Food and Chemical Toxicology, Volume 52, February 2013,
Pages 137–142
Propolis is known for a long time for its health benefits
and biological activities. Here, the red variety from the northeast of Brazil
was chemically analyzed and extracts were investigated regarding their
antioxidant and antitumor activity.
Hydroalcoholic extracts, obtained from the red propolis,
revealed polyphenol content, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging potential
and enzymatic activities for catalase-like and superoxide dismutase-like.
Cytotoxic activity was evaluated for human laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma cell
(Hep-2), human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) and human normal epithelial
embryonic kidney (Hek-293). Survival analysis for non-tumor cell line showed
greater IC50 compared to tumor cell lines, suggesting an increased sensitivity
that may correlate with the higher proliferative index of the tumor vs. normal
cells.
Our results indicate that the Brazilian red propolis is
capable of inhibiting cancer cell growth and constitutes an excellent source of
antioxidant and antitumor natural agent.
1 comment:
Amazing.. nature has its way in treating us. ^_^ Is Brazilian Red Propolis included on the list of alternative treatments for cancer patients?
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