Propolis volatile compounds: chemical diversity and biological activity: a review

Abstract

Propolis is a sticky material collected by bees from plants, and used in the hive as building material and defensive substance. It has been popular as a remedy in Europe since ancient times. Nowadays, propolis use in over-the-counter preparations, “bio”-cosmetics and functional foods, etc., increases. Volatile compounds are found in low concentrations in propolis, but their aroma and significant biological activity make them important for propolis characterisation. Propolis is a plant-derived product: its chemical composition depends on the local flora at the site of collection, thus it offers a significant chemical diversity. The role of propolis volatiles in identification of its plant origin is discussed. The available data about chemical composition of propolis volatiles from different geographic regions are reviewed, demonstrating significant chemical variability. The contribution of volatiles and their constituents to the biological activities of propolis is considered. Future perspectives in research on propolis volatiles are outlined, especially in studying activities other than antimicrobial.

Antioxidant Properties and Protective Effect of Turkish Propolis on t-BHP-Induced Oxidative Stress in Foreskin Fibroblast Cells

“…Bee products are used to prevent the progression of the disorders, to reduce pain and to treat the disease. 1,5 Valuable information have been revealed about antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, antiinflammatory, anticancer, antimutagenic, radioprotective, and other beneficial biological effects and chemical structure of propolis. 6,7,8,9,10 In recent years, propolis has become quite popular in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries because of above-mentioned properties that it possesses.…”

Chemopreventive Action by Ethanol-extracted Brazilian Green Propolis on Post-initiation Phase of Inflammation-associated Rat Colon Tumorigenesis

“…Because of the diversity of the products that are obtained from propolis, a variety of effects have been reported (19). Of particular interest to this study are the potential anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic activities of propolis extracts.…”

Components responsible for antimicrobial activity of propolis from continental and Mediterranean regions in Croatian

“…Its chemical composition is highly variable depending on the collection site, floral composition and climate. More than 300 compounds related to its bioactivity and potential therapeutic use have been identified (Kujumgiev et al 1999;Bankova et al 2014). Its biological activity is determined mainly by compounds from the polyphenolic fraction, especially flavonoids, followed by aromatic acids, phenol acid esters, triterpenes, lignans, etc.…”

“…Its biological activity is determined mainly by compounds from the polyphenolic fraction, especially flavonoids, followed by aromatic acids, phenol acid esters, triterpenes, lignans, etc. (Celikel & Kavas 2008;Popova et al 2014;Grenho et al 2015;Machado et al 2016).…”