Propolis Protects Against Early Phase of Colon Cancer

Aqueous and Ethanolic Extract Fractions from the Brazilian Propolis Suppress Azoxymethane-Induced Aberrant Crypt Foci in Rats
Oncol Rep, 2008 Sep;20(3):493-9.

Abstract: We investigated the effects of the two fractions, aqueous (AEP) and ethanolic extracts of propolis (EEP) of the Brazilian propolis on azoxymethane (AOM)-induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF)…

Dietary supplementation with AEP and EEP significantly reduced the multiplicity of ACF with the effect of EEP being more potent than AEP. In the ACF and their surrounding non-lesional crypts, significantly lowered cell proliferation was observed in the rats, administered with AOM, and the extracts, while neither fraction affected the apoptotic index.

Our findings suggest that AEP and EEP possess a chemopreventive ability in the early phase of colon carcinogenesis through the modulation of cell proliferation.