Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, 2012 Dec;107(8):978-84
Propolis is a resinous mixture of different plant exudates
collected by honeybees. Currently, propolis is widely used as a food supplement
and in folk medicine.
We have evaluated 20 Cuban propolis extracts of different
chemical types, brown (BCP), red and yellow (YCP), with respect to their in
vitro antibacterial, antifungal and antiprotozoal properties. The extracts
inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Trichophyton rubrum at low
µg/mL concentrations, whereas they were not active against Escherichia coli and
Candida albicans. The major activity of the extracts was found against the protozoa
Leishmania, Trypanosoma and Plasmodium, although cytotoxicity against MRC-5
cells was also observed. The BCP-3, YCP-39 and YCP-60 extracts showed the
highest activity against P. falciparum, with 50% of microbial growth (IC50)
values of 0.2 µg/mL. A positive correlation between the biological activity and
the chemical composition was observed for YCP extracts. The most promising
antimicrobial activity corresponds to YCP subtype B, which contains acetyl
triterpenes as the main constituents.
The present in vitro study highlights the potential of
propolis against protozoa, but further research is needed to increase
selectivity towards the parasite. The observed chemical composition-activity
relationship of propolis can contribute to the identification of the active
principles and standardisation of this bee product.
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