cytotoxicity and Pro-Apoptotic, Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Geopropolis Produced by the Stingless Bee Melipona fasciculata Smith

Abstract

Geopropolis is produced by some stingless bee species, such as Melipona fasciculata Smith, a native species from Brazil. This study aims to investigate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and cytotoxicity effects of geopropolis hydroethanolic extracts against lung (H460 and A549) and ovarian (A2780 and ES2) cancer cell lines and non-tumor (HUVEC) cell lines using chemical identification by LC/MS/MS analysis and in silico assays to determine which compounds are associated with bioactivity. The antioxidant activity of extracts and inhibitory activity against COX enzymes were assessed by in vitro assays; cytotoxicity effect was evaluated by the MTT assay; cell cycle was assessed by flow cytometry and apoptosis by Western blotting. The geopropolis extracts showed great radical scavenging potential, preferential inhibition of COX-2, decreased cancer cell viability, non-cytotoxic effects against the non-tumoral cell line, besides modulating the cell cycle and inducing cancer cell apoptosis through the activation of caspase-3 and PARP protein cleavage. The in silico study suggests that corilagin, typhaneoside, taraxerone and marsformosanone, identified by LC/MS/MS, can be associated with anti-inflammatory activity and cytotoxic effects. Thus, the current study suggests the potential of geopropolis concerning the research field of new pharmacological alternatives regarding cancer therapy.

Use of Stingless Bee Propolis and Geopropolis against Cancer—A Literature Review of Preclinical Studies

“…These characteristics are suggestive of cell death induced by the hydroethanolic extract mediated by apoptosis. This fact was confirmed with the increased expression of cleaved caspase-3 and of PARP, which is poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleaved by the Western blotting technique [8].…”

“…Meliponines make great contribution to environmental conservation, as they perform pollination of native plant species and contribute to a reduction in deforestation and environmental damage [4,7]. In addition, they are commercially known for their role in the production of natural products, such as honey, wax, royal jelly, propolis, and geopropolis and accumulation of pollen [3,4,8,9].…”

“…Different biological activities of propolis and geopropolis have been investigated worldwide, including antioxidant [13][14][15][16], antimicrobial [15,17], antileishmanial [18], antiviral [19], anti-inflammatory [20], healing [21], and antitumor [8,[22][23][24][25] action.…”

Composição química e atividade biológica da própolis de Melipona quadrifasciata

“…A própolis é um produto apícola com grande potencial farmacológico e de interesse econômico. Na medicina popular, a própolis tem seu uso associado à atividade antisséptica e antimicrobiana (Barboza et al, 2020). Essas atividades dependem da composição química da própolis, que varia de acordo com a região de coleta, pois se sabe que o material coletado é proveniente das plantas que as abelhas visitam.…”

Typhaneoside-Tetrahedral Framework Nucleic Acids System: Mitochondrial Recovery and Antioxidation for Acute Kidney Injury treatment

“…25−28 Typ possesses a sound biological and antioxidative effect. 22,29 However, the under- lying potential pharmacological mechanisms of Typ in AKI are rarely studied. Similar to most traditional Chinese medicine monomers, 30,31 Typ is of limited therapeutic use because of its instant degradation, poor water-solubility, and meager systemic bioavailability.…”