Polyphenols as Key Players for the Antileukaemic Effects of
Propolis
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2014;2014:371730
Propolis (a bee product) which has a long history of
medicinal use by humans has attracted a great deal of research interest in the
recent time; this is due to its widely reported biological activities such as
antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and
anticarcinogenic properties.
Crude form of propolis and its phenolic contents
have both been reported to exhibit antileukaemic effects in various leukaemia
cell lines. The ability of the polyphenols found in propolis to arrest cell
cycle and induce apoptosis and differentiation in addition to inhibition of
cell growth and proliferation makes them promising antileukaemic agents, and
hence, they are believed to be a key to the antileukaemic effects of propolis
in different types of leukaemia.
This paper reviews the molecular bases of
antileukaemic activity of both crude propolis and individual polyphenols on
various leukaemia cell lines, and it indicates that propolis has the potential
to be used in both treatment and prevention of leukaemia. This however needs
further evaluation by in vitro, in vivo, and epidemiological studies as well as
clinical trials.
No comments:
Post a Comment