Propolis Ineffective in Treating Fungal Lung Infection

Activity of Propolis in an Experimental Model of Pneumocystosis
Saudi Medical Journal, 2008; Vol. 29 (8): 1115-1118

Objectives: To investigate the anti Pneumocystis effects of propolis on Pneumocystis carinii P. carinii in rat model…

Results: Untreated animals showed P. carinii infection level with a mean +/= standard deviation log number of cysts per gram of lung tissue of 4.6 +/= 1.6 at the end of the experiment. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole 50/250 mg/kg/day has significantly reduced the log number of cysts per gram to 1.8 +/= 1.6 (p<0.001). There was no reduction found in the number of cysts in infected animals treated with 30, 50, and 100 mg of propolis/kg/day, and so the results were not statistically significant compared with the control group.

Conclusions: In our rat model of pneumocystosis the efficacy of propolis, this was used in folk medicine since ancient times, found completely ineffective.