Planta Med 2014; 80 - P1L89
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1394746

Characterization of Portuguese Propolis: Unraveling Biological Properties

CA Aguiar 1, AM Ferreira 2, R Oliveira 1, F Baltazar 3, 4, A Cunha 1
  • 1CITAB, Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences; Biology Department, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
  • 2Chemistry Department, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
  • 3Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
  • 4ICVS/3B's – PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal

Propolis is a natural resinous product collected from several plants by honeybees, composed by beeswax, resins and volatiles compounds [1]. It exhibits several promising biological activities that have been widely investigated lately. Although clinical studies still lack, the broad bioactivities spectra, the continuous discovery of new propolis compounds, its long history of use and safety profile, suggest promising applications in medicine and pharmacology. Portuguese propolis has deserved little attention. Information about chemical composition is very recent [1] and only few studies report biological properties [2 – 3], making fundamental the study of chemical fingerprints and biological properties of this natural product. In the last years we have been studied propolis from different regions of the country screening for several bioactivities. Biochemical and biological assays were performed with different propolis extracts in order to evaluate antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor, antiangiogenic, phytotoxic and antigenotoxic potential. Results suggest that Portuguese propolis is likely to be an important source of valuable distinct bioactivities. In fact, it confers antioxidant protection (confirmed either by DPPH and ABTS assays, voltametry or viability assays in H2O2 presence), displays broad antibacterial and antifungal activities (best MIC values of 0.2 mg/mL obtained against bacteria and 0.5 mg/mL against yeast in plate dilution assays), it is cytotoxic against some human carcinoma cells (best IC50 values ranging from 0.007 to 0.015 mg/mL against breast and prostate cancer cell lines, respectively, after 48h treatment) and it inhibits root growth (to 10% of the control values) and photochemical activity of Linum usitatissimum L. seedlings. Data not only confirm some described activities but also suggest new ones, envisaging potential for several clinical, industrial and environmental applications of Portuguese propolis as well as its economic valorization.

Acknowledgements: This work is supported by national funds by FCT – Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project PEst-OE/AGR/UI4033/2014.

Keywords: propolis, bioactivities, Portugal

References:

[1] Falcão SI, Vale N, Gomes P, Domingues MR, Freire C., Cardoso SM, Vilas-Boas M. Phenolic Profiling of Portuguese Propolis by LC-MS Spectrometry: Uncommon Propolis Rich in Flavonoid Glycosides.Phytochem Anal 2012; 24: 309 – 318.

[2] Valente MJ, Baltazar AF, Henrique R, Estevinho L, Carvalho M. Biological activities of Portuguese propolis: protection against free radical-induced erythrocyte damage and inhibition of human renal cancer cell growth in vitro. Food Chem Toxicol 2010; 49; 86 – 92.

[3] Valença I, Morais-Santos F, Miranda-Goncalves V, Ferreira AM, Almeida-Aguiar C, Baltazar F. Portuguese propolis disturbs glycolytic metabolism of human colorectal cancer in vitro. BMC Complement Altern Med 2013; 13: 184 – 191.