Evaluating Biological Properties of Stingless Bee Propolis

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to determine the content of phenolics, flavonoids and tannins, as well as the biological functions of propolis extracts from the stingless bee (Heterotrigona itama). The raw propolis was extracted via maceration with ultrasonic pretreatment in 100% water and 20% ethanol. The yield of ethanolic propolis extracts was about 1% higher than its aqueous counterpart. The colorimetric assays showed that the ethanolic propolis extract had about two times higher phenolics (17.043 mg GAE/g) and tannins (5.411 mg GAE/g), and four times higher flavonoids (0.83 mg QE/g). The higher phenolic content had enhanced the antiradical and antibacterial capacities of the ethanolic extract. The propolis extracts significantly exhibited higher antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) than gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). However, aqueous extract was found to have a higher anticancer property based on the viability of lung cancer cells. No cytotoxic effect was observed on normal lung cells as the cell viability was maintained >50%, even the concentration of propolis extracts were increased up to 800 µg/mL. Different chemical compositions of propolis extract would show different bioactivities depending upon the individual applications. The high content of phenolics suggests that the propolis extract could be a natural source of bioactive ingredients for the development of innovative and functional foods.

Biochemical Profile and Antioxidant Properties of Propolis from Northern Spain

“…This research offers a complete chemical, palynological, and bioactive profile of propolis obtained from different regions in the northern half of Spain during two harvesting years. Although the chemical characterization of this bee product has been previously reported, the number of studies correlating the physicochemical composition with the bioactive properties of propolis is still scarce [26,27,34]. In this work, we propose a preliminary model that predicts the phenolic content of propolis samples according to their proximal composition and antioxidant capacity [16,51].…”

“…In Spain, propolis is authorized as a food supplement; it is found on the market in multiple presentations, made with different types of propolis in which the main active compounds are not identified and with information on the label without any criteria regarding the doses indicated [9,31]. At the European level, the EFSA issued a scientific opinion in 2010 [32] stating that propolis' possible beneficial effects on health were directly related to their composition and origin, along the lines previously shown by other authors [3,33,34].…”

Non-Targeted Detection and Quantification of Food Adulteration of High-Quality Stingless Bee Honey (SBH) via a Portable LED-Based Fluorescence Spectroscopy

“…Honey is effective against virus-based diseases (such as influenza and HIV viruses) and thus potentially effective for COVID-19 [ 6 , 7 , 8 ]. In particular, SBH contains more total phenolic compounds and flavonoid contents and produces superior antioxidant properties compared to FH [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]. In Indonesia, three popular and profitable SBHs are Heterotrigona itama , Tetrigona apicalis, and Geniotrigona thoracica .…”